IN JANUARY 1973, COMMUNITY SERVICE SCHEMES WERE SET UP ON AN EXPERIMENTAL BASIS IN SIX PROBATION AND AFTERCARE AREAS IN GREAT BRITAIN. THIS CONCEPT WAS EXTENDED TO PROBATION AND AFTERCARE COMMITTEES THROUGHOUT ENGLAND AND WALES DURING 1975. LEGAL ASPECTS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE ARE INCORPORATED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT OF 1972. IN GENERAL, THIS PROVIDES THAT A COURT DEALING WITH A PERSON OVER THE AGE OF 17 WHO IS CONVICTED OF AN OFFENSE PUNISHABLE BY IMPRISONMENT MAY MAKE A COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER REQUIRING THE OFFENDER TO PERFORM UNPAID WORK FOR BETWEEN 40 AND 240 HOURS WITHIN <2 MONTHS FOLLOWING THE ORDER. EVALUATION EFFORTS TO DATE HAVE NOT PROVEN INDICATED THAT THE SENTENCE MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR INDICATED THAT THE SENTENCE MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS. WHILE CRITICS OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ORDER CONTEND THAT THE SENTENCE IS NOT A REAL REFORM AND ONLY SERVES TO COVER UP THE CONTINUED OPPRESSION OF OFFENDERS, THE AUTHOR STATES THAT THIS REFORM IS A VALUABLE MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION....DMC