Results of community service experiments conducted in eight court districts starting in 1980 are summarized, with emphasis on the opinions of the agencies providing placements, of the offenders, and of criminal justice personnel. The history and nature of community service orders in Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Southern Europe, and Scandinavia are described. Specific aspects of the community service order in the Netherlands are explored, including the legal foundation, penal objectives, and the relationship of community service to other sanctions. Age limits, the role of the probation service, future prospects for finding sufficient work projects, and methods of ensuring that offenders are provided equality before the law are also discussed. One figure and 19 references are supplied.