Community Service Orders Scheme

Service Description

Community Service Orders (CSO) is a community-based sentencing option pursuant to the Community Service Orders Ordinance, Cap 378. A court may make an order requiring a person of or over 14 years of age and convicted of an offence(s) punishable with imprisonment to perform unpaid work for a number of hours not exceeding 240 hours within a period of 12 months under the supervision of a probation officer (PO) who shall also provide counselling and guidance to the offender.

Target Group

The target group is offenders who

• are referred by court for social enquiry; and
• are ordered by court to be put under CSO.

Nature of Service

• In serving the courts, POs prepare pre-sentence reports including Probation Officer's Reports and Suitability Reports for Community Service Orders on the rehabilitation of offenders.
• POs will provide statutory supervision, personal guidance and group work service to the offenders placed under CSO.
• POs will arrange unpaid work placement for the offenders placed under CSO while site supervisors will supervise them by giving technical instruction, on-the-spot supervision and practical guidance on various types of work at work sites.

Co-ordinating Office of Community Service Orders

• There is also a Co-ordinating Office of Community Service Orders which supports the PCSOs and HC&DCPO in identifying and co-ordinating work projects, and liaising with POs on work site performance of offenders placed under the CSO.

Information of Service Unit