As the liberal reforms in the criminal justice system have paved the way to more effective and intensive enforcement of alternative sentences in Georgia.

In this regard, community service is the most effective alternative to imprisonment. By this alternative sentence, the convicted persons are given an opportunity to make reparation to the society by means of community service.

Community service supports re-socialization of a convict and his development as law-obedient citizen.


Procedural Issues:

According to Article 40 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, community service is one type of alternative sanctions.

Community service is a free service provided by a convict. Content and daily duration of community service is determined by a probation bureau.

A convict who is sentenced with deprivation of liberty can be sentenced with community service upon the decision of MCLA’s Local Council for Early Conditional Release. The former can decide to change imprisonment by community service, upon consent of a convict. The following persons are eligible to apply for the Council:     a convict, his/her defender/legal representative, close relative or the head of the Penitentiary Establishment.

If community service is sentenced, the National Probation Agency draws a contract with an employer, which defines content of work, total duration, daily duration, work place, name and address of an employer.

Community service can be sentenced from 40 up to 400 hours and daily duration can be up to 8 hours.

A convict sentenced with community service is monitored by the National Probation Agency’s electronic monitoring technologies. The new technologies enable us to have updated information on movement and behavior of a convict in real time.

Taking into consideration social background of a convict and content of work, a convict is supplied with food during work hours.

Food expenses will be reimbursed for a juvenile convict, aged 14-16 and whose daily duration of service exceeds 3 hours; for a juvenile aged 16-18, whose daily duration of service exceeds 5 hours; for an adult convict who is registered in the database of socially vulnerable families, and whose social/economic figures are below the basic needs’ threshold determined the Government of Georgia, and whose daily duration of community service exceeds 6 hours.

In the beginning of each day, the National Probation Agency will deposit food expenses for a convict to a specially created bank account.