CommunityService

Communityservicereferstoservicethatapersonperformsforthebenefitofhisorherlocalcommunity.Peoplebecomeinvolvedincommunityserviceforarangeofreasons-forsome,servingcommunityisaltruisticact,forothersitisapunishment.Theterm"communityservice"thereforereferstoprojectsthosemembersofcertainyouthorganizations,suchastheBoyScoutsandsomehighschoolstudentsperform.Italsoreferstoanalternativesentencingtechniqueinajusticesystem.Andattimesgroupsofpeoplewillcommittoperformservicetothecommunityasagesturetothelargercommunity,aspartofgifteconomics.

Examplesofcommunityserviceprojectsinclude(butarenotlimitedto):

cleaningapark

collectingmuchneededitemsincludingclothes,shoes,bottletabs,bottlecans,etc.

gettinginvolvedwithHabitatforHumanity

readingtoolderpeopleinnursinghomes

helpingoutyourlocalfireorpolicedepartment

Helpingoutatalocallibrary

Tutoringdevelopmentallydisabledchildrenforfree

Manycommunityserviceprojectsaredonebysororitiesandfraternities.OnefraternitythatwascreatedforthesolepurposeofdoingcommunityserviceisAlphaPhiOmega,aco-edfraternity.

Communityserviceamongyouth

Communityservicethatengagesyouthisoftencalledyouthservice.Itisamethodologythatissimultaneouslyemployedtostrengthenyoungpeoples'sensesofcivicengagementandnationalism,aswellasassisttheminmeetingeducational,developmentalandsocialgoals.JasielCorreiaII,ayoungpersonrecentlywontheoutstandingcommunityserviceawardtotheUnitedStatesforhiseffortsforyoungpeopletoberecognizedfortheiraccomplishments.

Incasesofcommunityserviceamongyouth,thetypeofserviceperformedisattimessimilartothatperformedbypeopleconvictedofcrimes.Itcanalsoentailothertypesofservice.Forexample,aBoyScoutmayundertakeimprovementprojects-suchasrepairingastructure.

Whenthisformofcommunityserviceisused,itisoftenarequirementofayouthorganization-theScoutingorganizationwouldrequireitinorderforaScouttoadvancetothenextrank.Forhighschoolstudents,itisoftenarequirementforastudenttoadvancetothenextgradelevelorgraduatefromhighschooltoperformacertainnumberofhoursofservice.

TheHighestrankofscoutingintheBoyScoutsofAmerica,EagleScout,requireseachscouttopreparetheirownserviceprojectandleaditintheircommunity.Thehighestawardingirlscouting,theGirlScoutGoldAward,involvessettingupasimilarserviceproject.

CommunityServiceisalsousedbycollege-boundhighschoolseniorsasawayofattractingcollegestoacceptthem.Thoughtechnicallynotarequirementforacceptanceforthatspecificcollege,mostcollegesgenerallyusecommunityserviceasanunofficialcollegerequirementforacceptance,thoughsomecollegespreferworkexperienceovercommunityservice.Thebestoverallcommunityservicehoursisgenerallyaround300hoursormore.Somecollegesalsorequiretheirownstudentsbyvolunteeringspecificnumberofhoursinordertograduateandgetadegree.

Servicelearningisthedeliberateconnectionofcommunityservicetostatedlearninggoals.Acommonmisconceptionamongeducators,youthworkers,andyoungpeopleisthenotionthatservicelearningcanbeassigned.Severalexpertsattesttothenecessityofengagingyouthindeliberating,planning,implementing,andreflectingontheircommunityservice,therebysustaininghighqualityservicelearning.Thisisintendedtomakecommunityserviceaneffectivelearningtool.

Alternativesentencing

Inthisformofcommunityservice,convictedindividualsarerequiredtoperformcharitableserviceseitherentirelyorpartlyinlieuofotherjudicialremediesandpenalties.

Forinstance,afinemaybereducedinexchangeforaprescribednumberofhoursofcommunityservice.Insomecases,thesubjectmaybeabletochoosetheircommunityservice,whichthenmustbedocumentedbycredibleagencies,ortheymaybeorderedbythejudgetoperformcertainservicesorworkforcertainagencies.

Sometimesthesentencingisspecificallytargetedtothesubject'stransgression.Examplesofthismayrangefromsentencingalitterertopickuplitteralongthehighway,toadrunkdriverbeingrequiredtoappearbeforeschoolgroupstoexplainwhydrunkdrivingisacrimeandanethicalbreach.Thesesentencingsenforcetheideasthatweweretaughtaswrongwhenwewerechildren.

Asentencemaybetargetedspecificallytoprovidepaybacktothevictimsofcrime.Forinstance,someonewhovandalizesparkequipmentmayberequiredtorepairthatequipment.

Thephilosophybehindalternativesentencingisatleastpartiallythatprovidingservicesthatbenefitsocietyisamoreconstructivewaytopunishperpetrators.Itisalsothoughttobeawaytointroducetheideaofethicalactionintothevaluesystemoftheperpetrator.

Communityserviceisonlyoneofavarietyofalternativesentencingtechniquesdesignedtobemoreeffectiveatreformingperpetrators,toreducerecidivism,tobenefitsociety,andtoreducetheoverallcosttosocietyofsentencingcriminals.Otheralternativesincludehome-basedincarceration,targetedpaybackoffundstovictims,anddrugaddictiontreatmentratherthanimprisonment.

InEurope,communityserviceisusuallyanalternativetoimprisonment.

Highschoolgraduation

Inmanyeducationaljurisdictions,acertainnumberofhoursofcommunityserviceisrequiredinordertograduatefromhighschool.InWashingtonState,forexample,studentsmustcomplete60hoursofcommunityserviceinordertoreceiveahighschooldiploma.SomeWashingtonschooldistricts,includingSeattlePublicSchools,havedifferentiatedbetweencommunityserviceand"servicelearning,"requiringstudentstodemonstratethattheirworkhascontributedtotheireducation.[1]Ifstudentishighschoolaretakinganavidcoursecommunityserviceis