Payback helps offenders make amends
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WICK Community Council welcomed a guest speaker to outline how offenders can give something valuable back to the area they live in.
Steve MacDonald, community payback officer for Caithness, gave the meeting an overview of the role and purpose of the community payback scheme in the county.
Community payback orders are given by Wick Sheriff Court to offenders as an alternative means to fines or prison sentences.
Steve said: "It is the role of the community payback officer to ensure that these orders are carried out in line with the directions of the court."
The community payback team fall under Criminal Justice Services – part of the Care and Learning arm of Highland Council based at Wick Airport Industrial Estate.
Steve is a retired police sergeant who spent the majority of his service in Caithness and refers to the payback offenders he deals with as "clients".
"Our clients are out in the community of Caithness seven days a week carrying out meaningful work which is beneficial to the community and, in the long-term, reparatory to the client."
Community payback is a punishment which requires offenders to pay back the community for the crimes they have committed. They have to carry out 40 - 300 hours of demanding unpaid work as a sentence from the courts.
"This work helps make the communities we live in safer and better places to be," added Steve.
He told the community councillors about some of the local work the team have been involved in such as redecorating Staxigoe Hall, renovation of the Wick Riverside viewing platform and construction of a garden area at Norlin Nursery in Wick.
Future projects include work at Castletown Drill Hall, Ormlie Community Centre in Thurso and various projects in Dunbeath and Latheronwheel along with a comprehensive grass-cutting rota.
"It's important that we attempt to have work carried out across the broad spectrum of the Caithness community."
Steve pointed out that the team is not there to replace the council but can help with issues that are outside its remit.
"For example, we recently helped remove sand from pensioners' gardens in Thurso that had blown in from the beach while the council workers cleared the road and drains nearby."
Should anyone require further details of the work carried out, Steve can be contacted at Criminal Justice Services on 01349 781300.
