Seeing and believing: Visible unpaid work and its implications for public confidence
| Author | Nikki D'Souza |
| Published date | 01 March 2009 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0264550508099715 |
| Date | 01 March 2009 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Research &
reports
The Journal of Community and Criminal Justice
Copyright © 2009 NAPO Vol 56(1): 68–77
DOI: 10.1177/0264550508099715
www.napo.org.uk
http://prb.sagepub.com
Seeing and believing: Visible unpaid work and its
implications for public confidence
Introduction
This study focuses on whether unpaid work through its visibility initiative (Com-
munity Payback) offers scope to increase public confidence by demonstrating that
it is a demanding, credible sentence. The aims of this study were: (a) to ascertain
the extent to which efforts to make unpaid work visible in County Durham are
successful; (b) to determine the relationship between visibility and public confi-
dence; and (c) to assess whether heightening visibility by providing written infor-
mation impacts on knowledge levels and subsequently increases confidence. The
central research question was whether written information can give sufficient re-
assurance that criminals are properly dealt with.
Methodology
The project chosen was one where unpaid work involved general gardening main-
tenance work (Bearpark Cemetery in County Durham). The project was visible to
those walking past or driving by. The impact of visibility was tested by comparing
the views of an experimental group who received a leaflet and a control group
who did not receive one. Once the pre-test questionnaire had been administered
to 80 respondents to attain baseline measurements, a leaflet profiling Bearpark
Cemetery (visible to the public) as well as Bearpark Community Centre (where
indoor work was completed) was posted to a subset of 40 individuals. A post-test
questionnaire was administered a week later to all respondents to ensure that
while sufficient reading time was given to those who were given the leaflet, not so
much time elapsed that the leaflet would be discarded. The entire study was
conducted over a 4-week period.
The pre-test consisted of questions around knowledge of unpaid work, the
methods by which individuals had learnt of the penalty and their confidence in
the sentence being useful and effective. Views in relation to reparation to the com-
munity and unpaid work taking place in their own neighbourhoods were elicited.
Also explored were the extent to which unpaid work may result in safer communi-
ties, and the question as to whether...
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