Consistent with House Bill 490, the Mason Municipal Court has developed a program of community controlled sanctions called community service. Used mainly by the Judge to limit the number of criminal offenders placed in jail to serve a sentence, community service utilizes the offender’s available free time to provide services for several non-profit organizations. Community service allows the offender to maintain his regular employment and still provide for those defendants on the offender for their support. This also reduces the burden on the taxpayers by not creating a situation where the offender may have to rely on public assistance if a jail sentence forces the offender’s regular employer to terminate the offender for not being able to report for work.
Taxpayers also benefit from the new community control sanctions because incarceration can be expensive to the community and can create a situation where another offender, who may not meet the requirements for community service, may be released due to jail overcrowding.
Another situation where people are ordered to provide community service are those offenders who are placed in a Pre-trial Diversion program. This program allows the offender to complete court ordered drug screens, which they reimburse the Probation Department for, and a predetermined number of community service hours. If the offender completes the requirements of the program, they can have their original charges dismissed and, after the amount of time required by law, can have the dismissal expunged from their record.
You have been ordered to complete community service as a part of your sentence in this Court. Community Service allows you to give something back to the community.
All Community Service must be completed with a non-profit organization. Any questions or concerns contact your probation officer.