George Bunn
Guest Reporter
Criminals convicted of theft, assault and shoplifting are being allowed to complete their community service sentences from home through online courses, new figures reveal.
Ministry of Justice data shows offenders carried out more than 540,000 hours of online courses last year as part of their community payback sentences.
The practice has been branded "an insult to victims" by experts, who claim offenders are "simply clicking through web pages" rather than performing meaningful community work.
The revelation comes as Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood launches a sentencing review amid a prison overcrowding crisis, which could see increased use of community punishments as alternatives to jail.
This accounted for 12 per cent of all completed community sentences last year, equivalent to 68,000 days or 185 years of community service time. The sentences were issued to criminals convicted of crimes including theft, assault, shoplifting and property damage.
Of the six million hours of unpaid work ordered by courts last year, 4.7 million hours were completed, with the remainder being wiped off or terminated.
Beyond online courses, which made up 12 per cent of completed hours, another five per cent of sentences were served working in charity shops.
Ian Acheson, a former prison governor, agreed that "unpaid work should mean actual work" and pointed to "blighted spaces where regeneration is desperately needed."
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A probation service source revealed that online courses can comprise up to 30 per cent of the unpaid work in a community sentence.
Matthew Brighty, a former Home Office economist now at policy consultancy Bradshaw Advisory, called the data "shocking".
"It is shocking that nearly one in five people are serving their 'sentence' by simply clicking through web pages at home or helping out in a charity shop," he said.
"The idea of serving a sentence from the comfort of home or a cosy charity shop feels out of step with justice and an insult to victims," Brighty added, insisting that "communities deserve to see meaningful work being done—work that visibly repairs harm and restores trust in the system."
The online courses are designed to boost literacy and employability, according to probation service sources.
They are also used as alternatives when outdoor work isn't possible due to weather conditions or when offenders cannot attend their usual work.
The practice began during the pandemic, when offenders were allowed to make face coverings and greeting cards at home to clear a backlog of unfinished community work.
An MoJ spokesman defended the system: "The majority of offender's unpaid work hours are in person. Since 2004, some offenders have been permitted to join online courses designed to get them into jobs and away from crime."
The practice was further expanded in 2011 under the previous government.
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Ministry of Justice data shows offenders carried out more than 540,000 hours of online courses last year as part of their community payback sentences.
The practice has been branded "an insult to victims" by experts, who claim offenders are "simply clicking through web pages" rather than performing meaningful community work.
The revelation comes as Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood launches a sentencing review amid a prison overcrowding crisis, which could see increased use of community punishments as alternatives to jail.
This accounted for 12 per cent of all completed community sentences last year, equivalent to 68,000 days or 185 years of community service time. The sentences were issued to criminals convicted of crimes including theft, assault, shoplifting and property damage.
Of the six million hours of unpaid work ordered by courts last year, 4.7 million hours were completed, with the remainder being wiped off or terminated.
Beyond online courses, which made up 12 per cent of completed hours, another five per cent of sentences were served working in charity shops.
Ian Acheson, a former prison governor, agreed that "unpaid work should mean actual work" and pointed to "blighted spaces where regeneration is desperately needed."
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A probation service source revealed that online courses can comprise up to 30 per cent of the unpaid work in a community sentence.
Matthew Brighty, a former Home Office economist now at policy consultancy Bradshaw Advisory, called the data "shocking".
"It is shocking that nearly one in five people are serving their 'sentence' by simply clicking through web pages at home or helping out in a charity shop," he said.
"The idea of serving a sentence from the comfort of home or a cosy charity shop feels out of step with justice and an insult to victims," Brighty added, insisting that "communities deserve to see meaningful work being done—work that visibly repairs harm and restores trust in the system."
The online courses are designed to boost literacy and employability, according to probation service sources.
They are also used as alternatives when outdoor work isn't possible due to weather conditions or when offenders cannot attend their usual work.
The practice began during the pandemic, when offenders were allowed to make face coverings and greeting cards at home to clear a backlog of unfinished community work.
An MoJ spokesman defended the system: "The majority of offender's unpaid work hours are in person. Since 2004, some offenders have been permitted to join online courses designed to get them into jobs and away from crime."
The practice was further expanded in 2011 under the previous government.
Find Out More...