Philip Webster
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WESTMINSTER Low-level offenders fulfilling community punishment orders have carried out six million hours of unpaid work in England and Wales this year, according to figures to be published by the Ministry of Justice tomorrow.
About 55,000 projects have been carried out by young people guilty of offences such as shoplifting and criminal damage. Ministers will cite the figures as proof that the punishment orders are benefiting the community as well as easing the pressure on overcrowded prisons.
The work carried out would have cost £33 million if local councils had paid for it themselves, although it is a condition of the scheme that it should not substitute for work that would have used local labour.
The projects include restoring derelict buildings or clearing derelict areas, tidying churchyards and public parks, removing graffiti from bus stops and school walls, decorating rundown facilities and repairing playgrounds.
The teams, consisting mostly of offenders aged 16 to 17, are overseen by a supervisor.
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