THE MINISTRY of Justice is calling for people to work with criminals who are spared prison.

40 supervisors are sought to oversee the community payback projects, previously known as community service, across Sussex and Kent.

Community payback can be offered as an alternative to prison for people who have committed a crime.

The drive comes as the UK government pledged an additional £93 million to increase community payback hours from 5 million to 8 million hours per year.

The Argus: A graveyard undergoing work as part of the community payback schemeA graveyard undergoing work as part of the community payback scheme

Sean Bligh, a community payback coordinator in Brighton, said: “For me, it is about being able to change people’s lives.

 

“Working in a community payback role is the best thing I’ve ever done; you can change people’s lives and become a positive role model in their lives.”

To join as a community payback supervisor, people will undergo rigorous training to learn how to “effectively and safely” work with people on probation and learn about the scheme’s principles.

“To do this job, you have to be able to relate to people. It helps if you have practical skills too,” said Sean.

Current community payback projects include public garden maintenance and graveyard renovations.

Full details of the roles on offer are available on the Ministry of Justice website.