A plea for groups to provide community work so offenders in Central Otago can complete their sentences has been heeded, but there is still a shortage in Queenstown and Wanaka.
District court judge Stephen O'Driscoll and Central Otago community probation services manager Jill Woods joined forces last month to seek more community work providers.
They asked community groups and non-profit organisations which could provide work to register with the probation service. Judge O'Driscoll said there were not enough community work placements in the wider Central Otago region to cater for offenders who were sentenced to community work. That meant some offenders were coming back before the court seeking a review of their sentence.
This shortage "frustrated" the sentencing process, as it meant other sentences, not as appropriate, might have to be imposed, he said.
Community work providers were needed in Queenstown, Wanaka, Cromwell, Alexandra, Ranfurly and Roxburgh.
Mrs Woods said 150 people in the wider Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes region were at present sentenced to community work. The pool of organisations prepared to offer community work was made up of 18 agencies in Alexandra and the same number in Queenstown.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections said six agencies had responded to the plea for more providers.
They were based in Roxburgh, Alexandra and Cromwell and were from a variety of organisations. Those offers were being followed up by the department, she said. There had been no response from groups in Queenstown or Wanaka and the department would welcome more providers from those areas, as well as Central Otago.
A range of projects in the area had already benefited from work carried out by those on community work sentences, Mrs Woods said last month. They included wilding pine removal, work on cycleways and walking tracks and lakefront maintenance. Groups providing community work opportunities could be anything from kindergartens through to sports groups or charity shops, or any non-profit group.
Judge O'Driscoll said community work was tailored to the offender's age, health and abilities. It was a "win-win" situation, with the community organisation getting free, voluntary work carried out for them, and the offender gaining new skills.
