Community services as an alternative for sentencing offenders in Namibia

Abstract

Abstract provided by author

Community service as an alternative for sentencing offenders, firstly, seeks to unearth the current legal problems in our criminal justice system that has been hindering the day-to-day operation of our Criminal Justice system

It is a critical analysis towards the saturated problems of Namibia's criminal justice system, with the many congested petty offences, overcrowding of prisons and holding cells, with trial awaiting prisoners and the lack of administration of the community service program thereof, most of this problems are better of being dealt with through the program of community service

As an alternative that is provided for in Section 297 (1) (i)(cc) of the Criminal Procedure Act 55 of 1977, this thesis puts an emphasis on the need to once more scrutinize and make an assessment of our relaxing community service program. The suggestion that has been considered throughout the paper is that alternatives do have a positive role to play for juvenile delinquency, petty offences, and perhaps for some serious offences as well

In its recommendations, the thesis provides practical solutions to its legal problems and the lack of mechanisms to enforce sentences for community service orders in general

Hence, by a comparative analysis with successful legal systems in this field, a reproduction of Namibia's Community Service program can be initiated. The main focus on the comparison with other legal systems will be mainly located on African Countries, specifically

The thesis draws together many diverse findings concerning the problems and rationale for these problems. It offers, where possible, results and recommendations that are useful.