Whether you’ve been convicted of driving under the influence, or part of a diversion program, community service is going to be a part of your life during probation.
In my case, after being found guilty of DUI by the court, the judge sentenced me to 50 hours of community service with no option to “buy out” hours in addition to other terms which I detailed here.
When I first met with the probation department, I was given a few choices where I could perform community service. If you’re thinking that you’re going to be able to spend time playing with kittens at an animal shelter, get that thought out of your mind. You also can’t go in with a list of places YOU want to do community service.
It doesn’t work like that.
Based on my home address, I was given choices of where I could perform my community service hours. As the probation department employee ran down the list, all the available options were janitorial which she specifically pointed out “includes cleaning toilets.” There was only one that was not janitorial – sorting clothes at a clothing donation location.
I took it.
I had to complete 50 hours of community service within the first six months of my 12-month probation sentence. I managed to complete all 50 hours within the first three months.
The first day I showed up, I met the owner of the “organization” at a self-storage facility in a very seedy part of town. The parking lot where I had to park was riddled with trash, drug paraphernalia, rats, and remnants of homeless people who probably sleep there overnight.
The other people doing community service that day were also there for DUI convictions and other small misdemeanor crimes. The first day was spent sorting clothes. It was actually more like busywork, moving clothes from one storage bin to another.
Literally.
In subsequent days I never sorted clothes again.
I was sent to the organization’s “office” which was a house, in a residential area, which was called a “ministry.” Me, and others, did work around the house such as weeding, putting down mulch, laying brick pavers, taking clothes from a trailer and putting them into bags, building cinderblock walls, and other assorted “chores” that weren’t benefitting the community at all, but were benefiting the property owners.
I’m not really sure how the organization got approved to be a part of the community service program, but it did. I will say that it was still better than cleaning toilets.
No matter how many hours of community service you are required to do, make sure you do them. If you don’t you won’t satisfy the conditions of your probation and will be sent back to the judge, or you will have any diversion program revoked.
Yes, it sucks.
Yes, it will interfere with work and your personal time.
Yes, you may not like it.
Yes, you have to do it.
Make sure you log your time and have some type of record between you and the organization as they are the ones who are required to submit your hours to your probation officer. If there are discrepancies discovered long after you completed your community service, you may have to do a lot of work to get those discrepancies resolved.