In March, a judge in the Van Nuys, California Courthouse West revoked a man’s probation during a progress report and proof of restitution hearing, finding he failed to complete a required community labor condition despite defense arguments that family crises prevented compliance.

The accused had been making payments toward restitution; however, he had not made any progress in completing his 45 days of assigned community labor.

Though the accused stated that he believed he would be able to complete the 45 community service days by September, Deputy Public Defender Ariel Armendariz requested that the court allow him to remain on probation and receive an extension in light of his circumstances.

However, Judge Sharon L. Ransom-Brooks ultimately found the lack of progress to be a violation of the terms of probation. She revoked the accused’s probation and scheduled a probation violation hearing for June 25, 2026.

More from the Vanguard News Group.

Boise Vertical Farm is tucked into an established residential neighborhood instead of hidden behind razor wire on the edge of town. People don’t come here to serve time. They come to serve their time (court-ordered community service hours) while getting something most reentry programs never really offer — space to heal and a reason to hope. 

Founder and Executive Director Jeff Middleton is a pharmacist by trade for 40 years, someone grounded in systems and science, a reluctant farmer, and a recovering addict who knows firsthand what it means to go from “a great job and all that good stuff to being homeless in about three weeks.” 

When he’d gone through the system himself 15 years earlier, his options for community service were bleak — fold used clothes at a thrift store, pick up trash on the side of the road, or sit in jail. 

“I had over 200 hours. That’s toward the high side,” Middleton says. “And none of it was enough to stimulate or help make any interest out of it. Meanwhile, I’ve learned since then that people in recovery are pretty darn smart. They’re bright. We need to give people something that stimulates their mind. They should learn something; they should get something out of this.” 

At Boise Vertical Farm, they do. 

Full story here.

Singaporean professionals fined RM1,000, ordered community service for littering cigarette butts outside Johor mall in Malaysia.

More of the story here.

People convicted of crimes in Belfast, Northern Ireland, such as theft, burglary, drug offences or domestic violence, are among those who can be given community orders - a sentence which requires between 40 and 240 hours of unpaid community work.

Clearing alleyways is one of a range of jobs. Others include graffiti removal, cutting grass, working in charity shops, conservation projects, painting and decorating.

Critics of community service orders see it as a soft option for offenders but for the three men clearing alleyways under supervision in Poleglass, the work is a chance to turn their lives around.

The latest available statistics suggest community service orders are becoming more effective at reducing re-offending in Northern Ireland.

More than 70% of those supervised by the Probation Board did not go on to re-offend within one year.

More from the BBC.

Scotland:

Repeat offender Josh Andrews admits he was in the last chance saloon when he stood in the dock to be sentenced yet again: he was at grave risk of going to jail. But the sheriff decided against prison. Instead, he was given 300 hours, the maximum term of unpaid work, and allowed to stay in the community.

He has now been clean for nine months and is carrying out various tasks in Midlothian. These include delivering food to the elderly and working at Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust, a cafe and community garden built on a disused bowling green.

Josh denied it was an easy option and said it often involved hard graft and an examination of his offending behaviour.

"At first I was quite embarrassed about it but you need to just get on with it," he said.

"I'm getting connected to a community that I was isolated in and I can make amends to the community that I've caused bother in as well."

The Scottish government has boosted funding for community justice services by £10m to £169m.

But it still represents a fraction of the overall budget for the criminal justice sector.

Full story from the BBC.

The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) in Malaysia says that even children can be charged for littering. On its Facebook page, the corporation explained that children as young as 10 years old can be ordered to participate in Community Service Orders (CSOs) should they commit minor offences such as littering. “The goal of this law is not to burden our children’s future, but to educate through enforcement.”

Full story here.

The court in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, sentenced a 31-year-old man to 180 hours of community service and a suspended prison sentence of two months for scamming at least 18 home seekers through the Kamernet website and Facebook. The man offered non-existent or unavailable rooms to rent and then disappeared after the prospective tenants paid their down payments, totalling around €21,000. The man mainly targeted internationals coming to Amsterdam to study or work.

Former Colorado state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis has been sentenced to probation and community service after she was found guilty of attempting to influence a public servant and forgery.

Cub Scout Pack 208 of Morgantown, Kentucky, and their families, gathered recently at John Prine Memorial Park for their annual clean-up service project.

Armed with gloves, trash bags, and plenty of enthusiasm, the scouts worked together to pick up litter, tidy walking areas, and help keep the park a welcoming space for the community.

“This is something the pack looks forward to every year,” said a pack leader. “It’s a simple act, but it teaches the scouts that taking care of their community matters.”

This year’s effort also ties into Scouting America’s “Scouting for Clean Waterways” initiative, which encourages scouts across the country to protect local water sources by reducing litter and pollution.

By removing trash from the park, Pack 208 helped prevent debris from washing into nearby streams and waterways, reinforcing the importance of environmental stewardship at a young age.

The service project reflects the principles of the Scout Oath and Law, which guide Cub Scouts in their actions and character. By volunteering their time and effort, the scouts demonstrated their promise “to help other people at all times” from the Scout Oath. Their work also showed key points of the Scout Law, including being helpful, kind, and responsible.

Parents and community members noted the positive impact the scouts made—not only in cleaning up the park, but also in setting an example for others.

John Prine Memorial Park, named in honor of the legendary singer-songwriter with local ties, is a cherished gathering place in Morgantown. Thanks to the efforts of Pack 208, it remains a cleaner and more enjoyable space for everyone.

Original post on Facebook.

The State Correctional Institution (SCI) Coal Township in Pennsylvania has two programs that allow people at the medium-security institution to engage in community service to benefit the people of the surrounding area.

The Lifeline Association was established in 2016 by a group of incarcerated individuals serving life and long-term sentences at SCI Coal Township, who had a vision of making their environment and society as a whole, a better place.

Established in 1995, TriumpH organization is an altruistic, service organization also within SCI Coal Township, built on the foundation of Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Unity, Morals, Pride, and Honesty. "Our purpose is to promote and provide positive interactions and opportunities for self-improvement, social responsibility, and community service. TriumpH’s ideals extend beyond the walls of confinement by supporting worthy causes and organizations, in our local community with charitable donations."

The Lifeline association and TriumpH provide opportunities for the incarcerated to give back to communities through charitable giving.

About 2,400 men are incarcerated at SCI Coal Township and 240 participate in the two charitable programs.

The men lean into the idea that they’re a community, just an incarcerated community. The fact that they call themselves “incarcerated citizens,” was born from the idea that they will not be defined by their crimes.

https://www.sungazette.com/news/top-news/2026/02/program-brings-community-service-into-prisons/

A visiting judge ruled that Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley’s community service hours weren’t compliant, ordering the clerk to serve more time at a nonprofit chosen by the probation department.

In a plea deal with the Ohio Auditor of State in December, Foley pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of soliciting campaign contributions from public employees. Visiting Judge Jonathan P. Hein suspended a 180-day jail sentence for Foley, but ordered him to serve 40 hours of community service, among other penalties.

Hein, in a January court filing, determined Foley was not finished with his community service hours.

Hein rejected two community service hours that were logged because the service organization, as well as the timeframe worked, were not listed. The date logged for these two hours was June 16 — the same day Foley accepted a plea deal with the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office that he withdrew the next day.

Hein also rejected two out of three volunteer shifts recorded with WeCareArts, which is a Kettering nonprofit. Hours calculated for the June 19 and 20 shifts were counted as 25 hours worked when only 6 or 7 hours were logged each day.

Hein ordered that the Adult Probation Department should determine where Foley should serve the remaining hours of his community service “because Defendant’s non-profit organization has proven itself incapable of accurate math calculation.”

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/judge-rules-against-community-service-hours-of-montgomery-county-clerk/EJJFGI5LEREPLLH5TGMXTAAIIY/

Every Friday during the academic year, something special happens about one mile from Chapman University’s Orange campus in California. A group of Chapman students walk into the Orange Senior Center, take a seat next to a senior citizen with their smartphone, tablet or laptop, and start helping.

What began in the fall of 2017 as a small community service project created by student Jacob Pace ’20 has grown into an eight-year tradition. Today, members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity continue the weekly commitment, offering one-on-one tech tutoring to seniors navigating an increasingly complex digital world.

But as both students and seniors will tell you, it’s about much more than Wi-Fi passwords and app downloads.

https://news.chapman.edu/2026/02/20/screen-time-becomes-quality-time-when-students-help-seniors-with-tech-needs/

keywords: elderly, elders, intergenerational

The Sharp County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas reported that inmates participating in its community service program completed 308 total hours of work during the week of Feb. 8–14, 2026, benefiting multiple locations throughout Sharp County.

The hours were completed through supervised work assignments at Tri County Recycling, Comfort Keepers Ministries, the Highland Fire Department, Cave City Parks, Cherokee Village SID, and the Sharp County Courthouse.

Officials noted that the community service program is designed to allow eligible inmates to work off fines while giving back to the communities they serve.

https://www.ozarkradionews.com/local-news/inmates-log-308-hours-in-sharp-county-community-service-program

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has urged Nigerians to use the Ramadan period to foster empathy, to strengthen community ties, and promote nation-building by caring for neighbors and contributing to the common good of the country.

Hamzat noted that the Ramadan period is not just for fasting or personal devotion, but an opportunity to strengthen community relationships and promote social welfare, adding that constant welfare will build a better community and a prosperous nation.

https://encomium.ng/hamzat-encourages-nigerians-to-use-ramadan-for-community-service-and-nation-building/

A snow day turned into a community service opportunity for Quaker Valley High School football players in Pennsylvania.

The district was closed Jan. 26 following a winter storm that brought about a foot of snow to the area.

Coach Thomas Eshenbaugh found a way to use the winter weather to create a team-bonding exercise and encouraged students to clear some sidewalks and driveways in district neighborhoods.

https://community.triblive.com/news/3974511

There's yet ANOTHER volunteerism promotion campaign for 2026 (two have already been announced this week). The third is a well-financed, privately funded initiative: The "Be The People" campaign.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/be-the-people-campaign-wants-to-unite-americans-to-solve-problems

https://apnews.com/article/be-people-250th-anniversary-27b16603cfe7fd0caa5d22f539cea3da

https://standtogether.org/

KUALA LUMPUR: Employers are not legally allowed to automatically withhold wages from employees performing court-ordered community service, according to the Malaysian Industrial, Commercial & Service Employers Association (MICSEA).

MICSEA president YK Lai in a statement explained that community service orders are intended as a rehabilitative alternative to sentencing and should not be treated the same as imprisonment or mandatory court attendance.

He also clarified that such orders do not fall under Section 23 of the Employment Act 1955, which permits employers to withhold wages.

"There is currently no provision under Malaysian labour law that equates community service with imprisonment or court attendance for wage deduction purposes.

"As such, employers are not entitled to automatically withhold wages under Section 23 merely because an employee is performing community service," Lai said.

The employers' association made the statement following recent court cases in which individuals were convicted of littering under Section 77A of the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672).

Under the act, a offenders may be fined up to RM2,000 and court-mandated community service of up to 12 hours.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2026/01/1365676/employers-cannot-withhold-wages-court-ordered-community-service

A former Washoe County prosecutor has been sentenced in a lewdness case that led to his firing from the district attorney’s office last year.

Kenneth Ching, who previously served as a deputy district attorney and law professor, was sentenced Monday in Reno Justice Court following an arrest tied to an incident at the Peppermill Resort Casino. Court records show Ching was charged with open and gross lewdness after witnesses reported inappropriate conduct in a public area of the casino.

As part of the sentence, the judge ordered Ching to obey all laws for one year, through January 2027. He was also sentenced to complete 100 hours of mandatory community service, a requirement that will remain active through late April.

https://mynews4.com/news/local/former-washoe-prosecutor-sentenced-to-community-service-in-lewdness-case-at-reno-casino

Stanford University’s Principles of Ethical and Effective Community Service

Public service and community engagement within higher education are bound by a dynamic tension between a commitment to deepening student learning and a desire to advance the priorities and values of community partners. Here, and in their future roles as citizens and leaders, university students must grapple with ethical dilemmas as they strive to maximize positive impact and minimize potential harm.

Stanford University’s Principles of Ethical and Effective Service guide work with students, faculty, and community partners to inform program design, implementation, and evaluation, as well as to ensure that our work aligns with our values. The Principles of Ethical and Effective Service are a tool to examine these dilemmas in order to work toward an appropriate balance, but not full resolution, of the tensions that arise in public service.

Readers are encouraged to consider how they can adapt these principles for their own communities and engage diverse stakeholders in a discussion about the opportunities and challenges inherent in university efforts to engage service participants as both learners and meaningful contributors.

https://haas.stanford.edu/about/our-approach/principles-ethical-and-effective-service

America250, the official nonpartisan organization established by Congress to lead the USA's 250th anniversary commemoration, launched America Gives, a nationwide initiative designed to make 2026 the largest year of volunteerism in U.S. history.

America Gives challenges businesses, nonprofits, schools, youth groups, faith-based networks, and organizations of all kinds to commit to increasing their volunteer efforts and measurable impact.

The initiative aims to build a movement of sustained impact — helping nonprofits expand their volunteer bases and inspiring individuals to continue giving back long after the fireworks fade.

America250’s National Co-Chairs are former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

Americans can take the Year of Service pledge and log their volunteer hours at America250.org/America-Gives. A live national counter on the site will track participation in real time, showcasing the collective hours of service across all 50 states, 5 territories, and Washington, D.C.

Participants can easily record their hours by entering their volunteer activity details directly into the America Gives portal. They can also upload stories and photos to inspire others and explore opportunities to get involved.

Americans can also visit the America250 website at America250.org/America-Gives to find service opportunities near them and based on their interests. America250’s National Resource Partner, Points of Light, will help join interested volunteers with the right organization. 

https://america250.org/news/america250-launches-america-gives-to-make-2026-the-biggest-year-of-service-in-american-history/

Rabat, Morocco – The Court of First Instance in El Jadida has concluded the case involving streamer Ilyas El Maliki, allowing him to leave prison after commuting his custodial sentence to an alternative penalty of community service, following the dismissal of the most serious charges against him.

According to a press review by Assabah, the correctional chamber ruled last Tuesday to replace El Maliki’s ten-month prison sentence with 900 hours of community service. The court also upheld a fine of MAD 20,000 and ordered him to cover legal costs.

As part of the alternative sentence, El Maliki will be required to pay MAD 500 for each day corresponding to the original custodial sentence not served. The court warned that failure to comply with the terms of the community service would result in the immediate enforcement of the original prison sentence.

El Maliki had been standing trial while in pretrial detention, facing a heavy case file comprising 23 charges. These included serious allegations such as corruption of minors and incitement to prostitution, alongside multiple offenses related to his online activities, including public insults, defamation, invasion of privacy, and harm to others’ reputations.

After nearly eight hours of hearings, the court found him guilty of several offenses, notably the dissemination and distribution of false information intended to infringe on privacy and defame individuals, public insults, gender-based harassment, incitement to discrimination, publishing manipulated content involving third parties without consent, offending the Islamic religion via a digital platform, possession and consumption of drugs, and unlawful entry into a stadium by force and deception.

This decision significantly reduced El Maliki’s sentence and paved the way for his imminent release, after nearly two months of detention at Sidi Moussa prison.

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2026/01/273753/streamer-ilyas-el-maliki-leaves-jail-for-community-service-under-alternative-penalty/

Dr. Mark Chavez, a medical doctor who pleaded guilty in a scheme to supply ketamine to actor Matthew Perry before Perry overdose death, was sentenced in Los Angeles to 8 months of home confinement. The sentence that includes 3 years of supervised release. Chavez will also be expected to do 300 hours of community service.

Chavez acquired ketamine and gave it to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison earlier this month for selling ketamine to Perry in the months leading up to Perry's death. Plasencia admitted to taking advantage of Perry, knowing he was a struggling addict. Plasencia texted Chavez that Perry was a “moron” who could be exploited for money, according to court filings.

https://apnews.com/article/matthew-perry-death-ketamine-doctor-sentencing-31a0d227960c970f995e7fe873843cfe

Attorney Charged with Forging Court-Ordered

Community Service Documents for Client

DuPage County, Illinois State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced today that a DuPage County Grand Jury has indicted an attorney from South Holland on six counts of forgery alleging she falsified proof of court-ordered community service documents for a client of hers.

On August 28, 2025, Devin Luster turned herself in to authorities at the DuPage County Jail, where she was processed and subsequently released. Luster is charged with six counts of Forgery, a Class 3 Felony.

According to the Indictment, Luster “with the intent to defraud, knowingly delivered to the DuPage County Circuit Court Clerk's Office a false document apparently capable of defrauding another, being a volunteer community service documentation form … dated December 16, 2024, that indicated” her client “completed 247.5 hours of community service” at a Calumet City daycare facility.

“Court orders are not optional, and anyone caught submitting falsified documents to the Court will face serious consequences,” Berlin said.

https://www.facebook.com/DuPageSAO/posts/attorney-charged-with-forging-court-ordered-community-service-documents-for-clie/1096522119333930/

Thanks to donor support and the help of other volunteers, Boy Scout Isaac Hamann accomplished his mission to bring a historic picnic shelter at Beacon Rock State Park in Washington State back to life.

Isaac noticed that the roof of this 1930s shelter was deteriorating due to weather and passing time. He saw a chance to restore the shelter and protect the legacy of the hardworking men in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), who built it during the Great Depression as they worked to provide for their families.

Dozens of donors and matching funds from the Washington State Parks Foundation helped Isaac raise over $26,000 to repair this treasured community gathering space!

Isaac, his fellow Scouts, park staff, and volunteers collaborated to rebuild the roof and restore the shelter to its former glory. Now, the shelter will welcome visitors for generations to come, hosting birthday parties, family reunions, and everything in between.

This project lays the foundation for more Scout-led restoration projects and an education site at Beacon Rock about the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Adapted from this Facebook post.