Findings 231 What’s promising in community service: implementation of seven Pathfinder projects

the Crime Reduction Programme in 1999. They were a complex series of interrelated pilots of specific elements of community punishment. They used diff e rent approaches to working with o ffenders and targeted various factors for change in order to reduce further offending. This study examined the implementation, outputs, outcomes and costs of three approaches used in seven projects, to inform further developments and practice of community serv i c e. The views expressed in these findings are those of the authors, not necessarily those of the Home Office (nor do they reflect Government policy) Key points l 74 % of offenders in the evaluation were on community punishment orders and 26 % were on community punishment and rehabilitation orders. 64 % were serving 100 hours or less. l The sample was broadly representative of the national profile of offenders on community punishment – mainly male (92%), white (89%), average age 27 years and in stable accommodation. Most were in the low-medium OGRS bands for risk of reoffending. l Effective implementation was helped by commitment, understanding and support from managers and colleagues. Team-work, staff adopting creative problem-solving an