VISITORS to Hawick’s Williestruther Loch are able to step out on a safer walk thanks to extensions to a boardwalk which was built by people as part of community payback orders.

The aim is to cover two-thirds of the loch at a cost of materials only, as the labour has been provided by the unpaid work service teams.

Most Scots see the benefits of someone who’s broken the law carrying out unpaid work as part of a sentence in the community, according to a new poll.

More than three-quarters think unpaid work improves communities and 63 per cent think it’s an opportunity for someone to learn new skills.

The finding were revealed in a new YouGov survey of more than 1,000 Scottish adults carried out on behalf of Community Justice Scotland (CJS).

Karyn McCluskey, chief executive of Community Justice Scotland, said: “The evidence shows how sentences in the community can prevent crime and help rehabilitation. Now increasing numbers of the public are recognising the benefits not only to communities but also to the individuals serving sentences where they’re able to give something back.”

Border Telegraph: Hawick’s Williestruthers Loch Hawick’s Williestruthers Loch

The national body is responsible for monitoring, promoting, and supporting improvements to community justice services. Previous research has shown 70 per cent of Scots don’t know what community justice means.

But in the new study, once people understood that a community sentence is where those who have broken the law are held to account and supported to reconnect and contribute to their communities – the majority could see the benefits.

A new framing guide has also been launched by CJS to help the way people talk about community justice to increase public awareness and confidence in it as a sentencing option.

Where it is safe to do so, people who commit certain crimes receive community-based sentences.

This can include treatment for underlying issues such as drug or alcohol addiction, unpaid work, fines and compensation or restrictions of liberty such as electronic tagging and curfews.

The evidence shows community justice can help people stop breaking the law again leading to fewer victims and safer communities.

Kevin Farrell, unpaid work project co-ordinator for the Scottish Borders, said: “We’ve had great feedback from the community about the work carried out extending the boardwalk at Williestruthers Loch. Many people have got in touch to say it’s made it much easier and safer for them to enjoy a walk alongside the loch. And the unpaid work teams who carried out the work have enjoyed giving something back to the community.”