Authorizing the Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings and investigate ways to monitor and coordinate programs for offenders adjudicated to court mandated community service.

WHEREAS, Community service is frequently required of offenders of non-violent crimes; and

WHEREAS, Many community service organizations utilize the services of these offenders required to do court mandated community service; and

WHEREAS, If properly organized, these offenders who are mandated to do community service could provide much needed services to many of Philadelphia's neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, Community service as a court imposed penalty has the public policy purposed of requiring offenders to give back to communities that they have hurt; and

WHEREAS, Effective community service programs succeed because of partnerships among social service agencies, schools, health care organizations, religious and civic organizations, law enforcement agencies and the business community; and

WHEREAS, Proper coordination of the myriad of programs does not currently exist; and

WHEREAS, A public hearing would help to investigate and bring positive solutions to this issue; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, authorizes the Committee on Public Safety to hold hearings and investigate ways to monitor and coordinate programs for offenders adjudicated to court mandated community service.

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