Community Service

What is Community Service Work?

Community service work is a court assignment of community service involving a specific number of unpaid hours of work for the community which is to be performed within a designated period of time.

Why Community Service Work?

Community service work is given in lieu of or in addition to fines, jail sentences and monetary restitution and as a sole sanction (commonly a post-conviction sanction). Community service may also be a condition of pretrial diversion.

Who Orders Community Service Work?

Only the five judges of Baton Rouge City Court have the authority to order the offender to perform community service work, whether it be for a D.W.I. or other criminal or traffic offenses, as well as in lieu of a fine. If an offender is unemployed and unable to pay his or her fine, he or she may work off the fine at the minimum wage rate.

Community Service can also be offered to defendants that might be indigent or low income have an opportunity to do community service in lieu of court fines or cost.This amount is calculated at minimum wage rate of 7.25. If a defendant has a $220.00 fines then community service would be equivalent to 31 hours of community service.

Who Performs Community Service Work?

All first and second offenders who are arrested and convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) must perform community service work. A first offender must perform 32 hours and every second offender must perform 240 hours of community service work. The judge may also order community service work hours as a sanction for an offense committed by any other criminal or traffic offender. Community service workers are 17 years of age and older and come from various backgrounds. They are often unemployed and without prior volunteer experience.

Who Benefits from Community Service Work?

Community service is performed at public and non-profit agencies such as libraries, police and/or fire stations, community centers, seniors’ centers, court buildings, food banks, blood banks, charity hospitals, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Council on the Aging, zoos, Department of Public Works and the Parish Health Unit.

Litter Detail

Litter Detail is community service that is completed through the Baton Rouge City Litter Abatement program with the Department of Public Works. Community Service is done every Saturday and Sunday from 6:00am to 2:00pm. Participants are required to sign a release of liability and register by 12pm Thursday before the weekend. (Litter Detail Form - liability release)