Of course, non-criminally sanctioned community service is different in that it strengthens the community in ways that are not directly related to crime.  These types of programs allow an increase in the quality of life within a community.  This is important and relevant because crime often occurs in places where the quality of life is poor.

An example organization is the Community Service Society in New York City.  This organization focuses their efforts on decreasing poverty and the problems associated with poverty, bolstering positively the overall atmosphere of the community.  Because the majority of offenders come from lower class backgrounds, helping to decrease poverty may not be directly aimed at reducing crime, but it can affect it.

Another organization is Community Service Volunteers, the United Kingdom’s largest training and volunteering organization.  This organization’s programs focus on providing training and teaching basic life skills to whoever is in need of them.  Their main value is the belief that all people have something to contribute.  This is an important value to apply when establishing and running a restorative community service scheme.  Providing life skills is also important because many offenders are individuals who have turned to crime because they do not have the skills to provide for themselves in other ways.

A community service organization focused on juveniles is Do Something.  This organization focuses on making “community service as cool as sports.”  Do Something’s main program features are: monthly challenges in the areas of health, environment, and community building; opportunities for young people to become role models through their innovations in community change; and distribution of the only public service magazine written by youths in the United States.  Such an organization is important because providing youth with the opportunity to achieve positive goals and provide for their community causes youth to become supportive members of that community.  This factor is important because increased feelings of citizenship have been shown to prevent some individuals from committing crimes in the future.

Based on the information provided regarding criminally sanctioned community service, it is easy to see why non-sanctioned community service is important as well.  It builds a foundation of people who desire change in their community and who want to live in a society that provides positive opportunities to everyone.