TN rolls out 16 community service as measure of punishment

The Tamil Nadu Government has introduced 16 services including cleaning hospital wards and handling outpatient care as a measure of punishment for those who commit offences. The punishment measures has been brought in consultation with the courts. According to the new State Government rules approved by the Tamil Nadu Governor, offenders can take on a wide range of tasks, from cleaning hospital wards and classrooms, maintaining books in libraries, public parks and beaches to assisting in casualty/outpatient care, regulating traffic and planting trees.

Duties can also include the maintenance of Government offices, hostels and assisting senior citizens in old age homes and museums. The rules state that the type and duration of service will be decided by the Court while the Police department’s designated officers in hospitals, schools, local bodies and other institutions will oversee the work. District probation officers or Government monitors will ensure compliance and submit reports back to the Court. The initiative follows the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which provided for community service as a form of penalty. Under the new rules, courts can sentence offenders to work in designated government institutions and community spaces, with the type and duration of service decided by the presiding judge.

Execution will be supervised by designated police officers posted in hospitals, schools, and other institutions. District probation officers or government-appointed monitors will ensure compliance and report progress back to the court.Earlier, community service was occasionally ordered at the discretion of judges, but it was limited in scope and mostly confined to fineable offences. The new framework makes the practice uniform and legally enforceable, while also helping strengthen public institutions and community spaces. Legal experts believe the reform could ease the burden on police stations and prisons.