COMMUNITY service orders in Jersey surged by 22% last year to their highest level in five years, while family court cases also rose sharply, according to a new report.
The Jersey Probation and After-Care Service’s latest annual report revealed that 164 community service orders were imposed in 2025, with offenders completing 15,180 hours of unpaid work for charities and community groups – estimated to be worth more than £195,000 to the Island.
At the same time, the Jersey Family Court Advisory Service recorded a 19% rise in cases, driven largely by disputes between separated parents over child arrangements.
The report found many parents involved in family court proceedings were “highly anxious, stressed and overwhelmed” by the process, so a new initiative was launched to help parents better understand the process and support available.
Substance misuse and poor emotional regulation were identified as the main drivers of adult offending, while peer pressure remained a significant issue among young offenders.
The annual report highlighted an increase in referrals involving “highly vulnerable” young people – including children regularly missing from home, not attending school, being exploited by older peers, or already known to youth justice services.
The report said many of these cases involved “chaotic home lives” and required extra time and flexibility to build trust with both young people and their families.
Elsewhere, the report revealed it was becoming increasingly difficult to recruit community service supervisors because of “rates of pay, working hours and the challenging clientele”.
It warned that delays caused by staffing issues could undermine court confidence in community service and potentially lead to more offenders being sent to prison.
Despite the challenges, the report showed the service exceeded key performance targets, with 80.9% of probation orders and 85% of community service orders completed successfully.
More than 98% of children supervised through Parish Hall inquiries avoided court proceedings.
Chief Probation Officer Mike Cutland said the service had delivered “strong results during a year of increased demand”.
“For a relatively small department, the Probation Service consistently punches above its weight,” he added. “Our staff play a central role in keeping communities safe and supporting families.”
