A Community Correction Order (CCO) is a sentence imposed by a court upon conviction. It is an alternative sentence to imprisonment.
Conditions
The standard conditions are:
- To be of good behaviour
- Appear before a court if called on to do so
- Notify the court if you change address.
Additional conditions can also be imposed. For example:
- Supervision by Community Corrections
- A requirement to complete a rehabilitation program
- Community service hours
- A condition that you abstain from drugs
- To abide by a curfew
Length of the order
When making the order, a magistrate or judge will specify the length. However, it cannot exceed 3 years for each offence.
Do I have a criminal conviction?
Yes. A conviction will be recorded unless a conditional release order without conviction is imposed.
What happens if I breach a Community Correction Order?
If you commit a further offence while on a CCO, then a court may re-sentence you for the offence/s for which you received the CCO for.
The court has the option to not take any action. Alternatively, the court may call up the order and re-sentence you. In other words, the court can impose a more serious penalty. For example, a longer CCO or an Intensive Correction Order.
