Offenders carried out more than 100,000 hours of community work in Fife last year.
Those ordered to carry out unpaid work as recompense for their crimes performed tasks benefiting schools, charities, individuals and community organisations.
If they had been paid the national living wage, the duties carried out would have cost the region over £790,000.
Between April 2012 and March 2013, some 871 community payback orders with an unpaid work requirement were imposed by Fife courts. Just over half that number were completed during the 12 months, totalling 106,101 hours. Teams of offenders were transported to locations all over Fife from three workshops in Dunfermline, Cupar and Glenrothes.
Their work was reported to the council’s City of Dunfermline area committee by criminal justice social work service team manager Margaret Collins, who said: “Community payback has assisted a large variety of projects over the last year, from individual householders to schools and nurseries throughout Fife.
“It plays a significant and positive role in local communities and repairs some of the harm caused by those who have committed offences.”
Community payback orders are an alternative to prison sentences and can require the offender to complete up to 300 hours of unpaid work.
The work carried out in the Dunfermline area included:
Removal of chewing gum from the entrances and exits to Kingsgate Shopping Centre:
* Repair and repainting of benches at Pittencrieff Park
* Collection of unsold items from DEBRA charity shop
* Collection and construction of flat-pack furniture for a family being supported by social work service
* Gardening and repair work in Pittencrieff Primary School grounds
* Replacement of coping stones, tidying grounds and filling in potholes at Townhill Community Centre
* Litter-picking and gardening at various locations.
Committee members praised some of the work that had been undertaken but called for greater community input into where community payback teams were deployed.
Councillor Neale Hanvey said: “It would be helpful if we had some involvement in how this resource is used in our area.”
Committee vice-chairwoman Helen Law requested clarity on the process for request referrals.