From the offenders' viewpoint, the verdict is mixed. The corrections department catalogues success stories, such as a Waterbury man who was ordered to help repair a van he broke into, and eventually won a job reference from the van owner. But about one in five of those sentenced by community boards don't complete their sentence. They are returned to court where they receive probation or jail time. Offenders sent straight to probation have about the same dropout rate.
Disparate sentences are more common.
In Rutland last month, two shoplifters with nearly identical cases appeared before the board. One was ordered to make restitution and to undergo counseling. The second, whose apologies struck board members as insincere, got 120 hours shoveling snow and chopping wood. Defense attorney Stephen L Fine of Brattleboro says that's a problem. I tell them, 'Look you're going to come up in front of a couple of civilians who think they're going to save the world . . .