TACKLING antisocial behaviour is to be at the forefront of major changes to the way offenders, ordered to do unpaid work in the community, will serve their sentences.

The Enhanced Community Punishment scheme, launched today by North Yorkshire probation officers, will aim to tackle antisocial attitudes which influence offending.

The scheme, which aims to put greater focus on rehabilitating offenders without diminishing punishment, will see staff try to provide positive role models for offenders and encourage positive attitudes.

The new project, which comes 30 years after the introduction of community punishment, also aims to improve thinking skills, teach relevant work skills and give practical experience to offenders.

In York and North Yorkshire around 930 community punishment orders and community punishment and rehabilitation orders are started each year. This amounts to about 71,000 hours of work every year for the "benefit of the community".

Roz Brown, chief officer of the North Yorkshire Probation Area, said the scheme would give offenders the chance to make amends.

She said: "As well as being a tough punishment, it cuts crime. It gives offenders new skills that change anti-social behaviour, makes meaningful amends to local communities and is designed to reduce re-offending by building on best practice and lessons learnt.

"Community Punishment has now been in operation for 30 years and it has made great strides in that time. The changes mean offenders are given the opportunity to give something back which benefits both themselves and the community they offended against.

"The North Yorkshire Probation Area has been working extremely hard to ensure every court can get the full advantage of these changes from October onwards."

Updated: 10:56 Tuesday, October 28, 2003