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This qualitative case study examines the service-learning program at a charter high school (Austin Charter Academy [ACA]). The two-fold purpose of the study was to: (a) describe and explore the service-learning experience at ACA with attention to the structures of power shaping the program and (b) to examine the role of a White, female administrator in the service-learning program. The research questions for the study were: How does one high school charter community describe their experiences in service-learning programs? Who is being centered and what logics are being reinforced in service-learning projects? The study employed a decolonizing, critical community-based service-learning framework (Santiago-Ortiz, 2018) as its theoretical framework, adding an examination of decision-making processes, structural designs, and power dynamics, and highlighting where ACA’s program perpetuates colonizing notions often found in traditional, mainstream approaches to service-learning. By exploring the experiences of multiple stakeholders, this case study presented a holistic understanding of ACA’s service-learning program. Data for the study were collected through in-depth interviews with ACA staff and community partners, alumni focus groups, document analysis, and autoethnographic data. Using an inductive approach to data analysis, emergent themes were identified across data sources. Findings indicated although ACA’s approach to service-learning has good intentions, when examined with a decolonizing framework one can see misalignment between vision and outcomes for students, staff, and community partners. Without a clear vision and approach, staff have diverse interpretations of service-learning, resulting in confusion for students and families. Additional findings highlighted access to programs have not been equitable, leading to disproportionate outcomes and the need for supports to be put in place. Examining the program from a decolonizing lens presented the ways the current program has upheld colonial notions and centered the academic setting and student need over the community. The findings supported the need for ACA to build in reflective practices to shift their service-learning program from performative to providing authentic, meaningful learning experiences for all parties, in line with a decolonizing framework. Recommendations for policymakers and administrations include revisiting policies and program documentation with a decolonizing framework.

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Community service has become an integral component of post-conflict reintegration efforts, aiming to foster reconciliation between former combatants and civilian communities. Since 2010, Colombia has implemented a unique and comprehensive reintegration process requiring former combatants to participate in non-remunerated community service. Despite its widespread implementation by practitioners and its recognition by policymakers as a valuable component of ex-combatant reintegration, community service remains surprisingly under-researched. Drawing from existing literature on social reintegration, intergroup reconciliation, and desistance, this study investigates the conditions under which such programs contribute to former combatants’ willingness to reconcile with civilians. Twelve in-depth interviews conducted with young Colombian former combatants served as data for a qualitative process-oriented analysis. Higher levels of willingness to reconcile are encountered when former combatants work with civilians, when the program enables them to engage in a dialogue with civilians or to be in direct contact with the beneficiaries of their work. Certain community services thus seem to positively affect former combatants’ attitude towards reconciliation, both accelerating the attitude change and broadening its effects to a wider array of individuals. These findings inform practices of social reintegration in Colombia and Central America, offering further insights for worldwide applications.

The Master's thesis deals with alternatives to unconditional sentence of imprisonment, the main attention is given to alternative punishments in the strict sense, primarily to conditional sentence of imprisonment, conditional sentence of imprisonment with supervision, community service orders, pecuniary punishment and house-arrest. The study consists of introduction, 8 chapters and conclusion and discusses essential principles and bases of alternative punishments and also analyses substantive and procedural legislation of each alternative punishments in Czech Republic and draws attention to their positives and negatives. The first chapter explains the term "punishment" and describes the basic features of the absolute and the relative theories of punishment and also the purpose of punishment. In the last subchapter the study looks at basic principles that are applied for imposing sentences. Chapter Two and Chapter Three deal with conception of restorative justice that brought a new view to punishing of offenders and which is a starting point for issues of Probation and Mediation. Chapter Three explores the activities of Probation and Mediation Service in Czech Republic as an institution which is also entrusted the power of probation and mediation in the area of criminal law, but not only in this...

The topic of my thesis are the alternatives to unconditional sentence of imprisonment, while the main emphasis is given to conditional sentence, conditional sentence with supervision, house arrest, a sentence of community service and financial penalty, which means alternative punishments in narrow sense. The aim of my thesis is to describe and summarize the legislation concerning alternative sanctions to unconditional sentences of imprisonment, and to assess the usage of alternative sanctions, as well as to present proposals de lege ferenda. The paper consists of introduction, six chapters, and conclusion. The first chapter analyses the concept of punishment, its purpose and elemental principles that apply for imposing sentences. The introduction to the second chapter focuses on disadvantages of imposing unconditional sentence of imprisonment. It also deals with short-term punishments. It mentions international approaches to alternative measurements, especially the activity of the UN and the Council of Europe. Furthermore, this chapter describes the system of alternative measures. It presents process alternatives, known as diversions, and substantive alternatives, including alternatives to punishment and alternative sanctions. The conclusion of the second chapter deals with the alternative...

Punishment of community service and its performance Abstract The diploma thesis deals with basic aspects of community service in terms of Czech and foreign legal regulation, it deals with its development in time, statistical data, special regulation of criminal measures of publicly beneficial works imposed on juveniles and problematic aspects of existing legal regulation. The aim of the thesis is to define the status of the punishment of community service in the system of domestic and foreign law, to provide detailed information on the substantive and procedural law contained in the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and other supporting acts, to deal with problematic aspects and to mediate opinion of public, judges and probation officers. In cooperation with the probation officer and with the providers of community service I summarized the basic problematic aspects of the community service and considered their possible solution, which I summarize in the individual chapters. In terms of used methods the thesis uses a legal-analytical, legal-comparative, legal- descriptive approach, query model and statistical models. In addition to the introduction and conclusion, the thesis is divided into eleven chapters, which are further subdivided into subchapters. In the first two chapters I deal with terminology,...

Since 2011, the brutal and complex war in Syria has killed hundreds of thousands of people and created millions of refugees. This dismaying and rapidly unfolding crisis has contributed to the biggest movement of people through the continent since the Second World War. The United Kingdom was one of many destinations for Syrian refugees seeking protection. With this, members of the Syrian community have come together to provide support to newly arrived Syrian refugees. Literature documenting the mental health difficulties that Syrian refugees present with and the range of support provided by these community services remains severely limited. In the context of this gap, the overall aim of this study was to explore the psychological needs with which Syrian refugees in the UK present, as well as the service provision responses to these needs. In order to do this, the research utilised a qualitative methodology and elicited in-depth data from multiple perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the inductive thematic analysis generated the following themes: Pre-displacement challenges; Displacement challenges; Post-displacement challenges; Coping and Resilience; Service providers' role and Challenges for contextually appropriate mental health care. The findings of this study suggested that Syrian refugees in the United Kingdom present with wide range of mental health needs, including struggles caused by exposure to brutal conflict, violence, multiple losses and cultural stressors. Findings stated that community services are providing an array of basic and social support; however, mental health needs are unmet. Barriers to accessing mental health resources in the UK have been addressed and the need to develop a multi-layered, culturally sensitive response to Syrian refugees' mental health difficulties has been identified. The Discussion proposed the need to support community services in order to raise awareness, enhance Syrian refugees' psychological well-being and inform the development of culturally sensitive mental health services. With the growing number of Syrian refugees in the UK, this research has provided a contextualisation of this population's culture, religion, resilience, coping strategies and mental health needs from the provider perspective, which is important to improve awareness and identify specific issues contributing to mental health well-being. Recommendations are suggested for developing culturally sensitive mental health services for Syrian refugees, alongside acknowledging limitations of the research and suggestions for further investigation and practice.

Passage of the Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009 led to wide support for service-learning programs in high schools. The effectiveness of these programs on future volunteerism in college, however, has not been established. In the absence of research clarifying the variables that might influence programming effectiveness, it is difficult to design and adapt such programs to increase their impact. This study explored how high school service-learning programs could be improved to encourage greater student participation and to motivate continued volunteerism in college. A multiple case study methodology was used that included face-to-face interviews with 7 teachers and service-learning coordinators from private, public, and faith-based high schools in the Los Angeles area. Also, phone interviews were conducted with 6 experts in the field of service learning who were identified in a review of the literature. Interview data were coded based on findings from the service-learning literature. Data analysis included a comparison of the 3 types of schools as well as identification of strategies for effective service learning in high schools, areas of improvement, and obstacles that may be encountered while implementing improvements. Each of the schools integrated only some of the identified practices, which included increasing student reflection, giving students a stronger voice in the program, and tying service learning with standardized test outcomes. Recommendations from this study provide high school administrators and service-learning teachers with ideas and tools to enhance their programming. Thus, the results of this study can be used to improve the likelihood that high school students will have high-quality service-learning experiences and will continue volunteering in college.