Kazna lišavanja slobode podvrgnuta je danas oštrim kritikama. Empirijska istraživanja i analize pokazali su da ona često negativno djeluje na psihosocijalno funkcioniranje osuđenika, da je neefikasna u smanjenja kriminalne aktívnosti, a istovremeno je veoma skupa. To je potaknulo traganje za mogućim rješenjima kojima bi se u nekim slučajevima postigao isti cilj kao i zatvorskom kaznom, a izbjegli njeni nedostaci. Jedno od mogućih rješenja, koji se uspješno provodi u sve većem broju zemalja, su tzv. alternativne sankcije. Među njima su najzanimiljivije one što se provode u lokalnoj zajednici, kao npr. neplaćeni korisni rad u zajednici. U pravilu se izriču kao alternativa kratkim kaznama zatvora. Njihova primjena u praksi stavlja posebne zahtjeve pred sudove, službe nadzora i socijalnog rada. Naime, pri kreiranju i provodenju alternativnih sankcija u lokalnoj zajednici poseban se naglasak stav]ja na zaštitu digniteta i privatnosti osudenika, kao i privatnosti njihovih obitelji. Naglašava se razvijanje njihove odgovornosti i stvarne socijalne integracije počinitelja krivičnih djela. Način primjene alternativnih sankcija, do sada reguliran s "UN Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measurest" stalno se unapreduje što je rezultiralo i u recentnom prijedlogu Evropske zajednice "European Rules on Community Sanctions and Measures".Librety deprivation penalty today has been subject to severe critics. Empiric research and analyses showed that such penalty very often had a negative implication on psychosocial functioning of convicts. It also proved to be inefficient in lessening criminal activity, and at the same time, it is very expensive. This initiated an idea of searching possible solutions in order to achieve the same goal in some cases, which would otherwise be achieved by the sentence of imprisonment, and to avoid its deficiency. Alternative sanctions are one of possible solutions, and they have neen successfully applied in ever increasing number of countries. The most interesting sanctions are those that are carried out in a local community, for example unpaid useful jobs in a community. As a rule the sanctions appear to be an alternative to a sentence of a short-term imprisonment. Their practical application puts special demands before courts, services for supervision and social work as well. Namely, when creating and implementing alternative sanctions in a local community, the main stress was put on convicts dignity and privacy, as well as on the privacy of their families. The development of offenders responsibility and their real integration into society must also be pointed out. The way of application of alternative sanctions, which had so far been regulated by "UN Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measures", was continually improving which resulted in a recent proposal by European Community "European Rules on Community Sanctions and Measures"
