Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Finland (Ratification: 1936)
Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 - Finland (Ratification: 2017)

Article 2(2)(c) of the Convention. Community service imposed as an alternative measure to imprisonment. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its last report concerning Act 642/2010 which amends provisions of the Act on Community Service (1055/1996). It notes in this connection that, for the offences punishable with unconditional imprisonment not exceeding eight months, an alternative sentence of community work may be imposed by a court, with the free, formal and informed consent of the convicted person and for a term of up to 300 hours. Such work should be performed by the convicted person free of charge and “for the public good”. While noting the indication in the report that community service should be performed at a service place approved by the Criminal Sanctions Agency, the Committee refers to the explanations contained in paragraph 126 of its 2007 General Survey on the eradication of forced labour, where it has considered that, in order to ensure compliance with the Convention in a situation where community work may be performed for private institutions, circumstances in which the work is performed must be adequately structured and monitored to ensure that the work done really is in the general interest, and the entity for which the work is performed must be non-profit-making. The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate, in its next report, whether community service can be performed for private institutions and to provide a list of the entities authorized to take on offenders performing such services.