Burkina Faso: The National Assembly adopts new law on Community Service Sentences (TIG)
Recently, the deputies of the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) examined and adopted a crucial bill concerning the administration of community service sentences (TIG). Presented by the Committee on General Affairs, Institutional Matters, and Human Rights (CAGIDH), the bill aims to strengthen and clarify the conditions for implementing this alternative sentence, which was introduced nearly twenty years ago in Burkina Faso.
Despite the initial intention to promote a more restorative justice system and offer an alternative to incarceration, the implementation of the TIG law has faced significant practical challenges. Among these obstacles are the inadequacy of certain legal provisions, a lack of proper facilities, and some resistance from the relevant institutions. As a result, the use of this penalty has remained limited in the judicial system, and the initial objectives have not been fully realized.
The new bill, structured into seventeen articles across five chapters, brings about significant improvements. Articles 2 and 3 redefine community service as a main penalty consisting of the offender performing unpaid work for the benefit of a public legal entity, a non-profit organization, or a private entity engaged in public service. This new legislation also expands the possibilities for the execution of community service, allowing offenders to work in private companies or with individuals engaged in activities of general interest.
The types of activities covered by this sentence have been diversified and now include agriculture, livestock farming, industry, as well as sanitation and public health initiatives. By adopting this law, Burkina Faso is committed to revitalizing the legal framework for community service, ensuring better oversight and facilitating access to suitable reception structures.
This legislative revision marks a significant step toward a more efficient and humane justice system, aiming to reduce recidivism, encourage the reintegration of offenders, and contribute to the collective needs of the country.
