And I didn't say 'most people', I said 'a lot of people'.
I can provide information to back this up, although as for court-ordered community service, it's going to be tough to provide exact specifics as the laws and sentences vary so widely from state to state. We can do an average though. Let's take DUI's, that's one of the more common arrests that net a sentence for community service.
"The total number of hours of community service that a person can be ordered to perform varies from state to state and also depends on the conditions of the arrest. Some states require a minimum sentence of at least 50 community service hours for a first-time conviction. In other states, the sentence for a first-time conviction can be as little as 24 hours or as much as 100 hours.
Repeat offenders receive harsher penalties. For third time offenders, it is possible to be ordered to serve anywhere from 150 to 600 hours. This, of course, is in addition to other fines, penalties, and jail time"
DUI arrests by state for 2008: http://www.numberof.net/number-of-dui-arrests-per-state/
So, use those figures to make a reasonable conclusion. Littering and graffiti are also commonly dealt with by a sentence to community service. Look at your state's laws, you can see the sentencing guidelines for any given crime.
I got 24 hours of community service for an APC, and when I've been to court I've personally seen numerous people get sentenced to hours. Go sit in on court and watch, it's open to the public. When you've 'been there' you can pretty much recognize who is just putting in their time, and who's there for charity. VERY obvious.
Go to Charity Watch to see how charities spend their money, many have bad ratings. Charity Watch breaks it down by how much of your money goes to salaries, solicitation, and actual aid to people in need.
Religious People Make Better Citizens - or not
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And I didn't say 'most people', I said 'a lot of people'.
I can provide information to back this up, although as for court-ordered community service, it's going to be tough to provide exact specifics as the laws and sentences vary so widely from state to state. We can do an average though. Let's take DUI's, that's one of the more common arrests that net a sentence for community service.
"The total number of hours of community service that a person can be ordered to perform varies from state to state and also depends on the conditions of the arrest. Some states require a minimum sentence of at least 50 community service hours for a first-time conviction. In other states, the sentence for a first-time conviction can be as little as 24 hours or as much as 100 hours.
Repeat offenders receive harsher penalties. For third time offenders, it is possible to be ordered to serve anywhere from 150 to 600 hours. This, of course, is in addition to other fines, penalties, and jail time"
DUI arrests by state for 2008: http://www.numberof.net/number-of-dui-arrests-per-state/
So, use those figures to make a reasonable conclusion. Littering and graffiti are also commonly dealt with by a sentence to community service. Look at your state's laws, you can see the sentencing guidelines for any given crime.
I got 24 hours of community service for an APC, and when I've been to court I've personally seen numerous people get sentenced to hours. Go sit in on court and watch, it's open to the public. When you've 'been there' you can pretty much recognize who is just putting in their time, and who's there for charity. VERY obvious.
Go to Charity Watch to see how charities spend their money, many have bad ratings. Charity Watch breaks it down by how much of your money goes to salaries, solicitation, and actual aid to people in need.