The CSU aims to decongest prisons, rehabilitate offenders, and reduce recidivism by assigning minor offenders to perform community service tasks instead of serving time in correctional facilities.
Offenders may engage in activities such as sanitation duties, farming, clearing roadside verges, assisting the elderly in nursing homes, supporting children in care centers, aiding local fire or police services, and cleaning streets or drainages in local areas.
By assigning offenders to perform beneficial tasks, the CSU enhances community development, maintains public spaces, and fosters a sense of responsibility among offenders, leading to their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
There are currently 18 CSU units spread across the magisterial districts in Lagos State, ensuring widespread implementation of community service sentences.
The CSU was established in 2012 to fulfill the provisions of Section 347 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Amendment (ACJL) Law of 2021, which affirms restorative justice and adopts rehabilitation and restoration of offenders as guiding principles for imposing punishment.