A recently notified law in India, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 (BNS), allows theft convicts to choose community service as punishment under specific conditions. The conditions include the convict being a first-time offender, the value of stolen property being less than Rs 5,000, and either returning the stolen property or its equivalent value. The law also allows community service as an alternative punishment for various offenses such as non-appearance in response to a proclamation, involvement of public servants in illegal trade, and misconduct in public by a drunken person. The introduction of community service as a punishment aims to reduce the burden on prison infrastructure and promote restorative justice.