BATAVIA — A crew of 12 are at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Union Township, all wearing gloves, dragging tree limbs and handing them off to a township service department worker who feeds them to a chipper.

        Tate, who doesn't want his last name used, is one of the 12. He is 24 years old. Ask him what he gets out of this work and he smiles and says, “A sore back.”

        Then he gets serious. “We're all here for something we did wrong,” says Tate, who has worked close to 300 hours of the 1,000 he must serve in community service for a driving under the influence conviction. “I'm getting more responsible,” he says.

        He looks around the cemetery grounds. “Besides, I'm going to be in here some day and I want the place to look good for me.”

        Tate is one of a growing number of offenders being referred by municipal and common pleas courts to the Clermont County Community Service program, which will assign about 2,000 peo ple this fiscal year, a 25 percent increase over last year.

        Begun in 1996, the program is run by the county municipal court and funded by the county, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and grants.

        Agencies served by community service number close to 48, including public libraries, townships, cemeteries, churches, park districts, food banks and public buildings.

        But the program is looking to serve more. Government and nonprofit agencies are being asked to attend a re ception to learn more about community service at 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. today in the first-floor jury room at the Clermont County Courthouse, 270 E. Main St., Batavia.

        The 2,000 offenders — diverted from serving jail time or ordered to perform community service in lieu of paying fines — have been ordered to perform 100,000 hours, an increase from 75,000 hours ordered the previous year. In 2001, litter crews in community service cleaned up 674 miles of roads and filled 10,663 trash bags.

        “We find it's a very positive experience, not only for the agencies that are getting the help, but for the people actually doing the work,” said Teresa Brown, community service coordinator. “Many of them realize it's an opportunity to do something positive instead of sitting in jail.”

        Municipal judges have embraced the opportunity for alternative sentencing.

        “They're able to retain their liberty and give something back to the community,” Municipal Judge Thomas Herman said.

        Municipal Judge James Shriver said offenders doing community service have ended up being hired by agencies for which they did free labor.

        “It means a great deal to the court,” Judge Shriver said. “It instills some good work ethics on our young offenders.”

        Both Ms. Brown and Joe Ellison, chief probation officer, said compliance is up, with about 85 percent completing required hours.

Falmouth has eye on river
River high, but no flooding yet
Officer Jorg quits before interviews
Legal issues can complicate investigations
$5 million gift will combat MS
Finance reform bill heads to court
Time works against sex-abuse prosecutors
City schools amend new-building plan
Concealed weapon case argued
Privatizing motion falls short in council
Racial profiling suit discussed
Shapes, shades appear for new home of Reds
Uniforms coming to elementaries
Tristate A.M. Report
HOWARD: Some Good News
PULFER: By predators
RADEL: Golden rule
Home built for pregnant teens
Milford evaluates new school site
Plan to widen road contested
Policeman indicted, held in death
Reading parents seek answers from board
Service unit keeps community clean, offenders from jail
Springdale honors three citizens, two officers
Audit slams retardation plan, services
Campus memorial will be held for 6 in crash
Concealed gun bill rolls on
IRS agent says Traficant failed to report income
Maryland wooing OSU's president
Ohio's short by $400M
Safety at hockey games questioned
School funding pact due today
Gambling bill on House agenda
Interim diocese leader named
Pop machines stay in school-food bill