Most criminal offenders in Centre County are not behind bars -- they are paying for their crimes by doing community service.

Centre County offenders participate in community service programs for about 75 to 80 local agencies, such as Centre Community Hospital, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Easter Seals, the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association and local municipalities, said Gene Lauri, Centre County Court coordinator.

Community service was originally assigned as an alternative sentence to relieve overcrowded prisons. But Centre County has recently discovered jail is not the answer for every offender, Lauri said, adding that community service can be more beneficial to offenders' rehabilitation.

"We've had a lot of people move on with some agencies after they've completed their program on a voluntary basis," Lauri said. "A few actually got hired by different agencies."

Suzanne DeTuerk, coordinator of the volunteer program at Centre Community Hospital, said she saw one offender's life undergo a big change. After taking part in community service at the hospital, the woman decided to go into a nursing program and now is a registered nurse.

DeTuerk said the hospital's volunteer program is successful, and she is proud of what has been accomplished. About 520 offenders have been assigned community service at the hospital since the program began, she said.

DeTuerk said she tries to assign offenders to positions from which they can learn. For example, offenders charged with driving under the influence may be placed in the emergency room to see the possible consequences of their crimes.

"It is important that there be a chance to repair whatever damage is done by their crime," DeTuerk said.

Evelyn Yost, who runs the community service program at the American Heart Association, said working with offenders has been a positive experience.

"In most cases, the offenders are students. They have been very helpful," Yost said, adding that one student taught her secretary how to use a new computer system.

Kelsey Lomison, a highway foreman who coordinates community service for PennDOT, organizes a program for people charged with DUIs. Offenders pick up trash from the highway for seven and a half hours, Lomison said.

"They have done nothing but good for us, and they have cleared tons and tons of debris off our highways for us," Lomison said. "I think we've had about 450 offenders since the program started --449 of those have been really good people."

Lomison said picking up trash makes offenders realize how much litter is on the highway.

"People tell me that they never realized how wrong it was to roll down the window and throw a bottle or a bag out," Lomison said. "I think it breaks a lot of people of the habit."

Lauri said the program in Centre County has expanded in the past 14 years as the legislature has passed new laws calling for intermediate punishment.

"Intermediate punishment involves sanctions that would fall between probation and jail, community service being one of those," Lauri said.