These workers are getting an opportunity to trade jail time for community service hours through the New Philadelphia Municipal Court's new work program. (Photo by Stacey Carmany, Tusco TV)

New Philadelphia, Ohio (WJER) - New Philadelphia Municipal Court is now allowing some offenders to trade jail time for community service work. 

Court Administrator Judee Dzigiel says the recently-established Municipal Court Work Program allows Judge Nan Von Allman to sentence non-violent offenders to community service work instead of jail time.

“The benefits are several,” she says. “It benefits the community. It saves taxpayer dollars in the sense that we are not paying on average 88 dollars a day to incarcerate someone, and it benefits the defendant who is getting an opportunity to do some work instead of sitting in a jail cell.”

Dzigiel says the program stemmed from discussions with New Philadelphia city and business leaders who were looking for a way to help keep the city clean. 

“It’s very similar to the county jail inmate work program which is successful and pretty well full for this year, as I understand it,” she says.

The New Philadelphia Business And Community Association and the city service department will assign tasks and supervise the people participating in the program. Dzigiel says the workers could be picking up litter, mowing grass, raking leaves or doing other tasks in the downtown area, at Tuscora park or at other public facilities.

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