STEUBENVILLE — Instead of going to jail, lower-level, non-violent misdemeanor offenders taking part in Steubenville’s Community Service program are providing everything from janitorial services at the municipal building to volunteering at Urban Mission, cutting weeds and removing debris from vacant lots and helping register voters.

City officials couldn’t be happier.

“A lot of work that the community service workers are engaged in, the public may never see,” Second Ward Councilman Tracy McManamon, finance chair, said. “But, based on the annual report we receive from the judge, it is quite apparent that not only are they touching all aspects of our city but that the judge and his staff are doing a terrific job of getting them out in the community doing … service projects for our citizens.”

In 2024, Municipal Judge John Mascio said 667 individuals were referred to the program, of which 555 — or 83 percent — participated. That’s up from 81 percent participation in 2023, he said, “and the level of participation is significantly up from 2022 (when) only 49 percent of those referred actually showed up to do community service as ordered and only 52 percent showed up in 2021.”

Last year, participants logged 3,102 hours of community service — a significant increase from the 2,615 community service hours logged in 2023.

“We were able to provide janitorial services to the municipal complex, volunteer at the Urban Mission and cut over 110 vacant lots,” Mascio said.

Workers also rid overgrown sidewalks of weeds and grass and picked up trash and litter throughout the city.

“In addition, we assisted with voter registration, assisted with landscaping at Fort Steuben, worked with local churches, schools and the Young Ambassadors, participated in the Hilltop cleanups, helped with the Juneteenth Celebration and prepared streets and sidewalks for First Fridays, (and) we continue to remove all graffiti and illegal signage posted throughout the city.”

Mascio said they overhauled the program in 2023 to make it more probation oriented, adding the results “have proven to be very fruitful.” Essentially, those who owe fines and costs can work them off as always, while people on probation are oftentimes sentenced to community service as part of their punishment.

As judge, it’s his call which participants are ordered into the community service program.

“Those who were ordered to appear to work off sanction hours and failed to appear ultimately had warrants issued for their arrest and community service hours were converted to jail time,” Mascio said. “Those who failed to work off unpaid fines and costs were turned into collection, had their driver’s licenses suspended or blocks placed against their vehicle registration until such time as it’s paid in full. We also have the ability at some point to take an individual’s state tax refund in satisfaction of financial obligations.”

The program also helps participants change lifestyle factors that may have contributed to the decisions that landed them in Mascio’s courtroom in the first place.

“We continue to afford participants instruction and assistance on job searches and skills, making G.E.D referrals, assist offenders with housing, alcohol, drug and mental health treatment, driver’s license issues and access to other community resources,” he said. “The offering of such services has been very well received.”

From the city’s perspective, it’s been a fiscal win: Mascio said ordering offenders into community service rather than jail when appropriate “continues to save the city significant expense in terms of jail costs.” He said it costs $65 per day to incarcerate an offender in the Jefferson County Jail, and that doesn’t include medical care that might be required while they’re in custody.

Mascio said it’s a good alternative to jail for lower-level, non-violent misdemeanor offenders.

“The savings to the city has continued to grow under Mascio’s leadership and I would expect in 2025 that we will continue to see an increase in the services and savings to the city,” McManamon said.

Mascio said he and the staff “will continue to look for ways to improve the program and make the services we provide meaningful to the participants and of benefit to the community.”

“Our goal continues to be to address the problem of recidivism,” he said, adding the program is “helping to change lives for the better.”

“It’s very rewarding when offenders take advantage of and make the most of the tools that are provided so that they can succeed,” he said. “Ultimately, it is up to the offender to commit to change and work their program.”