Community Service for Centre County ARD Program

The majority of participants in the Centre County ARD program are required to complete 1 day of community service. The 1 day of community service means a 6 to 8-hour work day, not 24 hours of service. It must be emphasized that this review of ARD conditions covers the majority of routine ARD cases in Centre County, but this summary cannot cover all situations as the district attorney and probation department can impose special ARD conditions when deemed appropriate.

The Centre County judges are generally adamant that since the criminal offense occurred in the county, the community service must be completed in Centre County as well. Many Penn State students and alumni that are participating in ARD are from out-of-state, and many of them request that the community service requirement be transferred. Those requests are almost universally denied. Any person placed in the Centre County ARD program should expect to be required to return to Centre County to complete the community service requirement.

Scheduling the Community Service

The community service is generally scheduled by the probation department after the person is placed on the ARD program. After the person appears in court for ARD placement, he or she meets with the probation department to review the ARD conditions and requirements, including the community service requirement. At that point, the probation department generally allows the person to pick a day during the next 2-3 months to return to Centre County to complete the service. After a date is picked, the probation department tells the person where to appear to complete the service.