Expanding the county program that uses convicted drunk drivers to pick up litter is one of those ideas that makes so much sense, it's a wonder it didn't happen before.

Still, county officials, particularly county President Judge Thomas Doerr, deserve kudos for enlarging the scope of the community service program to include more people convicted of nonviolent crimes and to bring the benefits to more organizations in the community.

It was two years ago that convicted drunken drivers began to clean litter from Butler's streets as a way to satisfy their community service sentence. Now, that program has been enlarged to involve about 65 or 70 non-violent or first-time offenders in generally outdoor work that has ranged from picnic shelter construction at Moraine State Park to landscape maintenance at the Succop Conservancy, the 50-acre estate operated by the Butler County Community College Educational Foundation.

In the city, litter crews in 2006 logged some 8,000 hours of work and saved the city more than $57,000 in wages, even if the work had been done by minimum-wage workers.

The program has its roots in juvenile probation and employing young people to do small cleanup projects as part of their community service. Then, about two years ago, it was introduced in adult court, where convicted drunk drivers were enrolled. Now, it's been expanded to include non-violent or first-time offenders.

And as the number of eligible participants has grown, so has the scope of work that the probation program can tackle. The program has moved from just picking up litter to weeding empty lots, clearing a ballfield, helping veterans with house or yard work and doing construction work on an American Legion hall.

In a few cases, the community service director discovers that someone on the available probation list has landscaping, plumbing or carpentry skills. And when that happens, those skills can be put to use.

The program is a win-win situation because it helps beautify the community and it saves nonprofit organizations and others money.

But there is another aspect that makes the program a winner: It has a good chance of improving the outlook and attitude of those sentenced to community service. Once these people see the needs in the community, they can become more appreciative or compassionate. They might also develop a sense of pride or accomplishment in the beautification work that they have done — and there's a good chance that such feelings will make them less likely to break the law again.

Beyond that, the outdoor activity, especially when the weather is good, is probably another positive for the participants.

Though no doubt the exception, rather than the rule, the program already has discovered a few participants who have completed their obligation in terms of their community service sentence, but continue to do volunteer work to help others and beautify the community.

From every perspective and for every constituency, this program looks to be a winner, with benefits flowing to county and city taxpayers, nonprofit organizations, deserving veterans — and the first-time and nonviolent offenders themselves.

The people in county government, notably in the courts and probation, deserve credit for their efforts in developing and expanding this worthwhile program.