About the Adult Probation Department

Established in 1911, the Adult Probation Department is the largest probation department in Illinois and the largest probation agency in the United States accredited by the American Correctional Association. The Department operates out of 12 office locations and has approximately 550 employees.

Operating under the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County, the Adult Probation Department administers a variety of programs covering standard and specialized probation supervision, pretrial justice and court services. Through its programs, the Adult Probation Department provides the court with relevant information at many stages of the criminal justices process, enhances public safety, compensates victims of crime and hold individuals accountable while affording them opportunities to make positive changes in their lives.

Mission Statement

Instilling Responsibility, Providing Opportunities, Creating A Safer Community

Teamwork - We are unified in our mission, and all employees are equally important in fulfilling our goals. To be successful, we must openly communicate and cooperate across titles, responsibilities and organizational structures. Trust, appreciation, understanding, personal accountability and diversity strengthen our department. We depend not only upon one another but upon vital partnerships with the judiciary, neighborhoods and other criminal justice agencies and service providers. Our responsibility is to educate these groups about probation, to learn from them and to involve them in our activities.

Professionalism - Our work significantly affects the quality of life for victims, individuals under supervision, families and the community as a whole. We take pride in our jobs and strive for excellence in everything we do. Moreover, we respect the human dignity of each individual. Integrity, fairness and honesty guide our dealings with others.

Leadership - We believe in participatory management which fosters initiative and creativity. Managers lead by example and have consistent expectations. We believe in quality training and a responsive and safe working environment; both are conducive to personal and professional growth. As leaders in our field and in the community, our decisions are proactive, grounded in our mission and guided by experience, research and program evaluation.

Overview of the Adult Probation Department

The majority of the department's resources are dedicated to probation supervision – a sentencing option where individuals are required to comply with specific conditions of supervision while residing in the community. Probation officers assist individuals in complying with their conditions through guidance, surveillance and referrals to service providers for treatment, education and employment services.

Probation supervision provides an important means for compensating victims of crime and the community as a whole. The Adult Probation Department typically collects around $1 million in victim restitution annually, and individuals under supervision complete thousands of hours of community service each year.

Organization & Structure

The department is led by the Chief Probation Officer, who oversees all operations and administrative divisions. The Chief is supported by three Assistant Chief Probation Officers who oversee groups of operational divisions.

These operational divisions are overseen by Deputy Chief Probation Officers, who manage daily operations. Sworn Supervisors oversee the work of Probation Officers and are responsible for day-to-day management of their units.

Probation Officers are the main workforce of the department. They are responsible for daily interactions with individuals under supervision and providing information to the courts for decision-making.

Clerical staff provide support for data entry, documentation and paperwork processing. They help ensure that information is shared with the courts in a timely manner.

Administrative divisions are overseen by Directors, who manage the department's budget and procurement, policy and procedure, training, research, and information technology. Administrative staff support the work of sworn probation staff and clerical staff.

Main Operational Programs

The Adult Probation Department has three main operational programs: probation supervision, pretrial services, and home confinement.

Probation supervision operations receive nearly 8,500 new probation cases annually and have an active caseload of approximately 15,000 individuals. Approximately, 84 percent of individuals under supervision are assigned to standard caseload supervision, while 16 percent are supervised in specialized programs for specific populations. These programs include the Sex Offender Program, the Mental Health Unit and Problem-Solving Courts for veterans and persons in need of behavioral health services.

The department’s Pretrial Services Division conducts a pretrial risk assessment to assist the courts in making decisions about pretrial release conditions. Pretrial Services also supervises more than 14,000 defendants on pretrial release each year, where pretrial officers assist individuals in meeting court mandates and provide information to the court about compliance with conditions of release.

The Home Confinement Unit monitors curfews of individuals under supervision using radio frequency electronic monitoring or GPS devices. Individuals charged with or convicted of certain intimate partner violence offenses under the Cindy Bischof Law are monitored using GPS technology.

Accreditation

Since 1990, the Adult Probation Department has demonstrated compliance with probation standards established by the American Correctional Association (ACA). As an accredited agency, the department is subject to reaccreditation audits every three years. During the reaccreditation process, ACA auditors review department policies and practices to determine compliance with 174 standards. The standards cover several areas of operations including caseload management, training, administration, presentence investigations, finance, research and citizen involvement. Auditors also visit department facilities and interview staff members and individuals under supervision.

In order to remain accredited, the department must comply with 100 percent of the mandatory standards and 90 percent of the non-mandatory standards. Any non-mandatory standards found to be in noncompliance must have an action plan that demonstrates how the department will come into compliance with that standard.

In March 2022, the department was found to be in 100 percent compliance with both mandatory and non-mandatory standards. This is the third consecutive reaccreditation audit where the department received 100 percent compliance. The next reaccreditation audit is scheduled for November 2025 for the period of November 2022 through November 2025.

Grant Funded Programs

The Adult Probation Department operates several grant funded programs and participates in several countywide grant-supported initiatives. The department’s goals in pursuing grant funding and participating in grant funded initiatives are to support innovative and effective programming for individuals under supervision, to pursue partnerships with other government agencies that allow us to work towards our mission, and to take advantage of resources available in the community to address the needs of the people we supervise.

Grant funded programs include: