The Adult Probation Department has three main components: Operations, Clerical, and Administration. All three components are interdependent and rely on the others to function efficiently and move the department towards its mission. Adult Probation employs close to 550 people across these three components, including managers and line staff.
The department is led by the Chief Probation Officer, who oversees all operations and administrative divisions. The Chief is supported by 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.
Megan Volker, Chief Probation Officer
Chief Probation Officer Megan Volker has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Xavier University. She has been with the department since 1994, starting as a probation officer working with standard probation and sex offender caseloads. She was promoted to supervisor in 2000 and oversaw units in standard caseload, compact, youthful offender, Veteran’s Court, and compliance. In 2015, she was promoted to Deputy Chief, overseeing several different locations. In 2019, she was promoted to Assistant Chief over the Home Confinement Unit and probation operations at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. She was appointed as Acting Chief Probation Officer in 2020 and became the Chief Probation Officer in 2022.
Chief Volker is a member of the Illinois Supreme Court Probation Advisory Board, the Adult Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board, and the National Institute of Corrections Urban Chief’s Network.
Adult Probation Department Executive Staff
The department's Executive Staff includes the Chief Probation Officer, Assistant Chief Probation Officers, Deputy Chief Probation Officers, and Administrative Directors. This group is responsible for high-level decision-making, approval of policies and procedures, and communicating department wide initiatives and strategies.
Assistant Chief Probation Officers
Probation Operations
Adrian Hernandez, Assistant Chief Probation Officer
Assistant Chief Adrian Hernandez has been a part of the department since 1994 and has served as a probation officer, supervisor, deputy chief, and now as assistant chief. He has worked at several locations across the department and in several roles. He currently oversees probation operations at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago, Bridgeview, Markham, and several branch court locations in Chicago.
Pretrial Services
Tracy Robinson, Assistant Chief Probation Officer
Assistant Chief Tracy Robinson has been with the department since 1999. She previously served as a probation officer, a supervisor, and as the deputy chief over pretrial pre-release operations at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. Assistant Chief Robinson currently oversees all pretrial operations for the department.
Probation Operations
Candace Thomas, Assistant Chief Probation Officer
Assistant Chief Candace Thomas has been with the department since 1997 and holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Previously, she worked in standard caseload supervision, Intensive Probation Supervision, and the Home Confinement Unit. Assistant Chief Thomas was the department's Public Information Officer from 2014 through 2022. As a deputy chief she oversaw probation operations at the Maywood Courthouse, the Domestic Violence Courthouse, the Harrison & Kedzie Branch Court location, and the Grand & Central Branch Court location. Assistant Chief Thomas oversees probation operations at the courthouses in Maywood, Rolling Meadows, and Skokie. She also oversees the department's Home Confinement operations.
Deputy Chief Probation Officers
Suburban Pretrial
Christine Case, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Christine Case currently oversees pretrial operations for the suburban courthouses in Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview, and Markham.
Maywood, Domestic Violence Court, Grand & Central, Harrison & Kedzie
Devin Daniel, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Devin Daniel currently oversees probation operations at the Maywood Courthouse, the Domestic Violence Courthouse, the Grand & Central Branch Court location, and the Harrison & Kedzie Branch Court location.
Pretrial Post-Release & Court Liaison
Frederick Gilbert, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Frederick Gilbert has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Hampton University. He has been with the department since 2001, where he worked in the Home Confinement Unit. He was promoted to supervisor in 2020, where he oversaw a probation caseload unit. His most recent assignment was supervising the Pretrial Unit at the Markham Courthouse. Deputy Chief Gilbert has been a member of the National Association of Pretrial Service Agencies since December 31, 2021. He currently oversees pretrial post-release, deferred prosecution, and pretrial court liaison operations at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago.
Pretrial Pre-Release
Brittany Powell, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Brittany Powell has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a double concentration in Urban Community Development and Race and Ethnic Relations from Illinois Wesleyan University. She has been with the department since 2011 and has served in various roles. She began working as a Home Confinement Technician before becoming a probation officer. She was promoted to supervisor in 2020, overseeing court liaison and deferred prosecution units in the Pretrial Services Division. Her most recent assignment was as supervisor at the Domestic Violence Courthouse. Deputy Chief Powell currently oversees pretrial pre-release operations at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago.
Probation Court Liaison, Community Service, & Pre-Sentence Investigations
Phillip Price, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Phillip Price holds dual Master's Degrees in Sociology and Biology. He has been with the department since 2019 and previously served as a probation officer and supervisor. Deputy Chief Price currently oversees probation court liaison operations, community service, and pre-sentence investigations at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago.
26th Street Caseload & Englewood
Neal Regan, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Neal Regan has a Bachelor's Degree from Marquette University. He has been with the department since 2008 and previously served as a probation officer and supervisor. He currently oversees probation operations and support staff operations at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse and at the Englewood reporting location, both in Chicago.
Skokie & Rolling Meadows
Linda Rosa, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Linda Rosa has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Illinois. She has been with the department since 1994 when she started as an intern with the Pretrial Services Division. She then worked part-time in the Pretrial Division until she was hired full-time in 1996. She also served as a caseload officer and a court liaison officer until her promotion to supervisor in 2003. Most recently, she supervised staff in the Investigations Unit and the Community Service Unit. She currently oversees probation operations at the Skokie Courthouse and the Rolling Meadows Courthouse.
Bridgeview, Problem-Solving Courts, & 26th Street Compact Operations
Lisa Stawczyk, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Lisa Stawczyk has been with the department since 1999 and previously served as an intern, a probation officer, and supervisor. She currently oversees probation operations at the Bridgeview Courthouse, problem-solving court operations across Cook County, and compact operations at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago.
Markham, 111th Street, & Sex Offender Program
Daniel Szmergalski, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Daniel Szmergalski has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Saint Joseph College. He started with the department in 2004, serving in the Home Confinement Unit, the Gang Unit, and the Intensive Probation Supervision Unit. He was promoted to supervisor in 2013, where he oversaw a unit in the Intensive Probation Supervision program. His most recent assignment was as a supervisor in the Home Confinement Unit. Deputy Chief Szmergalski has also served as a department trainer since 2008, acting as a control tactics instructor and firearms instructor. He currently oversees probation operations at the Markham Courthouse, at the 111th Street Branch Court location, and the Sex Offender Program.
Home Confinement Operations
Tyrone Warner, Deputy Chief Probation Officer
Deputy Chief Tyrone Warner has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Aurora University. He has been with the department since 2014, where he served as a caseload probation officer. He was promoted to supervisor in 2019, where he has overseen a compact unit, a court liaison unit, and a domestic violence unit. His most recent assignment was overseeing a combined caseload and court liaison unit at the Maywood Courthouse. Deputy Chief Warner currently oversees Home Confinement operations.
Administrative Directors
Jordan Boulger, Executive Assistant
Executive Assistant Jordan Boulger holds a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Loyola University Chicago and has been with the department since 2014. He previously worked as the department's Director of Program Evaluation and Research. Currently, he oversees planning and special projects for the department.
Christopher Devlin, Director of Training
Director Christopher Devlin holds a Master's Degree in Teaching from National-Louis University. He has served two separate times with the department, starting in 2009 and again in 2020. He was previously a probation officer and a supervisor in the Home Confinement Unit. Director Devlin currently oversees the Training Division.
Jennifer Dohm, Director of Management Information Services
Director Jennifer Dohm holds a Master's Degree from University of Chicago and a Bachelor's Degree from Loyola University Chicago. She has been with the department since 2007 and previously worked for the Social Service Department. She currently oversees the department's Management Information Services team, providing technology and communications support.
Caroline McCabe, Director of Research
Director Caroline McCabe holds a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Loyola University Chicago and has been with the department since 2019. She previously served as a research analyst for the department and is currently the Director of Research overseeing research and evaluation, data collection, and performance measurement.
R. Yamini Rammohan, Director of Policy & Accreditation
Director Yamini Rammohan holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has been with the department since 2004. She previously served as a probation officer and a supervisor in the Mental Health Unit. Director Rammohan currently serves as the Director of Policy and Accreditation, overseeing the development and revision of operational policies and the department's accreditation status.
Jorge Robles, Director of Procurement
Director Jorge Robles holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration and has been with the department since 2021. He previously worked with the Cook County Sheriff's Office and the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer. He currently oversees the department's procurement and contractual operations.
Michael Rohan, Director of Finance
Director Michael Rohan has a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management. He previously served as a probation officer and as Assistant Director for Human Resources. He currently oversees the department's Finance Division, including budgeting, and is the Acting Director of Human Resources.
Courtney Nicole Thompson, Public Information Officer
Public Information Officer Courtney Nicole Thompson has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Columbia College Chicago. She has been with the department since 2014 and has served as a probation officer and supervisor during her tenure. After nearly 9 years of operations experience in specialty courts and pretrial, she joined the administrative staff in May of 2023. As Public Information Officer, she manages internal and external communications for the department, including a quarterly department newsletter and external requests for information. She also uses her role to build relationships among staff and with community stakeholders and partners.