Opportunities
|
ADMINISTRATION Human Resources Budget and Finance Office Technology - MIS Policy and Procedure Public Information Training Accreditation by the American Correctional Association Office of Research and Evaluation  Human ResourcesThe Department employs over 800 people - approximately 520 probation officers, 90 sworn managers and 210 administrative and support staff members. Adult Probation's Office of Human Resources is responsible for the following:
Budget and FinanceThe Department's Fiscal Year 2000 Budget is $41,271,218. While the majority of the budget is funded by Cook County, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts annually subsidizes a significant number of probation and pretrial positions. An annual subsidy received from the state partly subsidizes the salaries of probation officer positions. Also, the Department receives grants from other sources totaling approximately 2 percent of the budget. Probation fees collected in Fiscal Year 1999 were equivalent to 3.5 percent of that year's budget. Adult Probation's Finance Office works closely with the Office of the Chief Judge, the Cook County Comptroller and Cook County's Purchasing Agent. In addition to preparing operations and grant budgets, the office is responsible for purchasing, conducting inventory control, processing requests for supplies and equipment, monitoring contract compliance, maintaining accounting records, including records for the Probation Services Fees Budget and grants and overseeing the Cashier's Office. The Cashier's Office collects and disburses court-ordered costs, fines, fees and restitution. To improve collections, the office generates and sends delinquent notices to probationers who have not made any payments toward court ordered monies in the last 90 days. In 1999, the Department collected over $1.7 million in restitution and additional $1.85 million in costs, fines and fees. Office Technology - MISThe Adult Probation Department's case tracking and management system is called the Prosecutors' Management Information System (PROMIS). Installed in 1985, it is used for tracking the activity of pretrial and probation cases from the time of intake through case termination. Over 600,000 cases (277,000 probation and 327,000 pretrial) are maintained in the database, with an annual growth of more than 30,000 cases. Once a case has been entered and coded in the system by clerical staff, officers enter their own case notes from their terminals. The database maintained in PROMIS allows the Department to run a variety of reports including the following:
With assistance from the Office of the Chief Judge and the Cook County MIS Department, Adult Probation's four MIS personnel provide staff training, data reports, system enhancements and hardware support for the Department's 800 employees. Policy and ProcedureThe Policy and Procedure Review Committee helps develop, review and distribute the Department's policies and procedures. The committee is chaired by an administrator and an assistant chief probation officer and is composed of all levels of department staff. The committee provides technical assistance to staff writing new policies and meets once every two weeks to discuss and review new and existing policies. This process helps ensure that policies are kept up-to-date and that staff members have input into policies that directly affect them. Once the committee has approved a new or revised policy, the policy is forwarded to the Executive Management Committee for final review and approval. The Department's entire Policy and Procedure Manual is accessible to staff through computer terminals on employees' desks. Public Information The Department created the Public Information Office in 1992 to enhance public relations and to improve the efficiency and consistency of responses to outside inquiries. The Department receives numerous requests from a variety of sources including other criminal justice agencies, attorneys, the media and the general public. Requests most frequently pertain to Department statistics, specific case records, programs and policies. Processing all such requests through a centralized office helps ensure that accurate and timely information is given and that confidentiality laws are strictly followed. The Public Information Office coordinates recruiting efforts (such as participation in career fairs), oversees the Department's Speakers Bureau, prepares press releases and serves as a liaison for visiting officials. If you have any questions about this office or the Department in general, you may contact the Public Information Officer at (312) 603-0260. Training The Cook County Adult Probation Department's Training Division was the first in the country to be accredited by the American Probation and Parole Association. Formally established in 1986, the division oversees preservice training for new probation officers, in-service training for all staff and the Department's Internship Program. The PreService Orientation Program combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training to teach participants about policies and procedures, specialized programs and court operations. The six-week program commences on the date of hire and is mandatory for all new officers. The program's curriculum, which is housed in the National Institute of Corrections' Library, is nationally recognized and has served as a model for departments throughout the country. In accordance with American Correctional Association standards, all sworn staff are required to complete 40 hours of in-service training annually and support staff are required to complete 16 hours. The Training Division plans and evaluates training events to ensure that staff meet these requirements. Training topics are selected based upon staff needs assessments. Training is conducted by in-house trainers as well as outside experts. Topics address a variety of issues including case management skills and knowledge needed to work with specific offender populations. Accreditation by the American Correctional AssociationAccreditation is a voluntary process in which the Department participates to demonstrate compliance with probation standards established by the American Correctional Association (ACA). The Cook County Adult Probation Department, which became accredited in 1990, is the largest accredited probation agency in the United States and one of 21 nationwide. 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 227 standards. The standards cover several areas of operations including caseload management, training, administration, presentence investigations, finance, research and citizen involvement. In addition to reviewing documentation, the auditors visit facilities and interview staff members and probationers. In order to remain accredited, the Department must comply with 100 percent of the mandatory standards and 80 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 October 1999, the Department was found to be in 97.3 percent compliance and received its certificate at the ACA Winter 2000 Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The Department's next reaccreditation audit is scheduled for October 2002. Office of Research and EvaluationResearch and evaluation at the Cook County Adult Probation Department facilitates the planning and improvement of services to enhance public safety. Both existing and pilot programs are evaluated to ensure that they are meeting their goals. Other research seeks to determine the reasons for continued criminal activity. The staff researcher as well as contracted external evaluators work to complete this research agenda. The Office of Research and Evaluation also hosts student interns from local universities. Working in conjunction with college professors, the staff researcher affords these students the opportunity to assist with current departmental research for a semester while earning credit for one college course. Undergraduate students at four-year colleges or universities who have a strong interest in social research about deviance and social control can enjoy and benefit by research internships. Interns assist with data collection, data management and the distribution and presentation of reports to learn skills necessary for applied social research. Familiarity with legal terms and records and the development of professional interpersonal skills are also stressed. Undergraduate students in education, psychology, sociology, social work, criminal justice or other similar fields who have completed at least one course in social research are eligible for research internships. Interested students should also have experience using a computer or a mainframe terminal. Familiarity with a word processing program is welcome but is not required. Each research intern must schedule a minimum of two eight-hour workdays per week for duties at the Office of Research and Evaluation for one semester. For students attending colleges and universities with thirteen-week semesters, this amount of time will fulfill the Department's minimal requirement for two hundred hours of time for a semester internship. College students who are interested in a research internship must meet their university's requirements for student interns. Eligible students may contact the Office of Research and Evaluation at (773) 869-6286 for further information and an application. | ||
©2000-2006 Office of the Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County |
