Community Service Unit
Community service is a condition of probation that requires probationers to perform services without compensation for the benefit of the community. This sanction not only provides a service to the community but also enhances accountability and helps instill responsibility. Community service can be ordered by a judge or by the supervising probation officer through the Adult Probation Department's in-house administrative sanctions protocol.
 
The Community Service Unit places probationers at a variety of work sites throughout Cook County. The sites are either not-for-profit organizations or government agencies. The type of work performed by probationers typically involves neighborhood clean-up, graffiti removal and janitorial services.
 
Officers assigned to the Community Service Unit are responsible for placing, monitoring and evaluating all community service mandates. The needs and safety of the community as well as the skills of the probationer are considered when making placements.
 
Once a site has been deemed appropriate, a letter of agreement between the Adult Probation Department and the agency is signed. Probationers are then assigned to complete their court-ordered hours. Officers monitor the probationers' compliance by visiting community service sites and consulting agency representatives. If a probationer fails to comply with a community service mandate, the case is either processed through the administrative sanctions protocol or is brought back to court for a violation of probation hearing.
 
In 1999, probationers completed nearly 125,000 hours at over 200 sites.
 
Community-Based Sites
To strengthen ties to the community and to increase the effectiveness of available resources, the Department operates two community-based probation sites located in areas where large numbers of probationers reside. The Department's community-based reporting sites are located at Project Safeway, 808 South Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60612, and Northwestern University Settlement House, 1014 North Noble Street, Chicago, Illinois 60622.
 
Operating out of these offices enables the Department to develop relationships with local police and community leaders and to invite local businesses and not-for-profit agencies to participate in special events. Geographical proximity also makes it easier for probationers to report and for officers to conduct fieldwork with the probationers, their family members and service providers.
 
Many creative programs and events were initiated at these sites including: the Back-to-School Jamboree (which has over 2,000 participants annually); Opportunity/Career Day; neighborhood clean-up days; the Adopt-a-School and mentorship programs; educational and support groups for male and female probationers; health fairs; and G.E.D. and tutoring programs.
 
Home Confinement
Home confinement enables offenders to be detained in their homes instead of jail. The program was established in 1990 to alleviate overcrowding in the Cook County Jail. Home confinement provides the court with an intermediate sanction that promotes public safety without the monetary and social costs of incarceration. Home confinement can be court-ordered as a condition of probation, pretrial supervision, court supervision or conditional discharge, or it can be ordered as a stand alone sentence. It can also be mandated by probation officers through the Department's administrative sanctions protocol.
 
In 1999, over 2,000 individuals were ordered to home confinement. Offenders in home confinement are monitored daily through unscheduled face-to-face surveillance checks at their homes and through telephone contacts. They may also be required to submit to random drug testing. The unit operates in shifts to ensure that contacts are made seven days per week, 24 hours per day. Due to the extensiveness and hours of fieldwork, officers in the unit carry firearms when making home visits. When an offender fails to comply with the conditions of the program, the Adult Probation Department notifies the court so the judge can make a ruling on the offender's release status.
 
Allowing offenders to serve their sentence at home rather than in jail minimizes family disruption and provides them with more opportunities to obtain or continue employment and to attend education programs. Curfew schedules can be adjusted to meet the needs of those who are employed, enrolled in an academic/vocational program or participating in treatment.
 
Internship Program
The Department offers an internship program for college students interested in learning about work in the criminal justice system. The twelve-week program, which combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training, introduces interns to the criminal justice system and allows them to gain practical, firsthand courtroom and case management experience.
 
Additionally, there are some opportunities to work with administrative staff involved with research and other special projects. (See Office of Research and Evaluation)
 
Classroom instruction provides overviews of department policies and procedures and of court processes. On-the-job training consists of working with an assigned probation officer to observe as well as perform job duties which include interviewing probationers, scoring risks and needs assessments, completing supervision plans, conducting field visits, attending court hearings and preparing court documents.
 
To be eligible for the internship program, students must have completed two years of undergraduate studies and have a grade point average of at least 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in their major. Further, applicants must work two full days per week, complete a minimum of 200 hours or meet their school's internship requirement and attend a four-day orientation program.
 
Participants are selected based upon a review of interview results and application materials, which include college transcripts, a resume and cover letter, a writing sample and a letter of recommendation. Applicants are also subject to criminal background checks.
 
If you are interested in applying for an internship, or if you would like more information regarding the program, please call the Department's Training Division at (312) 491-6634.
 
Parenting Classes
The Department has been offering in-house parenting classes to probationers and pretrial defendants since 1996. The classes are a proactive measure aimed at improving the quality of life for children and parents/guardians. The purpose of the classes is to break the potential cycle of crime by increasing people's ability to care for their children.
 
Certified probation officers conduct the Department's nine-week course. Topics covered include values, roles and responsibilities, stress and time management, rules and discipline, health, substance abuse and budgeting. Participants can be court-ordered into the program or they can attend voluntarily through a referral from their probation officer.
 
Victim Assistance Program
The Cook County Adult Probation Department recognizes the plight of crime victims and acknowledges their right to be included and heard in every phase of the criminal justice process. In 1993, the Department created a Victim Assistance Program to improve services for crime victims.
 
Under the program, victims are furnished with a restitution payment schedule, the conditions of probation and the name of the supervising probation officer. When probationers fail to pay restitution as scheduled, victims can choose to be notified of court hearings scheduled for the violation of probation. Also in appropriate cases, victims are given information about services for mental health counseling, financial assistance, emergency shelter, food and clothing. Communication between victims and the Department is important for the victim and helps improve supervision strategies in certain cases.
 
The program also seeks to increase awareness of victims' rights through training and public education efforts. Through the program, the Adult Probation Department has been a cosponsor of Cook County's National Crime Victims' Rights Week.
 
Volunteer/Mentorship Program
Volunteering for the Adult Probation Department can be a fulfilling and productive experience in a variety of ways. Choosing from an array of roles and duties, volunteers can help change lives, improve their knowledge of the criminal justice system, be exposed to new career options and experiences and help the Department in its effort to create safer communities.
 
Having a trusted positive role model that really cares can make all the difference in a probationer's life. Volunteers who choose to join the mentorship program can fulfill this role. Mentors are assigned to work one-on-one with probationers who do not have extensive records or any history of violent offenses. Mentors share experiences and wisdom, teach probationers to make good decisions and encourage prosocial thinking and behavior. Mentors can also provide alternatives to delinquent behavior by engaging probationers in productive and meaningful activities.
 
The Department also offers opportunities to volunteers interested in performing Department duties. In this capacity, volunteers gain hands-on work experience and learn about the criminal justice system while contributing to Department operations. Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

assisting probation officers with the numerous responsibilities associated with managing a caseload of felony probationers, such as conducting interviews, verifying information and monitoring compliance with conditions through collateral contacts; assisting probationers in the completion of applications for educational or employment programs; helping Department support staff by working as a receptionist, data entry clerk or filing clerk; and working with the victim assistance officer.

Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older and be extremely sensitive to issues of confidentiality. All applicants are subject to an interview and criminal background check. If you are interested in volunteering with the Department, you may contact the volunteer coordinator at (312) 603-0270.