JUVENILE PROBATION AND COURT SERVICES DEPARTMENT-Administration

JUVENILE PROBATION AND COURT SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Administration

The Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department of the Circuit Court of Cook County operates on a budget appropriation of $38,300,000. The Department employs approximately 150 support staff and 450 sworn personnel.

The Chief Judge appoints probation officers to provide juvenile probation services. The administration of the Department is governed by the provisions of the Probation and Probation Officers Act.

Pursuant to the Juvenile Court Act (See 705 ILCS 405/6-1 et seq.), the Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department has, but is not limited to, the following powers and duties:

(a)	When authorized or directed by the court, to receive, investigate and evaluate complaints indicating dependency, authoritative intervention, addiction or delinquency; to determine or assist the complainant in determining whether a petition should be filed or whether referral should be made to an agency, association or other person or whether some other action is advisable; and to see that the indicated filing, referral or other action is accomplished. However, no such investigation, evaluation or supervision by such court services or probation department is to occur with regard to complaints indicating only that a minor may be a chronic or habitual truant.

(b)	When a petition is filed to make pre-hearing investigations and formulate recommendations to the court when the court has authorized or directed the department to do so.

(c)	To counsel and, by order of the court, to supervise minors referred to the court; to conduct indicated programs of casework, including referrals for medical and mental health service, organized recreation and job placement for wards of the court and, when appropriate, for members of the family of a ward; to act as a liaison officer between the court and agencies or associations to which minors are referred or through which they are placed; when so appointed, to serve as guardian of the person of a ward of the court; to provide probation supervision and protective supervision ordered by the court; and to provide like services to wards and probationers of courts in other counties or jurisdictions who have lawfully become local residents.

(d)	To arrange for placements pursuant to court order.

(e)	To assume administrative responsibility for such detention, shelter care and other institutions for minors as the court may operate.

(f)	To maintain an adequate system of case records, statistical records, and financial records related to juvenile detention and shelter care and to make reports to the court and other authorized persons, and the Supreme Court pursuant to the Probation and Probation Officers Act.

(g)	To perform such other services as may be appropriate to effectuate the purpose of the Juvenile Court Act or as may be directed by any order of court.