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Honorable Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge 
Social Service Department Jesús Reyes, AM, ACSW, Director Department Profile The Social Service Department serves the Circuit Court of Cook County by providing post-dispositional correctional casework services to approximately 22,000 individuals found guilty of felony, misdemeanor, traffic and ordinance offenses. The court crafts orders of supervision and conditional discharge with specific sanctions and conditions the offender must follow to successfully complete the dispositional requirements of the criminal/traffic case. The Social Service Department develops and implements an individualized supervision plan for each offender and through a process of strategic interventions, guides and monitors the offender while he or she remains under the court's jurisdiction. The Department is developing a more comprehensive community-based approach to correctional intervention. Partnerships are being formed with agencies and organizations in the communities that are willing to provide assistance in, but not limited to, education, employment, health care, housing, mentoring, parenting and treatment. The Department operates specialized programs designed for offenders convicted of crimes involving domestic and family violence and driving under the influence (DUI), as well as a Violence Prevention/Intervention Program developed for at-risk youthful offenders. The Social Service Department can trace its development from a staff of one "social secretary" in 1911 to what has evolved into a department of 260: 164 professional casework staff, 40 administrative and management staff, and 56 support staff. The Department services 13 court locations, eight of which are in District One (Chicago) and one each in suburban Districts Two through Six. The Department administers a Community Service Program, working with approximately 350 not-for-profit agencies, offering the court an additional sanction and a means whereby offenders can repay their debt to society through public service. Over 350,000 hours of community service are performed annually by offenders in the program. This represents $1,750,000 of service at minimum wage. An Administrative Sanctions Program is operating in the Fifth Municipal District. This program provides swift and certain responses to technical violations by imposing structured and progressive violation sanctions to promote behavioral changes to deter future criminal activity. The program relieves overburdened court calls by reducing the number of judicially conducted violation hearings. Plans call for expanding this program county-wide. |
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©2000-2006 Office of the Chief Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County |
