Budget Overview
The Adult Probation Department's budget includes funding for several different programs, supervision strategies, equipment, and personnel. Funding for these programs is broken down into different budgetary programs, including Administration, Home Confinement, Client Services (Investigations and Community Service), Pretrial Services, Support and Clerical, Problem Solving Courts, Targeted Intervention Programs, Standard Probation Supervision, and Capital Equipment. Most of the department's budget is part of Cook County's Public Safety Fund, with the remainder coming from Special Purpose Funds. Staff compensation is partially subsidized by funding from the Illinois Supreme Court's Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.
The department's Fiscal Year 2024 appropriation is $61,633,533. Budget details can be found in the department's line-item budget.
More information about the Cook County Budget can be found here.
Budget Highlights and Opportunities
In Fiscal Year 2024, the department budget:
- Made investments in staffing and hiring to address changes with the Pretrial Fairness Act;
- Continued investments in treatment and supportive interventions for individuals under supervision; and
- Supported staff training and professional development to ensure adherence to evidence-based practices.
The department will continue to support the implementation of evidence-based practices, focusing on cognitive behavioral interventions and Core Correctional Practices. The department is also piloting a program to shift certain processes to become less dependent on paper and printing. This pilot will start with existing processes that can more easily be digitized, allowing for a smoother transition to more secure and efficient workflows.
Department Budget Programs
Supervises departmental operations and manages administrative functions.
43 FTE positions, including vacant positions - $3,958,376 appropriation
Monitors curfews and locations of individuals on probation and pretrial supervision through radio frequency electronic monitoring and Global Positioning System technology.
79 FTE positions, including vacant positions - $12,201,736 appropriation
Writes pre-sentence and pretrial investigations to assist the court in determining appropriate sentences and conditions in felony cases. Places individuals with approved community services sites, records hours completed, and updates case records with information from host sites.
11 FTE positions, including vacant positions - $1,207,065 appropriation
Provides community-based services, assessment, and supervision to individuals awaiting trial in the criminal court system for felony offenses.
146 FTE positions, including vacant positions - $14,634,029 appropriation
Collects probation files, enters and processes information into the department's case management system, and prepares probation officer work for court hearings.
32 FTE positions, including vacant positions - $2,135,899 appropriation
Provides treatment resources, intensive community supervision, an escalating system of rewards and sanctions, mandatory drug testing, and other services to support the Circuit Court's 20 problem solving courts.
21 FTE positions, including vacant positions and grant-funded positions - $2,664,390 appropriation
Addresses risk and issues associated with domestic violence convictions through supervision and treatment referrals.
40 FTE positions, including vacant positions - $4,243,004 appropriation
The department's largest program assists individuals in complying with their conditions of probation through guidance, monitoring, and the use of core correctional practices. Officers make referrals to community-based providers for behavioral health treatment, education, employment, housing support, and other services.
214 FTE positions, including vacant positions and grant-funded positions - $20,424,034 appropriation
Funds appropriated for the procurement of capital equipment and services.
$165,000 appropriation