December 2004 - (Download
Word version)
Dear Colleagues,
Serving
as President of this Association for the past three years has been a highlight
of my career. It has been a pleasure
to meet so many of you and work for a profession that I love.
I am grateful to the countless people who have supported and assisted
me during my term.
Please
welcome and support your incoming President Mike Torchia as you have me.
Mike is a gentleman with integrity and a firm work ethic.
He will serve the Association and the profession well. The membership is blessed to have a fine Executive
Board, an energetic group of committees, the best Executive Assistant and
a loyal Legislative Liaison. They
keep the business of the Association moving forward.
I
especially want to thank my Director Darrell McGibany and my Chief Judge
Edward Ferguson for giving me leave to serve as President.
In addition I want to thank my faithful staff at the East Alton Community
Corrections Center who endured my absences with equanimity and tended to
business without me. They are the best!
Again,
thank you for the honor of serving as your President.
I will never forget the many kindnesses you have extended to me.
Regards,
Linda Van Dyke, Outgoing
IPCSA President
By
the time you receive this message, we will be in the midst of the holiday
season. On behalf of the Executive Board,
please accept our best wishes to you and your families for a safe and joyous
holiday season.
Now,
to introduce myself to those who do not know me: I am currently with the Sangamon County Adult
Probation Department in Springfield. I
have been with the department for nineteen years, working in the capacities
of Probation Officer, Intensive Drug Officer, Division Supervisor, Deputy
Director and, currently, Director. I
have been a member of IPCSA since 1986. I
have been actively involved with the Program, Substance Abuse and Chief Managing
Officer Committees, served as Co-Chair of the Substance Abuse Committee, and
served on the Executive Board in the capacities of Secretary and President-Elect.
As
I start my tenure as President of the Association, I would like to take time
to express my gratitude to outgoing President Linda Van Dyke. As I am sure you are aware, Linda served as the
President of the Association for the past three years. Her dedication and professionalism were evident
throughout her tenure, but were especially shown as she successfully achieved
a multi-disciplinary conference in Chicago. Not only was this a personal achievement for
Linda, but a tremendous step for the field and the Association!
Probably
the most pressing issue on everyone’s mind these days is the budget situation
that we are all facing. As many of you
know, the nation’s economic situation has had a dramatic domino effect on
the State of Illinois budget. Our state legislators have been cutting expenses
and struggling to find alternative revenue sources.
As a result, probation departments are relying on fees and their county
government to pick up the shortfall. This
may be a temporary solution for some counties; however, others are facing
drastic cuts in their budgets and/or workforces. We must not stand silently by as this crisis
unfolds. We must continue to advocate
for our profession by becoming more involved in our Association; continuing
to lobby our state legislators; advocating for ourselves as a public safety
entity; implementing evidence-based practices; collaborating with various
stakeholders; and publicizing measurable outcomes to support our success in
reducing recidivism rates.
Probation
departments throughout Illinois are drawing positive national attention for
a variety of reasons. With assistance
from and support of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, National
Institute of Corrections, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Juvenile Justice Commission
and other entities, probation departments are changing the face of our profession.
We can use this as an opportunity to publicize our changes, our improvements,
and the positive impact expected for our communities.
This publicity offers the opportunity for support in lobbying efforts
and increased grant opportunities – critical keys to our future financial
security.
Our
Association has not been immune from the budget crisis. As a matter of fact, it has had a dramatic effect
on the Association. We have seen reduction
in the number of attendees at conferences, a decrease in membership, and an
increase in the cost of doing business. The
Executive Board has been conscientious about ensuring our financially security.
They have been developing ideas to both save money and increase revenue
for the Association. It is important
that all members do the same.
Needless
to say, membership is one our biggest revenue sources. Thus, it is imperative that we seek out new membership,
keep current members in the fold, and praise the benefits of IPCSA membership
whenever we have the chance. A second
opportunity to support the Association is though personal conference attendance,
and encouraging the attendance of others. These conferences are also a significant source
of the Association’s funds. Whether
through conference attendance, volunteerism, or other means, all members are
encouraged to become involved in the Association beyond membership.
Please consider joining one of our many committees or running for an
elected Board position. Always consider how you can more actively participate
in IPCSA. We are always looking for
new leaders.
Please
do not hesitate to let an Executive Board member, including me, know if there
are any issues or matters you think the Association needs to address. You can contact me directly at 217-753-6683 or
miket@co.sangamon.il.us. The only way
we can know what is on your mind is if we hear from you.
Thank
you for your membership in IPCSA and your support of the Association.
Michael
J. Torchia
IPCSA President
Committees provide numerous functions for the Association.
Whether it is developing training, working with vendors, helping with
legislation or fundraising, the committees are vital to the future of our
Association. It is necessary to receive
permission from your Chief Managing Officer to join a committee. Please contact any of the following chairpersons
if you want information or would like to join a committee.
President Elect
Sid
DeLair
DuPage County Probation & Court Services
Statewide Representative
Allen
Nance
DuPage County Probation & Court Services
Region II Representative
Ken
Burn
Whiteside County Court Services
Executive Board Elections
I
wish I could start with the good news, but it will have to wait.
The Illinois Economic and Fiscal Commission, the Legislature’s revenue
forecasting agency, predicted recently that for State Fiscal Year 2006 there
would only be $325 million new spending available.
Unfortunately, there is already more that $600 million in new pension
costs for FY 2006, $1.2 billion (yes, that is a “b”) in one-time 2005 revenue
that will need to be replaced, and downstate teachers are looking for an early
retirement option that could cost another $900 million.
We
will be facing another horrendous budget situation next year. And probation
fees will continue to be heavily relied on again next year. Also, it is too
soon to tell whether sufficient probation fees will be available next year
like they apparently were this year.
The
recent election will have little impact on the make-up of the General Assembly.
The Republicans added one net new member in each chamber. Sadly, a good friend of probation, Sen. Patrick
Welch (D-Peru) was defeated. In the
Senate, the Democrats will enjoy a 32-27 advantage. In the House, the advantage will be a slightly
larger, 65-53.
As
most of you know, another good friend of probation, Sen. Barack Obama was
elected to the U.S. Senate with over 70 percent of the vote.
You should all congratulate yourselves, for what could have been a
close race, Sen. Obama’s support among probation officers put him over the
top and into the stratosphere.
In
a final note, several people in the criminal justice community were unhappy
with me over suggestions last Spring that the cuts to probation fees could
be utilized, directly or indirectly, to fund the judges’ cost of living increase.
I apologize for not having enough information at the time those assertions
were made. Based on a meeting I had with AOIC personnel,
we were going to be cut, and the cost of living increase was going to be funded.
There was not an exact correlation, but it was significant.
The next day, the cost of living
increase was removed from the line item for Judicial pay, but our cuts remained.
It is still possible to transfer amounts among the line items at any
time during the State fiscal year, including our probation fees.
We will all have to wait between now and the end of the State fiscal
year to see if money has been transferred.
Capitol Report
By John McCabe
IPCSA Legislative Liaison
Community Service
Committee
The IPCSA Community Service Committee will begin
meeting again in the Spring of 2005. The
committee is accepting new membership of community service coordinators and/or
probation officers who have an interest in community issues. The committee has a new Chairperson, Cathy Wizgird,
For County Probation and Court Service. For addition information and/or to join this
committee, email Cathy at Cwizgird@yahoo.com.
Future topics of discussion include:
4
Creating a Restorative
Community Service Program
4
Satisfying victims
of crime
4
Offender integration
in to the community through service
4
How to recruit
community service sites
4
Liability issues
4
Suggestions for
standardizing community service hours ordered
4
Types of available
community service (intensive, social, conservation, etc.)
4
Evidence-based
community service practices
4
Program evaluation
Day-Evening Reporting Committee
17 Reporting Centers in Illinois
The
Day-Evening Reporting Committee is pleased to report that there are now 17
reporting centers fully operational in Illinois. In sentencing medium and low risk offenders,
juvenile and adult courts are using these
types of programs as an alternative to secure detention. These programs are providing excellent supervision of the minors at a fraction of the
cost of incarceration and at the same time are providing high levels of safety
to the community. It has been this committees
pleasure to provide information and materials to counties that now have reporting
centers. Additionally, several other
counties are in the planning stages for Reporting Centers.
The
committee is currently creating a library of program descriptions that will
be a valuable source of information for every county in Illinois. It has become a good source to aid in understanding
the wide diversity of programming being used in Reporting Centers.
If your County would like to add your reporting center program information
to our library, please forward it to the chair of this committee.
The
Day/Evening Reporting Committee is finalizing the data input from the questionnaires
sent out last spring. From the data gathered, a resource manual will be developed.
Distribution is planned for the Spring 2005 Conference.
You
are invited to join the members of this committee in its efforts to provide
information, networking and training to the reporting centers in Illinois. Please feel free to send articles to Ben Manley,
Committee Chairman , Sangamon County Juvenile Probation, 2201 South Dirksen,
Springfield, IL 62703 . Telephone 217-747-8052, Fax 217-747-8022, or by email
at Beniem@co.sangamon.il.us.
The committee’s next meeting is February 10, 2005 at the Law and Justice
Building in Bloomington at 10:00am.
Detention Committee
Efforts
are underway to rejuvenate the Detention Committee by acquiring membership
representation from all 16 detention facilities in the state. The committee met at both 2004 conferences.
Many Detention Committee members, along with various Probation Directors
and AOIC staff, were participants at a Juvenile Detention Managers’ Retreat
that was held at Starved Rock in January 2004 for the purpose of developing
a mission statement and planning for the future of Illinois Juvenile Detention. The retreat was an invigorating experience for
participants, and it resulted in the following mission, vision and core values
for Illinois Juvenile Detention:
Mission
To further justice by providing
a safe, caring environment that guides children in our care toward productive,
lawful lives, and enhances community safety and well-being.
Vision
Minors in the Illinois juvenile
justice system are valued as human beings and treated with respect and dignity,
their diversity embraced and potential affirmed. Thus, juvenile detention in Illinois has become
part of an integrated system of care where…
4
Only kids with the highest risk to harm others
are detained for as little time as absolutely necessary.
4
Caring, competent, compassionate staff are
helping kids build skills for productive, law-abiding lives.
4
Our programming is reducing risk to re-offend,
and we can prove it.
Core Values
4
Children are our greatest natural resource
and represent our collective future.
4
Justice and Public safety are community concerns
and can only be achieved through collective and collaborative efforts.
4
In order for a justice system to have integrity,
it must be based upon respect for the individual and the understanding that
the always present potential for change can only be realized through the building
of positive relationships.
Following
a presentation provided by Steven Kossman at the Spring 2004 Conference, the
CMO Committee voted unanimously to endorse the detention mission, vision and
value statements as drafted at the January 2004 retreat. The Detention Committee will continue to work
to further promote this effort in jurisdictions state wide. Additionally, focus will be placed upon developing
training tracks for IPCSA conferences that directly relate to the work performed
by juvenile detention staff. Tom Ambrose
of UIS Institute for Legal, Administrative and Policy Studies, provided Detention
Committee members in attendance at the fall conference with an overview regarding
a newly designed on-line training program.
Detention officers will be required to complete the program prior to
attendance at Detention Basic training. A
follow-up meeting between detention administrators, AOIC and Tom Ambrose was
held in Springfield on September 13, 2004, and the first on-line class was
piloted prior to the Basic training which was held the week of October 4,
2004.
There
are numerous issues and initiatives in which the Detention Committee will
be involved. During the coming year
there will be at least four Committee meetings, two of which will be held
in conjunction with the IPCSA conferences and additional meetings in December
and June. A meeting will be held the first week of December 2004 at the Champaign
County Juvenile Detention Center, with the specific date to be announced.
Anyone interested in joining the committee may do so by contacting
Connie Kaiser at 217-384-3780 or ckaiser@co.champaign.il.us.
IPCSA
Committees
v
Awards Committee..............................
Sandra DeNicholas (chair).........
DuPage County............ 630/407-8358........ sandra.denicholas@dupageco.org
v
CMO Committee..................................
Kim Becker (co-chair)...............
Lee County................. 815/284-5247........ kbecker@leecourt.com
v
CMO Committee..................................
Vince Murphy (co-chair)...........
17th Judicial Circuit....... 815/987-3180........ vmurphy@co.winnebago.il.us
v
Community/Public Service
Committee.
Cathy Wizgird (chair)................
Ford County................ 217/379-2221........ cwizgird@yahoo.com
v
Day/Evening Report
Centers Committee............................................
Ben Manley (chair).......
Sangamon County. 217/747-8000 benm@co.sangamon.il.us
v
Detention Committee...........................
Connie Kaiser (chair)................
Champaign County....... 217/384-3780........ ckaiser@co.champaign.il.us
v
Detention Committee...........................
Glen Frietag (co-chair)..............
DuPage County............ 630/682-7356
v
Domestic/Family Violence
Committee..
Linda Hart (co-chair).................
Cook County............... 773/869-6056........ lihart@cookcountygov.com
v
Domestic/Family Violence
Committee..
Joni Gilbertson (co-chair)..........
Woodford County.......... 309/467-3532........ joni4321@yahoo.com
v
Gender Responsive
Committee............ Ava
Carpenter-McPike (co-chair)..................................
Sangamon County. 217/747-8016 avac@co.sangamon.il.us
v
Gender Responsive
Committee............ Melissa
Spooner (co-chair)........ Cook County............... 312/433-4446........ mbspoon@cookcountygov.com
v
Gender Responsive
Committee............ Tracy
Phillabaum (co-chair)...... DuPage County............ 630/407-8392........ tracy.phillabaum@dupageco.org
v
Legislative Committee.........................
Michael Shaughnessy (chair)....
Livingston County........ 815/844-5177........ shagmj@hotmail.com
v
Membership Committee......................
Nichole Deppe (chair)...............
Madison County........... 618/258-0021........ nedeppe@co.madison.il.us
v
Nominations/Elections
Committee.......
Edward S. Swies (co-chair)......
Cook County............... 708/974-6342........ swiesfam@comcast.net
v
Nominations/Elections
Committee.......
Frank W. Morelli (co-chair)........
Lake County................ 847/377-3646........ fmorelli@co.lake.il.us
v
Pretrial Services
Committee.................
Anita Maxey (co-chair)............. Macon County............. 217/424-1444........ amaxey@probation.co.macon.il.us
v
Pretrial Services
Committee.................
Keith Cooprider (co-chair)..........
Lake County................ 847/377-3687........ kcooprider@co.lake.il.us
v
Program Committee............................
Jody Blair (co-chair).................
DuPage County............ 630/407-8420........ jody.blair@dupageco.org
v
Program Committee............................
Sarah Spang (co-chair).............
DuPage County............ 630/407-8501........ sarah.spang@dupageco.org
v
Representative Committee...................
Frank W. Morelli (chair)............
Lake County................ 847/377-3646........ fmorelli@co.lake.il.us
v
Resource Committee...........................
Margi Gilmour (co-chair)...........
DeKalb County............. 815/895-7196........ mgilmour@dekalbcounty.org
v
Resource Committee...........................
John Owens (co-chair).............
Kane County............... 630/232-5805........ owensjohn@co.kane.il.us
v
Special Services/Sex
Offender Committee........
Jerry Cobetto (co-chair)
Madison County........... 618/296-5118........ jrcobetto@co.madison.il.us
v
Special Services/Sex
Offender Committee........
Scott Summers (co-chair)................................
Lake County......... 847/377-3677 ssummers@co.lake.il.us
v
Substance Abuse Committee...............
Tracy Burke (co-chair)............. Bureau County............. 815/872-8951........ zoebobo@yahoo.com
v
Substance
Abuse Committee...............
Judy Nystrom (co-chair)...........
AOIC.......................... 217/785-0413........ jnystrom@court.state.il.us
v
Victim Issues Committee.....................
Gary Balgemann (co-chair).......
DuPage County............ 630/407-8357........ gary.balgemann@dupageco.org
v
Victim
Issues Committee.....................
Ron Elias (co-chair).................
McHenry County.......... 815/334-4400........ rcelias@co.mchenry.il.us
Executive
Board
v
President.............................................
Michael Torchia.......................
Sangamon County....... 217/753-6770........ miket@co.sangamon.il.us
v
President-Elect....................................
Sid DeLair...............................
DuPage County........... 630/407-8419........ sidney.delair@dupageco.org
v
Secretary.............................................
Sandra DeNicholas...................
DuPage County........... 630/407-8358........ sandra.denicholas@dupageco.org
v
Treasurer.............................................
Michael J. Carey.....................
Champaign County...... 217/384-3753........ mcarey@co.champaign.il.us
v
Statewide
Representative.....................
Allen Nance............................
DuPage County........... 630/407-8502........ allennance@dupageco.org
v
Region
I Representative.......................
Ed Swies................................
Cook County............... 708/974-6565........ swiesfam@comcast.net
v
Region
II Representative......................
Ken Burn................................
Whiteside County......... 815/772-5276........ kburn@whiteside.org
v
Region
III Representative.....................
Michael Bruner........................
Sangamon County....... 217/753-6780........ mikebr@co.sangamon.il.us
v
Representative
Chair...........................
Frank W. Morelli......................
Lake County............... 847-377-3646........ fmorelli@co.lake.il.us
v
Governmental
Relations......................
John McCabe..........................
Legislative Consultants. 773/631-9560........ johnmccabe@att.net
v
Executive
Assistant..............................
Carol M. Gierut........................
Cook County............... 630/969-6956........ cgierut@aol.com
Congratulations
New IPCSA Officers
The following is the formal
petition submitted to the IPCSA Executive Board for the formation of a new
committee — the Technology Committee. Upon
review and consideration of the Board, it was agreed to present the petition
in the form of a referendum to the full membership.
A majority vote by the membership will pass the referendum.
The formal petition is as follows:
My
name is John Becker and I am the Director of Kendall County Court Services.
Myself, along with Kendall County G.P.S. Officer Jennifer Sullivan,
would like to formally petition the Board for the creation of a new committee
of the Association.
Since
my arrival to Kendall County in 1996, the court services department has been
actively involved in creating and operating offender management programs involving
advanced technology. These programs have included Voice I.D. Curfew,
Electronic Monitoring using RF technology, Home Alcohol Testing, and Global
Positioning System. These programs have
allowed our judiciary to keep juvenile and adult offenders from formal incarceration,
provide more restrictive monitoring for violent offenders, choices when considering
conditions of bond, and sentencing alternatives.
The County Board has also experienced substantial savings in juvenile
detention dollars and adult jail fees.
Technology
advancements in the field of Court Services has also included case management
systems, offender reporting equipment, drug testing, internet activities of
sex offenders, internet sites for gathering in-depth personal histories, and
others. In the State of Illinois, there
are many counties that utilize one or more of the above stated technologies.
However, there is no mechanism in place for the sharing of information.
It is my belief that creating a Technology Committee would help counties
share information about programs and equipment that is being used and what
is working and what is not. The committee
could also serve all counties in the State by being a resource when new programs
are being considered or identified concerns are being brainstormed.
As
programs involving new technology continue to become available, the Association
should have a committee assigned to this special field. Jennifer Sullivan
and I are willing to co-chair this committee and establish additional committee
members. Jennifer will be attending
the upcoming conference in Chicago and will be available should you or any
of the board members have any questions. I will be in the office during the conference
and can be contacted there. Thank you
for your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
John
L. Becker Jennifer Sullivan
Director G.P.S. Officer
Kendall
County Court Services Kendall County Court Services
Gender Responsivity
Committee
Generosity
Encourages
More Generosity
The Gender Responsivity
Committee (GRC) thanks everyone who bought raffle tickets at the 2004 Fall
Conference in Chicago, IL. The GRC was
kindly given permission to hold the 50/50 raffle at this conference and this
resulted in $626 being raised. The winning ticket belonged to Diana Waivra
from the Department of Human Services. Diana
graciously donated her winnings to the charity the GRC chose. This resulted
in the entire amount of $626 going to Deborah’s Place, a shelter for homeless
and formerly homeless women (a private
not-for-profit corporation serving women in Chicago. Food, shelter and supportive
services are provided by dedicated volunteers and staff so that women can
become empowered to take back and maintain control over their lives).
An important
item on the GRC’s agenda at the conference was to articulate a tremendous
thank you to our out going co-chair, Toni Davis, and to vote on a new co-chair.
After receiving votes at the committee meeting and from members who were unable
to attend, it is the GRC’s pleasure to announce that Melissa Spooner, Supervisor
from Cook County Juvenile Probation, is the newest co-chair of this committee.
Future plans
for the committee are to get started on preparing for the 2nd annual
craft sale to take place at the 2005 Spring Conference in Rockford, IL, put
together a directory of current gender responsive programming being done throughout
the state, working with AOIC on developing the Gender Responsivity Guidelines
Manual, and recruiting new committee members to the GRC. Letters will be sent to each county requesting
participation in having your female offenders make crafts that can be sold
at the spring conference. The money raised from the craft sale will be given
to a charity in or around the Rockford area. A member of the GRC will be asked
to pick up the counties once they are finished and bring them to the conference.
If there are any questions, please contact one of the co-chairs.
The Gender Responsivity Committee will convene
at the 2005 Spring Conference at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 in
Rockford, IL. All IPCSA members are welcome to attend. For
more information, contact the co-chairs: Ava Carpenter (Sangamon County) at
217-747-8016, Tracy Phillabaum (DuPage County) 630-407-2536, or Melissa Spooner
(Cook County) 312-433-4446.
Domestic Violence Committee
The
subject of domestic violence was well represented at the Fall 2004 Conference.
Attendees were able to attend workshops sponsored by IPCSA Domestic
Violence Committee, the AOIC DV Committee, and through the Judicial Track.
Topics included probation officers awareness of and sensitivity to
issues related to domestic violence survivors; efforts by probation officers
to service clients in times of budget cuts and limited resources; research
about domestic violence offenders and appropriate interventions; and the expectations
and challenges in addressing domestic violence within a coordinated community
response. All the workshops were recurring
themes—the importance of court systems and probation officers to recognize
the dynamics of domestic violence and the societal attitudes and beliefs that
affect how court systems respond to both the perpetrator and the many layers
of victims.
The
Domestic Violence Committee continues to focus on issues that are of interest
to officers across the state who manage these caseloads.
The next scheduled meeting of the committee is Friday, January 14,
2005 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the McLean County Law and Justice Center,
104 West Front Street, Bloomington, IL. For
further information about becoming part of the Domestic Violence Committee,
please contact Joni Gilbertson of Woodford County at 309-467-3532 or Linda
Hart of Cook County-Social Service at 773-869-6056.
Pretrial
Services Committee
The 2004 Fall IPCSA Conference in Chicago
in some ways represented a milestone for the pretrial services profession
in Illinois in that it was the first time that a pretrial-specific training
workshop was organized for the benefit of pretrial professionals and practitioners. The Honorable Judge Bruce Beaudin from Washington,
D.C. presented his nationally-recognized “Pretrial 101” Workshop, which provided
a basic understanding of the pretrial services movement, the history of bail
and pretrial release, its constitutional and case-law underpinnings, and the
purpose of bail. It was a well-attended
event and encourages more pretrial-related training will be a regular event
at IPCSA Conferences. We once again thank and appreciate the support
of John Prinzi and Jim Grundel of AOIC in making this event a reality.
The
Committee met in July and at the fall conference.
Several items were discussed including defining a Pretrial Services
Advisory Committee Mission Statement, developing a Pretrial Services link
with the IPCSA website, and creating a pretrial-specific training and program
survey to determine the training needs of pretrial practitioners.
In reference to pretrial training, the National Association of Pretrial
Services Agencies (NAPSA) is developing a pretrial services certification
program (Project Certification) which not only will “certify” individuals
based on their level of knowledge and expertise of the pretrial services profession,
but in effect can be viewed as a training and education opportunity. (See NAPSA’s website, www.napsa.org, for more
information.) Committee members that
were present also were introduced to Dave Hitchcock who was recently transferred
to AOIC’s Probation Services Division and will be taking over for John Prinzi.
One of Dave’s goals is to work with the various pretrial programs in
the state and to identify staff development needs, including training that
is specifically related to the needs of pretrial practitioners.
Dave works out of the Springfield office and can be contacted by phone
at 217-785-3489.
As you can see, a lot is happening with
the Pretrial Services Committee and if you are interested in becoming a member
of the or just want to get involved to some extent or offer your input, please
contact Anita Mendenhall by email at (amendenhall@probation.co.macon.il.us)
or Keith Cooprider at (kcooprider@co.lake.il.us).
Pretrial Services programs and practitioners need to coalesce and network
with each other so we can become a vital dynamic in the practice of criminal
justice in Illinois. One way of becoming
involved in the future growth, development, and enhancement of pretrial services
in Illinois is to participate in IPCSA and the Committee also encourages the
professional pretrial officer to think about looking into NAPSA membership.
They have great, informative conferences and you have the opportunity to learn
what other, out-of-state programs are doing.
Resource
Committee
A total of 25 vendors exhibited at the fall conference
in Chicago. Two new vendors attended
the conference along with those vendors who have supported IPCSA consistently
throughout the years. A wide range of
probation-related services available from across the state and the country
were on display at the conference. Nine
of the 25 vendors came from out of state. Conference
participants were afforded an opportunity to interact with the vendors before
and after the workshops, as well as, at a reception held on Wednesday evening.
All vendors pay an exhibit fee to display at
the conference, which generates revenue to support IPCSA.
In addition to paying the exhibit fee, Streamwood Behavioral Health
Center sponsored a workshop and breaks were sponsored by Arrowhead Ranch,
Hartgrove Hospital, and Norman Sleezer Youth Home.
The Resource Committee encourages the IPCSA membership
to support these vendors by using their services when needed and appropriate.
The vendors who participated in the Fall Conference include:
Alexian
Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital 1
Step Detect
Arrowhead Ranch
Norman Sleezer Youth Home
BI, Incorporated Piney Ridge Center
Big Brother
Monitoring Rite of Passage
Cornell
Interventions Riveredge Hospital
Goodin
Associates Rosecrance Health Center
Focus Ho use Salem Ranch
Gateway
Foundation Solution Specialties
Hartgrove Hospital
Streamwood Behavioral Health Center
Homme Youth & Family Programs
Southwest Indiana Youth Village
Isecuretrac TASC
Lad Lake
Varian
Onarga
Academy
For information about joining
the Resource Committee or for more information about the vendors, please call
co-chairs Margi Gilmour @ (815) 895-7193 or John Owens @ (630) 232-5805.
Congratulationsto all of the
2004 Distinguished Service Award Recipients.
Their peers chose each of these
individuals for outstanding and dedicated
service to their community,
the courts, and their clients.
Sherri Arenas—Champaign County
Carla Bishop—Hancock County
Ron Brawley—Madison County
Barry Brock—Champaign County
Shelby Brown—Effingham County
Andy Bonis—9th Judicial Circuit
Frances Cain—13th Judicial
Circuit
Eric Clayton—Madison County
Coles/Cumberland Team
Mona Durbin—Effingham County
Brenda Dyar—Champaign County
Cristina Figueroa—Lake County
Cheryl Gilleran—Lake County
Danielle Girup—DuPage County
Jason Hamann—Sangamon County
Thomas Harrocks—Champaign
County
Joe Howe—Tazwell County
Rusann Hutchens—Madison County
Jeremy M. Jessup—Champaign
County
Robin Kallenbach—Macon County
Brian Kelley—Champaign County
Joy Kreuser—Cook County
C. Kull—Whiteside County
David Liddell—Winnebago County
Kimberli M. Lindstrom—Henry
County
Jeff Linn—Madison County
Lil Mantay—Macon County
Kate Maranda—Whiteside County
Jodi McCoy—Macon County
Timothy McGavin—DuPage County
Megan Mohr—Macon County
Maria Moran—Effingham County
Gary Nelsen—Macon County
James B. Paschal—Madison County
Christopher Simonds—Madison
County
Jeffrey L. Staab—Whiteside
County
Robert Tobin—McHenry County
Amelia Trello—Sangamon County
Sara J. Usrey—Henry County
Colleen Whalen—Winnebago County
Christine Winters—Effingham
County
Shannon Wolfe—Champaign County
Damon Yates—Madison County
Phyllis Ybarra—Madison County
Heidi Zeidenstein—Livingston
County
Kimberly
Becker, Lee County
Gene Hughes
Awward
Jody Blair
& Sarah Spang
Darryl
O. Smith Award
Hon. George
W. Timberlake
Chief Judge,
2nd Judicial Circuit
Exemplary
Service Award
Cheryl
Meyers
Effingham
County
Pauline
Gansauer Award
Phil Dailing,
McHenry County
William
C. Albertson Award
Scott Summers,
Lake County
S. William
Ettinger Award
Frank Calkins,
Adams County
Robert
E. Burdine Award
Lake County’s
Group Reporting
Project
Leadership
Award
In collaboration with the
University of Illinois, Springfield, the new Leadership Award
was created to honor programs for exemplifying the principles of what works
and utilizing best practices to produce effective outcomes with clients.
-
-STATE OF ILLINOIS- -
Criminal Justice Information
Authority
120 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste.
1016
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 793-8550
Contact: Mary Milano, Assistant Director Grants Unit
STOP Violence Against Women
Act
Criminal Justice Information
Authority
120 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste.
1016
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 793-8550
(VAWA grant program is focused
on the criminal justice system’s response to victims of sexual assault and
domestic violence.)
IDHS Bureau of Domestic
and Sexual Violence Prevention
222 S. College, 2nd
floor
Springfield, Illinois 62704
(217) 524-6034
Contact: Bureau Chief
(Family Violence Prevention
and Services Act grant targets crisis intervention services to victims of
domestic violence and their children. Applications
are taken in February and March.)
VOCA (Victims of Crime
Act)
Criminal Justice Information
Authority
120 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste.
1016
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 793-8550
(This grant program targets
direct services or victims of violent crime)
VCVA (Violent Crime Victims
Assistance Fund)
Illinois Attorney General
100 W. Randolph
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 814-3000
Contact: Jennifer Kuhn, Bureau Chief, Victim Services
(Grants focus on developing
and improving activities and services that promote the recognition of rights,
needs and interests of crime victims in Illinois)
-
-NATIONAL- -
OVC (Office for Victims
of Crime)
U.S. Department of Justice Programs
Office for Victims of Crime
810 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531
1-800-421-6770
(Offers discretionary grants
to improve and enhance the quality and availability of victim services.
Grants support a wide range of activities, programs and services, including
development of training curricula for victim services and criminal justice
professionals, and dissemination of promising practices in victim services.)
OVC Victim Assistance for
Illinois
312-793-8550
OVC Victim Compensation for
Illinois
312-814-2581
OJJDP (Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention)
DHS Office of Prevention
1112 South Wabash Avenue, 4th
floor
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 793-2748
Contact: Dan Strick, Juvenile Justice Specialist
(This is the Illinois agency
for U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs. OJJDP offers block and discretionary grants which
range from single awards for research, evaluation and technical assistance
to multi-site awards for program development.)
JABG (Juvenile Accountability
Block Grants)
Criminal Justice Information
Authority
120 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste.
1016
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 793-1300
Contact: Mary Milano
(This is the Illinois agency
for U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs. JABG program funds
are provided as block grants to states for programs promoting greater accountability
in the juvenile justice system.)
(Continued
on page 15)
(A report of survey results
compiled by a Subcommittee of the IPCSA Victim Concerns Committee—August 31,
2004)
Introduction
In
accordance with the Constitutional and Statutory recognition of crime victims’
rights and the emergence of the Balanced and Restorative Justice approach
in Illinois, the role of and concern for the victim now deserves a heightened
level of attention comparable to the traditional attention devoted to the
offender and community. Indeed, the Illinois Juvenile Court Act emphasizes
that victims of juvenile crime shall have the same rights as victims of adult
crime. Further, it has become increasingly
clear from the responses of crime victims confirmed in research and media
presentations that a failure to understand and be responsive to their needs
has contributed in many cases to their re-victimization by the justice system.
As
a result, Probation and Court Services at both the adult and juvenile level
must face a critical challenge, to continue to develop the understanding that
justice is no longer primarily about “punishment” or retribution directed
at the offender. Victims are members
of the public whom we serve. Our goals, policies, and practices must be directed
toward finding ways to hold offenders accountable through interventions that
promote recognition of the harm they’ve done, “healing” or reparation for
the victim and community, as well as provisions for community safety and the
development or improvement of offender competencies.
This need for Probation and Court Services to
increase its understanding of victim issues and concerns resulted in the IPCSA’s
Victim Concerns Committee developing a preliminary victim-focused survey. The survey, developed and distributed in 2002,
was designed to give IPCSA a broad-based understanding of the degree to which
departments across the state are addressing victims’ concerns in the justice
system. It was also intended that by
responding to the survey, each department would reflect on the extent to which
its mission and practices incorporate meaningful victim services and assess
what, if any, victim awareness activities are provided to offenders.
The survey was distributed to most departmental Chief Managing Officers
and returned by them or their designees, representing all 22 Circuits in Illinois.
Our committee’s goals are to promote victim
sensitivity and attentiveness among Probation and Court Services staff, to
be a local resource to departments in the process of developing restorative
victim-related programs, and to develop and organize support among Court Services
professionals for improving victim services and enhancing victims’ rights
and roles in creating justice in Illinois. This report includes the analysis of the surveys
that were completed in 2002. The specific
data is available. It is our hope that
this feedback based on the self-reports can encourage all departments to continue
to identify needs for policy development, policy changes, the continuation
of competency development, and the development of collaboration with the community
that can assist in repairing the harm done to crime victims. With this and future surveys our committee hopes
to help promote state-wide progress in efforts to bring victim concerns and
rights into balance with those of their communities and their offenders.
We welcome feedback (through any committee member) and hope for support
for our efforts.
Communities and justice system professionals can
no longer afford to ignore victims at any stage in our justice-seeking processes.
Our attention to their concerns can be considered a vital social obligation,
a significant prevention strategy.
Survey Summary
Overall,
our summary recognizes that Illinoisand Court Service departmentsmaking progress
in the growing effort to provide victims more information, support, and opportunities
for involvement in the justice system.There appears to be an increasing awareness
ofissues and concerns. But the marginalization of victims in justice
processes remains an issue. More attention,
effort, and resources need to be directed toward victim concerns and victim
involvement to help ensure a level of consistency across the State. The results of the survey provide some insights
into areas where growth remains to be promoted.
Several
questions in the survey were related to crime victims’ opportunities to have
input into dispositional or sentencing decisions.
According to the observations of those who completed the survey, even
though victim input and contact is the statutory responsibility of the State’s
Attorneys’ in our state, there is a consistent effort by probation and court
services
to invite
victim input and provide an analysis of the impact of crimes on their victims
in thirteen of Illinois’ twenty-two circuits.
Probation departments contact victims when considering the diversion
of cases in thirteen circuits. Attempts are made by Probation and Court Services
to facilitate victim input primarily through pre-sentence investigations in
all but one circuit. However, victim
input is apparently not yet a routine part of justice system decision-making
all circuits. Victim input is reportedly
“rare” in six circuits.
The
primary mode of victim contact in nineteen circuits is the mail.
However, making an effort to reach victims by phone, if possible, is
a primary concern in fourteen circuits—in-person contact with victims is a
primary concern in seven. Probation and Court Services has contact with
crime victims after sentencing in fourteen circuits, primarily in cases of
domestic violence. Contact with victims
is routine in all cases in three circuits.
Probation helps to provide hearing date information to victims in six
circuits. Victims in some cases are
informed by Probation of sentencing or dispositional outcomes in ten circuits.
In fifteen circuits offenders’ apology letters are forwarded to victims;
but consideration is given to the requests or concerns of victims for
such apologies in only six circuits. In
five circuits Probation and Court Services have little or no contact with
victims at any time.
The
effort to improve staff members’ awareness of victims’ concerns has begun.
In ten circuits all sworn court services officer are provided victim-related
training. In three circuits victim-related
training is provided only to officers who supervise offenders.
Training is provided to detention officers and clerical staff in only
one circuit. Victim-related training is not provided or required
in only four circuits. Federal funds
and in-house staff are a training resource in seven circuits. AOIC is a significant training resource for fourteen
circuits; and the primary resource for victim-related training for 18 of our
22 circuits is IPCSA. All circuit representatives
agree that more victim-related training would be beneficial.
The
number of staff expected to have some involvement with victims appears to
depend on the size of the department. Responsibility for some contact with victims
rests with casework and investigative Probation Officers in all but three
circuits. Ten circuits have at least
one person with primary responsibility related to victim support and service,
who is able to provide referrals to treatment and other resources. In ten circuits Probation helps victims to understand
their rights. In eleven circuits Probation
and Court Services provide at least supportive resource information to victims.
There is no such practice in three circuits.
Probation is responsible for the collection and disbursement of some
restitution in four circuits. The State’s
Attorney assumes some responsibility in three.
For the most part (in seventeen circuits) those responsibilities rest
with Circuit Court Clerk.
Victim participation in departmental efforts has
begun. Victims are part of a Probation
services advisory committee in one circuit.
DUI-related Victim Impact Panel Presentations are held in sixteen circuits.
Victim Impact Panels related to criminal offenses are held in five.
Victim Awareness Education is an intervention strategy in six circuits.
Conferencing with victims and offenders occurs in eight.
Efforts
to provide private and secured waiting areas for victims vary across the state.
Provision is made for all victims in six circuits. Some provision is made for victim security/privacy
in twelve. Apparently, there is no such
provision made for victims in eight circuits.
The Future:
Opportunities for Collaboration
We,
in the justice system, need to view our work in a partnership between the
community, victim and offender. Current research tells us that Community Correction
agencies and related partners are going to have to change the way they have
been doing business in order to withstand the current complexity of the clients
that are served and the fiscal restraints of the departments. This is based on the Integrated Model for system
reform that includes three elements, Evidenced-based Practice, Collaboration,
and Organizational Development. What
this is really saying is that it is time to prove that what each partner in
the system and we do with “clients”—and victims no less—is effective, that
there is collaboration between the players in the system with all having an
equal voice, and that the entities involved are realigning their goals, increasing
staff competencies and adjusting their current organization policies and practices
to support the changes.
The
Evidenced-Based Practices model indicates that to ensure the effectiveness
of a program or process, measurements need to be developed.
In working with victims, professionals need to define what their goals
are and how progress can be measured.
It
is encouraging to know that the same standards have begun to be applied to
victim services, as are beginning to be applied in our state in relation to
work with offenders.
In
the past one measure was related to a victim’s level of satisfaction with
the results. One of the methods involved
the distribution, return, and analysis of a survey. The results from such surveys may not always
be reliable—it is difficult to measure true victim satisfaction because responses
are totally voluntary from the victim.
Current
research, conducted in programs world wide, has shown, however, that programs
such as Victim Offender Mediation, Family Group Conferencing, Community Group
Conferencing and Circle Sentencing have shown positive measurable results.
Paul McCold noted in his paper, A Survey of Assessment Research
on Mediation and Restorative Justice, that “where (there is) victim and
offender participation in restorative programs, the rates of agreement and
compliance with that agreement are very high” and that “Re-offending rates
for offenders is no higher for restorative justice than it is for court adjudication.”
Collaboration
has always been important, but has not always included victim input.
Research emphasizes that justice system entities can no longer work
inside a vacuum—networking and establishing partnerships with other players
in the system is vital. Juvenile Justice
Councils are an example of an effective collaboration that includes players
from inside the criminal justice system and from the community—including victim
service agencies—who are brought together to look at the system as a whole.
By working collaboratively, resources can be shared, areas of concern
can be better identified and addressed, and a common vision can be developed.
Currently
in the State of Illinois, despite the growing awareness of the importance
of developing a collaborative effort to implement evidenced-based practices
that are coherent with BARJ principles and growing commitment to victims’
rights, reparation for crime victims and survivors remains neglected.
There isn’t recognition and agreement in all circuits and departments
of Probation and Court Services that the justice system has a responsibility
toward the victims of the offenders under its charge.
Many communities, victim service agencies, and victims themselves are
yet to recognize the importance of their participation in collaborative justice
system reform efforts—and their participation is vital to the success of those
efforts.
Agencies, communities, and crime victims
must be educated, be provided the opportunity to share input, and be engaged
in a partnership with court services in establishing a common mission.
All partners in the collaboration must agree that they all have a role
in empowering and helping to restore the victim—as well as in enhancing the
competence of the offender to make constructive changes.
And each partner must play a part in ensuring satisfaction with the
process. This sense of agreement and cooperation cannot
be imposed from the top down. It must
be cultivated through honest discussion and problem-solving efforts in which
each player feels that they have an equal voice and respect in the process.
Promoting this kind of collaboration is the challenge that Probation
and Court Services and all justice system participants face.
Crime Victim Services
and the Role of
Probation and
Court Services
in Illinois
Victim Assistance
Funding Resources
Appendix A
Probation Department
Victim Involvement Survey
Please take time to complete this survey by placing a check
alongside all the elements in each statement that apply in your department
or circuit. Return it to the I.P.C.S.A. Victims’ Concerns
Committee chair, Gary Balgemann, at the Department of Probation and Court
Services, 505 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187, in the enclosed envelope.
Thank you for your investment in this expanding and challenging facet
of Justice System development.
1. In our
circuit victims have an opportunity to give input into sentencing/dispositional
decisions
____Routinely
in all types of cases.
____Only in special
circumstances or cases (e.g. Domestic or Serious Violence/Abuse, etc.)
____Only occasionally.
____Other (Please
specify): _______________________________________
2.
In our circuit attempts are made to provide Victim Impact Statements
routinely
____By our department
in adult cases with pre-sentence reports.
____By our department
in juvenile cases with pre-sentence reports.
____By the State’s
Attorney.
____Rarely.
3. If restitution
for victims is ordered in our circuit, it is collected and disbursed by
____The Circuit
Court Clerk’s office
____Our department
____The State’s
Attorney’s office
____Other (Please
specify): __________________________________________
4. In our
Circuit a sheltered or separate waiting area is provided for
____Victims of
sexual abuse.
____Victims of
domestic violence.
____Victims of
extreme violence.
____Victims of
property offenses.
____All victims.
____No victims.
5. According
to our department policy or practice our staff members attempt to contact
victims
____At the point of initial screening, intake,
or preliminary offender interviews.
____When considering diversion from formal prosecution.
____In the course of preparing pre-sentence
or social history investigation reports.
____Only in cases in which serious injury or
damage has occurred.
____In all cases after disposition or
sentencing.
____After sentencing only if victims have responded
to our requests for their input.
____After sentencing in domestic violence cases.
____In few, if any cases.
____It is not our practice to contact victims
6. Our department
routinely provides victims with or makes available
____Victim rights
information.
____Justice system
procedures information.
____Notices of
sentencing hearing dates.
____Apology letters
if requested by victims.
____Apology letters
when court ordered.
____Sentencing
outcome information.
____Support resources
information.
____Other (Please
specify):_________________________________________
7. Staff
members who have routine contact with victims have
____Investigative
responsibilities.
____Casework
responsibilities.
____Restitution
recording/monitoring responsibilities outside casework.
____Specific
victim service responsibilities.
____Clerical/reception
responsibilities.
____Managerial
responsibilities.
____Other (Please
specify): _________________________________________
8. According to policy and procedures, the contacts
we make with victims are primarily
____In person.
____By phone.
____By mail.
9. In our
department specific victim-related responsibilities have been assigned to
____No staff.
____One or two
staff members.
____Three to
five staff members.
____Five to ten
staff members.
____Ten or more
staff members.
10. Our department
provides for or has implemented the following victim-related programs:
____Victim-offender
conferencing,
____Family group
conferencing,
____DUI victim-impact
panels,
____Criminal
offense victim impact panels,
____Victim impact
or awareness education,
____Victim participation
in an advisory group,
____Victim referrals
to support/treatment resources (counseling, support groups, victim compensation,
DOC Victim Services,
Automated Victim
Notification system, advocacy).
____Other (Please
specify): ________________________________________________________
11. During
the past year our department has provided opportunity for victim related training
for
____All sworn
staff.
____Investigators
(Screening interviewers).
____Casework
officers (Those who supervise or monitor offenders).
____Therapeutic
services staff.
____Victim services
staff.
____Detention
staff.
____Clerical/reception
staff.
____Victim-related
training is not required or provided.
12. For training
related to victims our department relies on
____Skilled staff
within.
____Federally
funded outside professionals.
____AOIC trainers.
____IPCSA conferences.
____Outside training
programs to which we send staff and for which we pay.
Our department would benefit
from more training related to victim’s issues and from victim-related programming.
____Yes.
____No.
Completed
by: __________________________________________ Date______/_______/_______
Judicial Circuit ________
Number of Court Services Staff, including support
staff _____________
Sworn Adult Services ______________
Sworn Juvenile Services ____________
Detention _____________
Support _______________
Other ( ) _____________
Other ( ) _____________
Please comment on any or all of the above ideas
and/or offer suggestions regarding victim-related issues or concerns. Thank you. (Use
the back of this sheet or attach an additional sheet, if you like.)_______________________________________________________
Gary Balgemann
DuPage
County
Department
of Probation
and
Court Services
505
N. County Farm Road
Wheaton,
IL 60187
(630) 407-8357
(630) 407-8401 (fax)
gary.balgemann@dupageco.org.
Ann Ferguson
DuPage
County
Department
of Probation
and Court Services
505
N. County Farm Road
Wheaton,
IL 60187
(630) 682-7713
(630) 682-7419 (fax)
Ann.Ferguson@dupageco.org.
Kristen Garfield-Gentile
A.O.I.C.
222 N. LaSalle Street, 13th
Floor
Chicago,
IL 60601
(312) 793-4150
(312) 793-1335 (fax)
kgentile@court.state.il.us
Cook County Probation
and Court Services
Juvenile Probation Department
1100 S. Hamilton Avenue
Chicago,
IL 60612
(312) 433-6639
(312) 433-4402 (fax)
michalekchas@aol.com.
Appendix
B
Survey Sub-Committee
Program Committee
2004
Fall IPCSA Conference Rocked!!
The
recent 2004 Fall Conference at the Westin River North in Chicago was both
rewarding from Sarah and my point of view and for all of those who had a hand
in putting it together. Our hats are off to all who helped us plan and organize
to make this conference a HUGE success. The workshops were well attended and
the networking amongst the various disciplines was evident to all.
After
a day of committee meetings and workshops, attendees took the opportunity
to attend the reception on the Chicago River Level Court and Veranda. An early-bird
judiciary presentation was added to the line up the second day of the conference,
followed by a wonderful and thought provoking plenary by Mark Carey. The rest
of that day held many workshops for attendees to choose from and an emotional
and inspirational presentation at lunch by Father Robert Oldershaw and the
father of a slain youth, Mr. Stephan Young.
Thursday
evening of the conference held a beautiful award banquet honoring IPCSA professionals
for their dedication and service to their profession, community, and the courts.
Friday was different from other conferences in that it included a set
of workshops and an ending plenary by Illinois Congressman Danny Davis.
On
behalf of the Program Committee, many thanks go out to all those from Cook
County Adult Probation, Cook County Juvenile Probation and Cook County Social
Services Departments who hosted this conference. What a wonderful and efficient
job they did! In particular, Sarah and I wish to thank Mary Nadolny, Renate
Reichs and Linda Hart for their tireless efforts. The Program Committee would also like to thank
all of the representatives from the various disciplines who worked on this
conference. We are keenly aware of the hours of prep time it takes to make
a conference happen and it flowed smoothly as a result of your hard work and
planning. Thank you to Linda Van Dyke for spearheading this enormous and beneficial
conference. Thank you to all!!
The Spring 2004 Conference in Rockford
at the Clock Tower Resort is fast approaching! Mark your calendars for April
13-15, 2005. Pre-Conference information will be mailed to departments as soon
as they are available. Committee meetings will again be held on Wednesday
morning of the conference. This conference will mark a return to our traditional
conference format with the business meeting on that final day of the conference.
Jody Blair and Sarah Spang
Program Committee Co-Chairs
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee has remained very
active this year even during this very tough time that the state is experiencing. We have active members that are working hard
to promote IPCSA as an organization that is worth investing time and effort
into.
Unfortunately,
we did not have the opportunity to host the Committee Orientation Reception
at the Fall Conference this year. We are looking forward to putting together our
usual reception at the spring conference in Rockford. A working agreement with Rosecrance Health Network
will help bring the benefits to the new, and current, members of the Association.
Rosecrance has been a great supporter of IPCSA through this reception
and their efforts as a vendor. We want to express our sincere gratitude to them
for their support.
We
continue to look for new ways of getting people to join and remain members
of IPCSA. Members of the committee are
continuing to recruit members from probation, but also from other sources
such as treatment providers, individuals, and other private organizations.
We continue to attend Basic Training Sessions during the year to promote
IPCSA to new officers from around the state.
We send our thanks to AOIC and The University of Illinois at Springfield
for helping to coordinate these efforts with us.
We
have still been working on putting the IPCSA video together. Footage is continuing
to be collected from IPCSA events. We are hoping 2005 will complete the project.
This committee is continuing to encourage students and interns to join
the Association through the Student Sponsorship Program. This program allows
students to join the Association and attend a conference to gain first hand
knowledge of what IPCSA is all about. We
have had great success with the program in the past and hope that it continues.
The Membership Committee currently has
thirteen active members from around the state, and we would appreciate any
new members. If you are interested in
joining our committee, please contact Nichole Deppe (618) 258-0021. We do not have a date set for out next meeting,
but you are urged to contact me for any additional information.
Representative Committee
The heart and soul of IPCSA continues
to be the hard work and dedication put forth by committee members as they
work towards the goals of their committee and of IPCSA. The IPCSA Representative Committee is made up
of 16 committees that are dedicated towards various duties for IPCSA and for
court service issues around the State.
Congratulations to Committee Chairs
Ken Burn (Region II Representative) and Sid DeLair (President-Elect) as well
as returning State Wide Representative Allen Nance on their election to the
IPCSA Executive Board for 2005-06.
On behalf of the IPCSA Executive
Board I wanted to give special thanks to Mike Miller of the Public Service
Committee and Toni Davis of the Gender Committee.
Both have chosen to step down from their position as Chair of their
respective committees. Mike has guided
the Public Service Committee for the past six years. Toni was one of the founding members of the Gender
Committee. Their guidance and determination
will be missed. Both have promised to continue to be involved
with their committee and with IPCSA.
A request has been made to form
a new Technology Committee. This committee
would gather information about various technological advancements in our field
and would be a resource to counties around the state. Anyone interested in joining this committee please
call John Becker (JBecker@co.kendall.il.us) or Jennifer Sullivan , of Kendal County at 630-553-4180.
Once again I would like to thank
all the Committee Chairs and over 200 Committee members for their hard work. Anyone interested in joining a committee please
contact the Committee Chair or myself.
Frank Morelli.
Victim
Concerns Committee
Advocate
Victim Services
In
the face of budget problems the victim concerns committee is apprehensive.
We need to “keep the fires burning” for those in victim services, as
well as develop recognition of evidence-based practices in VOC programs, VIP
programs, and other BARJ approaches to creating justice and healing victims. Services to victims beyond the point of sentencing
must improve—and services should be available from the moment of the offense.
Our committee will continue to promote awareness of victims’ needs
and concerns—and continue to press for recognition the court services in support
of victims is a good investment, from which offenders and communities benefit.
We will be available to respond to concerns raised by the results of
our first survey and will be considering another in the future to check the
progress of our awareness and responsiveness to those harmed by crime. Our next meeting—an opportunity to share resources
and support—will be in Bloomington on January 13th. If interested in joining our discussions and
efforts, contact Gary Balgemann, (630) 407-8357
[gary.balgemann@dupageco.org] or Ron Elias (815) 334-4408 [rcelias@co.mchenry.il.us].
The following IPCSA Board
positions are open for election in Fall 2005:
Secretary
Treasurer
Region
I Representative
Region
III Representative
Region I
consists of circuits 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, & Cook
County. Region III consists of
circuits 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, and 21.
For information, call Frank
Morelli at 847/377-3646 or Ed Swies at 708/974-6342.
ILLINOIS
PROBATION AND
COURT
SERVICES
ASSOCIATION
MEMBERSHIP
APPLICATION
Members are the backbone of this Association
and your interest in becoming a member is appreciated.
IPCSA has an active membership of over 1,000 members and is considered
one of the largest state probation associations in the U.S. (Completing all of the requested information
will ensure that you receive all future mailings to the correct address.)
MEMBERSHIP YEAR________ q First Time Member $20.00 q Membership Renewal $40.00
Name:______________________________________ Position/Title:_______________________
County and Department Name:_________________________________________ Circuit_____________
Mailing Address:
_______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Daytime Phone #: ( ) ______________________
E-mail Address:__________________________________
Membership
Fee Paid For By:
q
Department q Applicant
Have been an IPCSA Member since:__________
My Job Function Falls
in the Following General Categories:
q
Adult Probation qPretrial
Services q
Juvenile Probation
q
Juvenile Detention
q__________________
(Other)
My Position Falls
in the Following Category:
q
Director qChief Managing Officer q Supervisor
q
Line Officer q AA/Office Manager
q Support Staff
I Am
Interested in Learning More About the Following Committee(s):
q Awards
Committee q Nomination/Election Committee
q Community/Public
Service Committee
q Pretrial Committee
q Day/Evening
Report Center Committee
q Program Committee
q Detention
Committee q Resource Committee
q Domestic/Family
Violence Committee
q Special Services/Sex Offender Committee
q Gender
Responsive Committee
q Substance Abuse Committee
q Legislative
Committee (CMO approval required)
q Victim Services Committee
q Membership
Committee
Please send this application with
your membership dues, made payable to IPCSA,
to the following address:
IPCSA
P.O. Box 8826
Springfield, Illinois 62791-8826
630/969-6956 (phone & fax)
The
Golf Club at Timber Pointe
Tuesday,
April 12, 2005
High
Noon Shotgun Start
The Illinois Probation and
Court Services Association held its 2004 Fall Training Conference at the Westin
Chicago River North Hotel September 1-3, 2004.
Multi-Disciplined criminal justice professionals came together to participate
in the theme of the conference—“The Evidence Is In: Collaborative Justice
Works.” The successful conference concept
was developed in the belief that there is deep value in gathering the various
justice players to share concerns and ideas.
A few impressive conference
statistics:
·
Nearly
600 participants from the probation and court service field, judges, prosecutors,
public defenders, service providers and parole
·
60
different training workshops
·
Distinguished
speakers including Congressman Danny Davis, Cook County Chief Judge Timothy
C. Evans, Mark Carey, Minnesota Dept. of Corrections Warden
·
35-member
planning committee
Special thanks to our host,
Cook County, for their warm welcome
and assistance during a very busy and amazing 3 days.
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans,
Cook County (l.) and Bart Lubow, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Congressman Danny Davis (l.)
and Linda Van Dyke, IPCSA President
Legislative Committee Report
The
Legislative Committee will be meeting December 7th in Pontiac to
discuss legislation for the new General Assembly beginning in January. While budget priorities will once again be the
number one concern of the Legislative Committee, there are several issues
pending from last year that will be revisited next year. They include:
1.
Sex Offender Management Board amendments.
There remains a problem with plea agreements and evaluations of offenders
that needs to be resolved.
2.
Juvenile Transfers.
There will be further interest to continue to reverse the recent trend
to increase automatic and discretionary transfers of juveniles to adult courts.
3.
Raising the age of a juvenile.
This issue has divided IPCSA and some internal response needs to be
promulgated.
4.
Drug Court Proposals
from Chicago Metropolis 2020. The Chicago Metropolis 2020 Project, a planning
group funded by the Commercial Club of Chicago, (Senate Amendment #2 to House
Bill 1875) would have done the following:
a)
Mandate the establishment
of Drug Courts in all counties over 50,000 population (there are 29 such counties
and approximately 20 counties have voluntarily established Drug Courts)
b)
Eliminate all Criminal Justice
Information Authority funding to all circuits in which a mandated county
did not establish a Drug Court
c)
Establish a base line
target of the average number of offenders charged with drug crimes over the
last three years, then in the first four months of operation of a Drug Court,
a county had to admit 25% of the baseline, annual number to the Drug Court
program
d)
If a defendant successfully completes
a Drug Court program, then all drug charges must be dropped, regardless of
all prior convictions
e)
Require the county to
apply for Federal funding for their Drug Court program
f)
Require the AOIC to
provide training for Drug Court programs
g)
Require the Department
of Human Services to fund all treatment programs of the Drug Courts.
5.
The Chicago Metropolis
2020 Project also had a second proposal to create a new Department of Juvenile
Justice by removing the Juvenile Division from the Illinois Department of
Corrections. As contained in House Bill 575, the proposal would have created
more requirements before a juvenile could be sent to a detention center.
6.
The Legislative Committee
will also discuss any proposals for legislation submitted by any of the other
committees of IPCSA.
Copies and status of legislation
can be found at: http://.www.legis.state.il.us
Respectfully submitted,
Michael J. Shaughnessy, Chair
WE’VE MOVED
The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts—Probation
Services has moved. The new address
is:
James R.
Grundel, Assistant Director
Probation
Services Division
3101 Old
Jacksonville Road
Springfield,
IL 62704
217/558-4490
