Marshall County chief probation officer resigns; county posts job and probation staff report operations, budget and caseload figures

Marshall County officials announced the resignation of Chief Probation Officer Jim Bendy and said the county has posted the vacancy while probation staff continue day-to-day operations.

The board informed meeting attendees that the chief probation officer position is posted on the county website and on a free Indeed listing; judges reported the county has received nine applications so far. Judge Cerisi said the judges have discussed keeping the position open longer to attract more applicants and that two assistant chiefs are performing day-to-day duties but have not been formally appointed as interim chief.

The item matters because the chief probation officer oversees probation, pretrial and related programs that the board and judges said are currently running during the transition. Meeting participants also sought to ensure continuity of supervision while a hire is sought.

Probation staff provided operational and budget figures. Staff reported two county vehicles in use, one with about 68,000 miles and another with over 100,000 miles; staff said the department expects to purchase a replacement vehicle next year. The staff update also noted an expected increase in the rent line in the program income (PI) budget for next year based on recent market estimates.

On supervision metrics, speakers reported that, for the quarter, the office had 16 people on pretrial supervision with 12 of those on GPS and that the office has 96 total clients on GPS. For the quarter, 35 individuals completed supervision and two were terminated for violations. Reported fund totals were: grant funds at $274,000; PI funds at $672,381; and a CTP fund balance of $43,704. Meeting participants said $77,000 in fees were levied during the last quarter and the office collected about $79,000 in fees.

Officials also said a Cincinnati report — an audit completed with the University of Cincinnati and the Department of Corrections — has follow-up hearings scheduled in La Porte County later in the month. The report was described as an audit-style review to identify program strengths and weaknesses; staff said they hope to receive recommendations that could inform changes later in the year.

Meeting participants said they will prepare a thank-you letter to Bendy and will pursue a formal hiring process. No formal personnel appointment was made during the meeting, and staff said more time may be needed to identify candidates.

Speakers: Meeting Chair (unnamed), Judge Cerisi (Judge), Abby (Staff member), Beau (Probation staff).

Ending: The board set no hiring deadline at the meeting; judges said they will continue recruiting and return to the board with updates at future meetings.