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Circuit probation leaders approve February reports and bills, review caseloads and grants
Summary
Officials at a March circuit-wide probation meeting accepted monthly and quarterly reports and payment of county bills, reviewed county-by-county juvenile and adult caseloads and grant reimbursements, and noted a staffing vacancy in Grundy County.
Presiding officer opened the March circuit-wide probation meeting and the members approved the previous meeting minutes and accepted the February monthly report, the first-quarter report and payment of February bills.
The most consequential material presented was the caseload and financial overview delivered by Susan Dobbs, director of probation. Dobbs said the circuit’s active adult caseload totaled 773 and the administrative adult caseload totaled 532, for a combined total of 1,305 probationers across LaSalle, Bureau and Grundy counties. She reported county-level adult active caseloads as: LaSalle 514 (administrative 274), Bureau 117 (administrative 61) and Grundy 142 (administrative 197). Juvenile active caseloads reported were LaSalle 121 (administrative 9), Bureau 22 (administrative 4) and Grundy 16 (administrative 1).
Dobbs also reviewed probation fees, county bills and grant reimbursements. For the first quarter she reported the circuit ordered-to-date total for adult probation fees at $48,050. She said the circuit generated $388,608.72 in income for the quarter from items including substance-abuse testing reimbursements, probation operations fees and state salary reimbursements. Grant reimbursements received in the first quarter were $43,817.06 for the adult redeploy grant and $195,150.82 for the juvenile redeploy program; Dobbs said the treatment alternative court (TAC) grant had not produced reimbursement receipts for the quarter, noting, “Sometimes the state lags on what they send in.”
County bills discussed at the meeting included LaSalle County bills totaling $1,961.38 for items such as client drug testing, software maintenance, mileage and officer cell-phone reimbursement; Bureau County bills totaling $399.24 for training, client incentives and phone reimbursements; and Grundy County bills totaling $2,328.40 for bottled water, a psychological evaluation for a client, copier contract and conference registration. Members voted to accept the February bills for payment.
On staffing, Dobbs said the probation officer roster is fully staffed after filling the last open probation officer position in February. She also reported a vacancy in the Grundy County secretary position after a retirement on Jan. 31; interviews for the opening were scheduled and clerical staff from other counties are providing interim support.
Dobbs described the grant programs for members who asked for clarification. She summarized the adult redeploy program as an intensive-probation grant intended to reduce Department of Corrections commitments and said, “It's just more intensive probation.” She distinguished that from TAC, which she described as a team problem-solving court that meets weekly and includes a judge, state’s attorney, public defender, law-enforcement representative, provider and probation staff.
Formal motions during the meeting carried by voice vote. The meeting concluded with scheduling the next circuit meeting for Wednesday, April 9, and members moved to adjourn.
Votes at a glance - Approval of previous meeting minutes — approved (voice vote; no names recorded). - Acceptance of February monthly department report — approved (voice vote; no names recorded). - Acceptance of February bills for payment (LaSalle, Bureau, Grundy county bills as presented) — approved (voice vote; no names recorded). - Acceptance of first-quarter (quarterly) report — approved (voice vote; no names recorded). - Motion to adjourn — approved (Ms. Reid recorded as second).
