Probation & Court Services

Mission

The mission of the Probation and Court Services Department is to serve the needs of the judiciary, the public and the clients in an effective and efficient manner, while providing justice to all.

About

Probation is part of the 13th Judicial Circuit Probation and Court Services Department, which includes Bureau, Grundy and LaSalle Counties.

The work of the Probation and Court Services encompasses the supervision and counseling of individuals involved with the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Probation also serves to provide information to the courts and other law enforcement agencies in an effort to improve decision-making.

To ensure public safety, clients are supervised in a manner that meets their individual needs without overstepping them. Each client is recognized as an individual who possesses unique problems and treatment requirements.

Probation Philosophy

The Probation and Court Services Department strives to remain objective on all matters in a continuing effort to aid the Courts in making decisions which benefit all concerned parties.

As an arm of the Court, our department operates under the guidance and authority of the Chief Judge as mandated by statute. As such, we shall be responsive to all requests from the Court: giving high priority to the needs of the Court; meeting all time lines for reports; and furnishing any information requested. As part of the Court system, the philosophy of the Probation Department is to protect the rights of all individuals involved, ensuring both the public and the client is adequately served.

Probation is a sentence enacted by the Court to prevent any further infractions. Tasked with enforcing the rules and conditions of probation handed down by the Court, our goal is to help our clients understand and realize the consequences of their actions.

Each Probation Officer understands every client is different, with unique hardships. In an effort to meet their right to treatment, we often become a broker of services. At the same time, no single officer can be an expert in all areas, thus unable to solve every problem alone. We remain cognizant of this fact and rely at times on the vast expertise of our community partners to provide assistance in these cases.

It is in the best interest of our clients to allow them to lead lives as free from outside interference as possible. We vigilantly remain available to guide and advise each client, but strive to afford them the freedom to make their own choices regarding their future. We cannot make decisions for our clients.

While clients have many rights, we understand the public also possesses the right to be protected. Each client must be classified and supervised according to both their risks and their needs. By doing so, we strive to prevent problems before they can negatively affect the public.

The Probation Department also provides direct services to juveniles and their families. Our goal through this intervention is to reduce future delinquency and further penetration of the child into the justice system. Acting as a positive role model, our Probation Officers seek to instill the accountability and proper decision making skills required to become a contributing member of our community.

Director of Court Services:

Chuck Goodwin
(815) 434-8668

Director of Probation Services:

Susan Dobbs
(815) 434-0736

Adult Probation Supervisor:

Tracy Burke-Carriere
(815) 872-8951

Juvenile Probation Supervisor:

Tracy Burke-Carriere

Adult Probation Officers:

Gabrielle Tucker
Megan Lund

Juvenile Probation Officers:

Don Prybylinski
Stacy Widuch