Adult Probation Department (2024)

You can pay your probation fees or restitution with cash, money order, or a cashier's check. Personal checks are not accepted. Online payment via credit card will be available soon.

You can make any payments in person at the Cashier's Office located at 2650 S. California Avenue, Lower Level. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cash payments can only be made in person.

If you cannot afford to make any payments towards your probation fees, you can talk with your officer about modifying your fees. Your officer cannot get rid of your fees, but they can work with you on a more affordable payment plan.

When you are ordered to probation or pretrial supervision, you will receive contact information for the officer assigned to supervise your case. If you did not receive this information or do not have this information available, you should call the reception desk for the court location where you were ordered to supervision. Be prepared to provide your name, case number or docket number, and other identifying information as needed. Contact information for each location is at the bottom of the page.

If you have questions about your conditions of probation/release, your next court date, or about the supervision process, you should contact your probation or pretrial officer.

If you are ordered to observe a curfew and are placed on electronic monitoring, you should contact your officer to ask for a change in your curfew schedule. Temporary changes may be granted for verified healthcare appointments, unexpected changes to work or school schedules, court dates, or other unavoidable circ*mstances.

If your work, school, or family care schedule has changed and you want to have your curfew hours changed, you must request that from the judge overseeing your case. Contact your lawyer or public defender to have them request this change.

If you have an emergency that will cause you to violate your curfew (hospitalization, accident, etc.), you should contact your officer as soon as possible.

Your officer will attempt to contact you before any scheduled court dates to remind you of the details. It is important to make sure you update your officer with your current phone number, email address, and mailing address.

You can also sign up for the county's automated court reminder system to receive phone calls or text messages notifying you of upcoming court dates. You can sign up by providing your phone number and information about your case (docket number, bond number, or central booking number).

https://courtreminder.cookcountyil.gov

To best prepare for your first appointment with your pretrial or probation officer, you should bring:

• A current, valid photo ID (driver's license, passport, state ID, military ID, school ID, etc.)
• Any paperwork you were given in court when you were sentenced to probation or ordered to supervision (sentencing order, list of special conditions, order of conditions for pretrial release, etc.)
• Documents that verify your address (utility bills, copy of a lease, mortgage agreement, property tax statements, etc.)
• Documents that verify your employment (pay stubs, official schedule, letter from your employer on letterhead, etc.)
• Documents that verify your school enrollment (class schedule, enrollment paperwork, etc.)
• Documents that verify your treatment enrollment (intake paperwork, letter from your treatment provider on letterhead, etc.)

For ongoing appointment with your pretrial or probation officer, you should bring any documents that verify updates to your address, employment, school enrollment, or treatment enrollment. Your officer may also ask you to bring verification of steps you have taken towards completing special conditions, like community service, counseling sessions, or offender registration (if required).

If you would like to request records or information for any of the following purposes, please contact the Public Information Officer at (312) 603-0260 or apd.publicinfo@cookcountyil.gov.

• Information related to a specific probation or pretrial case, including requests for information to complete a Presentence/Pretrial Investigation in another jurisdiction
• Information related to an active law enforcement investigation or other law enforcement purpose (e.g., warrants)
• A letter of verification
• A media request
• A request related to research or bulk data sharing
• A request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Standard probation supervision is the department’s main supervision program, including around 80% of the department’s caseload. Standard supervision is a sentencing option that requires probationers to comply with court ordered conditions of probation, while they remain in the community. Probation officers use a combination of evidence-based supervision techniques and referrals to community-based treatment and resource providers to address individual needs and promote pro-social behavior change. Typical sentences to standard probation are 18-24 months.

Learn more about standard probation supervision here.

Intrastate and interstate compact supervision is a program that allows individuals who are sentenced to probation from outside of Cook County to be supervised by the Cook County Adult Probation Department. Intrastate cases are sentenced in other Illinois counties and may be transferred to Cook County under statutory rules and regulationsand Administrative Office of the Illinois Court policies. Interstate cases are sentenced outside of Illinois and may be transferred to Cook County under several federal and state statutes, regulations, and judicial opinions. Interstate transfers are governed by the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS) and are facilitated using the Interstate Compact Offender Tracking System (ICOTS).

Individuals under supervision cannot leave the state without prior permission from the judge.

Learn more about the Compact program here.

Problem Solving Court (PSC) supervision includes several different program types that target specific behavioral health needs or special populations. The Adult Probation Department participates in all 20 of the Circuit Court’s PSC programs, including drug treatment courts, mental health courts, and veterans’ courts. These programs offer structured approaches to the supervision process and include hands-on involvement from a dedicated team of court personnel and treatment providers. All PSCs follow certification standards from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts and use best practices and evidence-based practices in their operations.

Learn more about PSCs here.

Mental Health Unit (MHU) supervision is a specialized probation program that focuses on individuals with severe and chronic mental illness. This type ofsupervision is a sentencing option separate from the Problem Solving Courts in key ways.Eligibility for MHU supervision is different from the mental health courts, with different restrictions on criminal history. MHU participants are not part of a multidisciplinary team like the mental health courts, so probation officers in this unit take a more active role in coordinating mental health services and treatment. More common diagnoses for individuals supervised by MHU include schizophrenia, major depression with psychosis, and bipolar disorder. Individuals eligible for this unit may also present with both mental health concerns and substance use disorders.

Learn more about MHU here.

The Adult Sex Offender Program (ASOP) is a specialized probation program that provides intensive, coordinated, and comprehensive supervision for individuals convicted of probation-eligible, felony sex offenses. ASOP supervision is a sentencing option focused on holding individuals accountable for their behavior, while promoting effective treatment to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. This approach includes long-term treatment with dedicated treatment agencies, enforcement of required registration with federal and state databases, and high-intensity surveillance to monitor compliance with conditions. Individuals supervised by ASOP are monitored by specialized probation officers who conduct increased office and field reporting, curfew checks, and regular searches for unauthorized sexually explicit material.

Learn more about ASOP here.

Effective Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) program is a Risk-Needs-Responsivity model using specially-trained probation officers to implement a structured approach to their interactions with individuals under supervision. This training emphasizes the use of principles of effective intervention and core correctional practices during interactions with clients. EPICS supervision is a sentencing option for high-risk individuals and those with an elevated risk for violent recidivism. The program uses supervision strategies designed to reduce the recidivism for these populations, including reduced caseload sizes and cognitive behavioral interventions. Probation officers in this program have received intensive training in the EPICS model, which includes ongoing skill building and coaching.

Learn more about the EPICS Program here.

Illinois law specifies several different types of special probation sentences that target certain types of offenses, individuals with certain backgrounds, or a combination of both. Each of the probation types listed below has specific eligibility criteria. They also require a plea of guilty and agreement from the State's Attorney's Office and the defendant to participate. Some of these supervision types have special conditions that must be followed, such as community service, substance use testing, treatment evaluations, or participating in other programming as required. Many of these special supervision types allow for the conviction to be vacated or the charges to be dismissed upon successful completion, allowing the individual to avoid a felony conviction. Individuals who successfully complete these programs may also be eligible to have the arrest expunged.

Special probation types include:

• 1st Time Offender Probation (730 ILCS 5/5-6-3.3)
• 1st Time Weapons Offense Probation (730 ILCS 5/5-6-3.6)
• 410 Probation (Controlled Substances Act, 720 ILCS 570/410)
• 550 Probation (Cannabis Control Act, 720 ILCS 550/10)
• 70 Probation (Methamphetamine Control & Community Protection Act, 720 ILCS646/70)
• Child Endangerment Probation (720 ILCS 5/12C-15)
• Second Chance Probation (730 ILCS 5/5-6-3.4)
• TASC Probation (20 ILCS301/40-5)

The Pretrial Services Division is the supervising authority for defendants charged with felonies who have been granted pretrial release with a condition of supervision. A judge may order pretrial supervision during the initial appearance or at any subsequent appearance while a case is pending disposition. Individuals are not given a specific term of supervision; the judge may keep the individual on supervision until their case is disposed or they may remove supervision as a condition of release before disposition.

Post-release officers are responsible for monitoring conditions of release and reporting back to the court on compliance and progress. Clients are responsible for reporting to their assigned officer over the phone and in-person. Officers also conduct regular criminal history checks to determine if a client has had further contact with law enforcement, verify employment or education, and provide court date reminders for scheduled hearings. Clients who ask for help with behavioral health treatment, housing support, or other needs may receive a referral and support from their assigned officer.

Learn more about Pretrial Services here.

Defendants ordered to a curfew or 24-hour home detention may be placed on electronic monitoring (EM). EM involves wearing a device around an ankle that monitors compliance with conditions of release. Adult Probation uses two types of devices for EM, depending on the circ*mstances of the case or an individual's living arrangements.

Learn more about Adult Probation's EM program here.