Miscellaneous

Probation on Probation in Lake County, IL

By Anne Skove, Esq.

It's the same story around the country: not enough money.

What stays? What goes? How much can courts take?

The 19th Circuit in Lake County, Illinois, is coping with staff vacancies (some have lasted nearly twenty years) and other shortfalls. The biggest problem, though, is probation.

Probation is supposedly funded by the state, but the state comes up short and counties have to make up the difference. This causes a domino effect, filling jail cells and overworking probation officers, eventually leading to costly new jail construction.

Somebody has got to stop tossing the babies into the creek. Best of luck to Zastany & Co.

See Funding Shortfall for Court Services, Craig Peterson, News-Sun (November 29, 2008). (So *that's* what Bob looks like!)

Full post as published by court-o-rama.org on December 02, 2008 (boomark / email).