Announcement, In the News, Press Release |
CHICAGO — Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II announced two more new leaders Thursday as his transformation of Cook County’s juvenile justice system continues:
Mack D. McGhee, who oversees the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility in Detroit, has been chosen in a national search to become Superintendent of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC). After four months serving as Interim Chief, Melissa Spooner has been appointed Chief Juvenile Probation Officer.
They join Sara Hemmeter, who held several senior leadership roles with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, chosen in a national search to serve as Director of Juvenile Services, providing coordinated leadership and strategic oversight across the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and Juvenile Probation Department.
The new leadership structure brings together decades of experience in juvenile probation and detention, organizational transformation, behavioral health, community violence intervention, workforce development, research and data, and evidence-based juvenile justice reform.
“Building a stronger juvenile justice system requires exceptional leaders who understand that public safety, accountability and positive outcomes for the young people entrusted to our care are interconnected,” Chief Judge Beach said. “Mack and Melissa bring distinct expertise and experience to this work. Together with Director of Juvenile Services Sara Hemmeter, they give us a leadership team capable of advancing meaningful, sustainable reform while supporting the dedicated professionals who serve our young people and families every day.”
The appointments fulfill a promise Judge Beach made upon being sworn in as chief judge in December to find new leaders to bring a transformation to the court’s juvenile justice operations.
Mack D. McGhee
Superintendent, Juvenile Temporary Detention Center
McGhee brings more than 33 years of juvenile justice leadership experience, with a career spanning Cook County, Wayne County, Washington, D.C., South Carolina and New York City. His experience includes secure detention operations, organizational and culture transformation, trauma-informed care, restorative practices, workforce development, regulatory compliance and large-scale juvenile justice reform.
McGhee currently serves as Division Director and Chief Administrator of Institutional Care for Wayne County Government in Michigan, where he oversees the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility, approximately 300 employees and a $40 million operating budget. He was recruited to help lead the facility’s transformation following the declaration of a public health emergency involving the county’s juvenile detention system.
He previously held senior leadership positions with the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and the District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. As Superintendent of the New Beginnings Youth Development Center, McGhee helped lead reforms that contributed to the district’s exit from the longstanding Jerry M. federal consent decree.
The appointment also represents a return to Cook County for McGhee. From 2011 to 2013, he served as Director of Training at the JTDC, directing employee training and professional development for approximately 600 staff during an important period of institutional reform.
McGhee serves as an adjunct professor at Howard University and has served as a national presenter and consultant on juvenile justice leadership and reform. He earned a Master of Arts in Political and Justice Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Governors State University and has completed executive and juvenile justice leadership programs through Michigan State University and Georgetown University.
Melissa Spooner
Chief Juvenile Probation Officer
Spooner brings 27 years of progressive experience with Cook County Juvenile Probation and Court Services and provides significant institutional knowledge and continuity as the Department moves into its next phase of reform.
Most recently serving as Interim Chief Probation Officer, Spooner has led organizational transformation initiatives involving strategic planning, operational modernization, evidence-based practices, technology implementation, workforce development, research and data, and executive accountability.
She has played a central leadership role in the Department’s Transforming Juvenile Probation and Reimagining Juvenile Justice initiatives and helped design a department-wide organizational structure intended to strengthen accountability, communication, operational efficiency and service delivery.
Spooner has also led development of strategic performance measures, the Department’s FY2027 budget and annual plan, workforce and succession planning strategies, and initiatives designed to strengthen engagement with young people and families. She spearheaded development of the Department’s first Family Navigator model and championed Your Voice Matters, an initiative designed to incorporate youth and family feedback into organizational learning and continuous improvement.
Throughout her career with Juvenile Probation, Spooner has held increasingly responsible leadership positions overseeing policy and strategic initiatives, youth care and collaboration,
research and data, positive youth development, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, grants and probation operations. She also has led implementation of the cFive enterprise case management system and expanded the Department’s use of data governance, organizational analytics and performance reporting.
Spooner works with the Illinois Supreme Court and Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts on statewide juvenile probation initiatives and has collaborated with national organizations including the Council of State Governments Justice Center, Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center and Annie E. Casey Foundation. She is also the Region 1 Representative for the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association and serves as a consultant on implementing evidence-based and gender-responsive programming.
She earned a Master of Arts in Administration of Justice from Loyola University Chicago and bachelor’s degrees in psychology and criminal justice from Kansas State University. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago.
Stay tuned for further announcement of new hires to this leadership team.
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