Announcement, Press Release |
A search committee appointed by Chief Judge Charles S. Beach II has begun the process of identifying candidates for a new Director of Juvenile Services for the Circuit Court of Cook County.
The committee, which held its first meeting Jan. 16, includes youth directly impacted by the juvenile justice system, community members, service providers, best-practice experts, youth advocates and lawyers, executives familiar with working with a unionized workforce, and public servants whose work impacts juvenile services. The committee has finalized the job description and posted the vacancy on the court’s website.
Search Committee Members
The committee is co-chaired by the Hon. Kathryn M. Vahey, deputy presiding judge of the Juvenile Justice Division; the Hon. Linda J. Pauel, associate judge of the Juvenile Justice Division; and Paula Wolff, policy advisor for the Illinois Justice Project. Yumari Martinez of Catalyze Justice, a consultant to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, serves as chair advisor.
Additional members include:
- Avik Das, executive director, Cook County Justice Advisory Council
- Brianna Hill, staff attorney, Equip for Equality
- Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, executive director, Live Free Chicago
- Fr. Dave Kelly, founder and executive director, Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation
- Denzel Burke, co-founder and co-director, REAL Youth Initiative
- Derion Melton, Mikva Challenge
- Donovan Williams, program manager, Illinois Justice Project
- Era Patterson, executive director, Chicago Office of Public Safety Administration
- Heidi Mueller, director, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
- Hon. Tara Stamps, Cook County Board commissioner, 1st District
- Orlando Mayorga, program officer, Polk Bros. Foundation
- Patrick Keenan-Devlin, executive director and youth defense attorney, James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy
- Quintin Williams, senior program officer, The Joyce Foundation
- Rebecca Barboza, principal, Maximized Good LLC
- Stephanie Kollmann, visiting clinical associate professor of law, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
- Terry Baines, director of probation, GRO Community
Two juveniles with lived experience in the juvenile justice system also serve on the committee and are not being publicly identified.
“This search process reflects our belief that lasting reform requires listening to those with lived experience, as well as those who work every day to serve youth and families,” Chief Judge Beach said. “By bringing together a committee with diverse perspectives and expertise, we are focused on identifying leadership that can strengthen accountability, coordination and outcomes across our juvenile justice system.”
The new director will oversee the superintendent of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and the chief probation officer and will work directly with juvenile court judges to improve coordination, accountability and policy implementation across the system.
In addition to creating the director position, the roles of both the JTDC superintendent and the chief probation officer will be redefined to support a more integrated approach to detention, supervision and rehabilitation. Once selected, the new director will lead the hiring process for both redefined roles.
The chief judge expects to select a director in March.
Media Contact: ocj.press@cookcountyil.gov
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