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 Cook County Circuit Court.
The committee, which had its first meeting on 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.
The committee’s co-chairs are the Hon. Kathryn M. Vahey, Deputy Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Division; the Hon. Linda J. Pauel, an associate judge with the Juvenile Division; and Paula Wolff, policy advisor for the Illinois Justice Project. The chair advisor is Yumari Martinez of Catalyze Justice, a consultant to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
“I know this diverse committee will work diligently to find excellent candidates to lead our Juvenile Services division,” said Chief Judge Beach. “Together they will identify individuals who can help us realize our goal of a humanized system that strengthens outcomes for the young people who come before our courts.”
The new director will oversee the superintendent of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) and the chief probation officer. The director also 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.
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