About Probation
What Is Probation?
In Illinois and throughout the United States, the most frequently used sentencing option is probation. People sentenced to probation are released backinto the community under prescribed court-ordered conditions, always including supervision by a probation officer.
The length of a probation sentence may vary depending on the seriousness of the offense, but must always fall within a staturorily defined range. While on probation, the offender must meet all court-ordered conditions and must not commit any new criminal offenses. If the court finds that an offender has violated terms of the probation, the court may revoke the probation sentence and replace it with imprisonment or other sentencing options.
How Are Probation Departments Organized?
Probation systems in the United States differ according to the branch of the government under which they operate and the level of government under which they operate. Illinois is one of 18 states whose probation system is operated by the courts rather than by an intergovernmental commission, which is part of the executive branch.
Illinois is one of nine states where probation is administered locally by individual probation departments. The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, Probation Division, oversees the overall provision of statewide probation services. In most other states, probation is supervised by the state, or by a commission of sate or local governments.
The administration of each probation department in Illinois varies according to the needs and resources of each county or judicial circuit. Most Illinois counties have a single probation department that oversees all criminal supervision caseloads, which includes probation, conditional discharge, and court supervision.
What Does Probation Cost?
In 1997, the annual cost to the taxpayers of Illinois for a offender sentenced to probation was approximately $1,200. In contrast, the Illinois Department of Corrections' annual cost per offender was $18,000.
In 1997, the total cost of probation in Illinois was about $166 million fo rthe 107,000 offenders. The 1998 budget for the Department of Corrections was about $1 billion for 43,000 inmates.