Pretrial Services Officer – Whiteside

Pretrial Services Officer - Whiteside County

The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services’ (OSPS or Office) is a statewide office that provides pretrial services under the Pretrial Services Act, 725 ILCS 185. The Office’s mission is to assist in the administration of justice and promote community safety by ensuring fairness and equality in the pretrial process. OSPS prepares pretrial investigation reports for the courts and supervises individuals released from custody as directed by the court.

Current Available Shift: Monday to Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30PM

* Shift will be determined to fit operational needs of the court which may include working weekends.

Anattractivejudicialbranchbenefitspackageisoffered,including pension, medical, dental, vision and life insurance, aswellasdeferred compensationandgenerous leave time.

The Pretrial Services Officer has two primary responsibilities: interviewing detained pretrial defendants, accurately scoring pretrial release assessments, and preparing pretrial release reports for the local court; and managing the community supervision of defendants released on pretrial release supervision.

• Completes pretrial assessments for defendants arrested on criminal charges.
• Interviews and assembles information and data concerning employment, residency, criminal record, and social background of arrested persons.
• Collects records of criminal history and failure to appear history through electronic judicial case management systems, pretrial case management systems, LEADS/NCIC and other sources.
• Verifies and documents information collected from the defendant through collateral contacts to ensure accuracy and completeness of pretrial reports.
• Prepares and files with the court pretrial reports including a pretrial assessment, social background information, criminal history, specific recommendations based on assessed risk and status updates on the defendant’s compliance with pretrial conditions.
• Attends and testifies at court hearings where the status of defendant’s pretrial release or conditions are determined, reviewed or evaluated, modified, or stricken.
• Administers pretrial intakes and monitors defendant’s compliance with pretrial conditions through regular, documented, contact with defendants in person, by telephone, text message, email, or virtually.
• Refers clients on pretrial supervision to appropriate services and maintains regular contact with referral sources.
• Observes, collects and processes drug and alcohol testing samples.
• Assists the Division’s Electronic Monitoring Unit by installing, removing, and retrieving electronic equipment.
• Informs the court, state’s attorney and public defender of noncompliance with conditions of pretrial supervision.
• Provides written notification to defendants of court appearances by letter, email or text message.
• Oversees inventory of drug tests, electronic monitoring equipment, personal protective equipment, and other supervision materials located in the county.
• Travels to surrounding counties to perform the duties of a Pretrial Services Officer.
• Attends OSPS pretrial services trainings and maintains a working knowledge of state laws and national standards pertaining to pretrial services.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office products (i.e., Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• A valid Illinois Driver’s License, a safe driving record and proof of automobile insurance to operate a personal vehicle on state business.
• Ability to travel 25% of the time.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice or a social services related field.
• Two or more years professional working experience in a public or private organization.
• Two or more years of professional working experience within the criminal justice system including community corrections, law enforcement, law, or trial court administration.
• Two or more years providing social services, such as mental health or substance abuse treatment, to justice involved individuals.
• One year of experience in pretrial services.
• Master’s Degree from an accredited university.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to positively and professionally interact with co-workers.

• Ability to sit for extended time periods.
• Normal office working environment requiring telephone usage and ability to process written documents.
• Travel within Illinois required.

Interested individuals should submit a resume and cover letter through the form below. A judicial branch application is not required to apply, but it will be required before final hiring decisions are made. The application can be downloaded from the Illinois Courts website.

This position will remain open until filled. However, those individuals submitting materials by May 26, 2025 will be given first consideration.