Susan, probation department staff, reported October caseload and probation-fee figures to the LaSalle County circuit on Nov. 12, 2025. For juveniles she said LaSalle County had 97 active cases, Bureau County 22 and Grundy County 14, with a circuit juvenile total of 142 on probation. For adults she reported LaSalle County had 489 active cases (288 administrative), Bureau County 130 (37 administrative) and Grundy County 140 (193 administrative), a circuit adult active total of 1,277.

Why it matters: those caseload and fee numbers help the circuit track service demand and budget needs for supervision, treatment and related client services. Susan also reported probation-fee amounts that feed court and client services budgets. She said LaSalle County probation fees for October were ordered at $15,300 (ordered to date $100,050; collected in the month $2,553; collected to date $50,478.05). Bureau County was ordered $2,550 (ordered to date $18,000; collected $741.77; collected to date $10,670.71). Grundy County was ordered $3,325 (ordered to date $70,668; collected $105.52; collected to date $17,523.81). Circuit totals for October were ordered at $21,175 and ordered to date $188,718; collected to date was reported as $78,672.57. (A small, garbled collection line in the transcript could not be verified and is omitted here.)

At the meeting the presiding officer clarified how those figures are compiled. "They're they're paid by the clients," he said, referring to defendants placed on probation. He added that fee amounts are typically calculated at about "$25 a month" and are collected over the duration of the supervision term. "When it's ordered, it's ordered on that date in court…they've got the entire term that they're on supervision to pay that off," he said. He also explained that if a defendant still owes at the end of supervision, the judge may sign an order to send the debt to collections.

Members raised why collected amounts in a single month can appear low compared with the total ordered amount. Bill asked whether the discrepancy reflected failure to collect; the presiding officer and staff explained the difference results mainly from timing: "that ordered amount, that's what the total amount upfront is on the probation order…then in most cases there's very few that are 24 months. Mostly a year, but you're looking anywhere from 30 months to 48 months…so that's spread out over that time," he said. The presiding officer also noted recent changes at the state level that limit some operational costs that may be paid from probation fees, requiring budget adjustments for those line items.

The department report was accepted by voice vote.