Council hears reports
By Stacey Creasy
Pilot News
PLYMOUTH � Even though there are a growing number of people being placed on probation, the new system for handling the caseload is working.
That is the message the new Marshall County Chief Probation Officer Mary Jane Walsworth relayed to the Marshall County Council Monday.
The council heard a pair of reports, one from the probation department, the other from the Marshall County Division of Family and Children.
Monday was Walsworth�s first chance to meet everyone on the council since she was appointed to the office last year to replace Kevin Allen.
The Marshall County judges, Dean Colvin, Michael Cook and Robert Bowen chose Walsworth from a list of people who applied for the job. Walsworth has spent the past 15 years with the Porter County Probation Depart-ment.
At the time Walsworth was hired, the new system to manage the probation caseload was devised.
The new system has the department divided into two areas � juveniles and adults.
James A. Pheibush will be the assistant chief over the juvenile division and James Bendy will be the assistant chief over the adult division
Walsworth explained there are now two juvenile probation officers to handle the 155 juveniles on reporting probation and five adult probation officers to take care of the 300 adults on reporting probation.
Walsworth said there are currently 1,500-plus people on non-reporting probation.
Walsworth told the council the new system is both organized and efficient.
The judges have commended the probation department for the work they do with seven officers. Based on state standards and the caseload the department should have 12 probation officers.
The judges decided to restructure the department to enable the seven officers to cover as many cases as possible.
The council learned the local Department of Children and Family Services is placing fewer children in foster homes which means the DCF has spent less money than expected for the first quarter of the year.
Michael Carroll took over the reigns at the DCF two years ago following a pair of controversial child abuse cases.
Carroll told the council that through diligent work by his staff the number of placements is down.
Right now there are approximately 55 CHINS cases with DCF and 17 delinquent cases in the county. To date DCF has spent $484,498 of its annual $3.3 million budget.
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