Jersey County Probation Department

09/02/2025

Fill out this survey! 👍🏼

We need YOUR feedback. Please take our community survey regarding substance use, recovery, and mental health treatment. With your help, we can shed the light on areas that need attention in our community regarding substance use and recovery. Follow the link below or scan the QR code to get started. Share with your family and friends!
https://surveymars.com/q/NFizP6TVB

06/04/2025

Today was a special and emotional day for us in probation. We can proudly say that we have added two more alumni to our drug court program! 🎓💙

We want to take a moment to acknowledge these two, Ashley and Geoff, for this achievement! These two have put in hours, days, and MONTHS of hard work, personal growth, and building a sustainable recovery capital. We wish you both nothing but the best, but don’t be strangers! We will always be in your corner.

These graduations represent a powerful reminder that treatment and accountability can change lives.

Thank you to our wonderful judge, Judge Lorton, our counselor Emily, our officer Alysa, coordinator Codi, and attorneys SA Goetten and Chief Public Defender Schultz who have had a hand in these success stories and helping these graduates reach this achievement. But! most importantly.. congratulations to our graduates! Your courage and determination inspire us all! ✨

05/28/2025

We want to take a moment to wish our wonderful and bubbly Swiftie, Officer Alysa, a huge happy birthday today!

If you happen to see her today, be sure to tell her happy birthday.

We appreciate you, Alysa, and hope you get to enjoy all the T-Swift tunes, Daisy cuddles, and sunshine!

05/12/2025

This week (May 11-May 17) is Probation and Court Services Officers Week in Illinois!

On May 6, 2025, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the proclamation declaring this week for probation officers and court services professionals. In the State of Illinois, more than 3,500 probation officers work to supervise juveniles and adults to assist with addressing their behavior by use of evidence-based practices. The mission of Illinois probation officers is to protect our communities and change lives by focusing resources on individuals needing intervention to improve outcomes and reform.

We want to take a moment to show our greatest gratitude to our Jersey County Probation Officers who show up every day and often go above and beyond for their clients. Your hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed. We appreciate you!

Our officers each have their own specialized caseloads too:

Officer Alysa Margherio is an adult probation officer supervising adult cases in addition to her specialized caseload of supervising the participants of our Drug Court Program.

Officer Michael Bridges is an adult probation officer supervising adult cases in addition to his specialized caseload of supervising in and out of state probation transfer cases.

Officer Codi Poe is an adult probation officer supervising adult cases in addition to her specialized caseload of supervising all of the juvenile cases. Officer Poe is also the drug court coordinator, being responsible for all policies, procedures, and grant funding.

Chief Managing Officer Jayson King does not maintain a caseload, but supervises all line officers, maintains the department policies and procedures, department budget, and department annual plan.

*pictured below (left to right): Officer Alysa Margherio, Officer Codi Poe, Administrative Assistant Julie Smith, Officer Michael Bridges, and Chief Managing Officer Jayson King.*

05/12/2025

Here is your Mini Monday Pep Talk! It is a new day, new week, so let's embrace this fresh start.

05/11/2025

Happy Mother’s Day! 🌸

Today, we honor all the incredible mothers in every form. The mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, aunties, guardians, and the women who show love and strength in ways big and small. We see you. We appreciate you.

We also hold space for those who feel today in a different way; for those who have lost a mother, a child, a grandmother, or who are navigating grief, longing, or complex memories. You are not alone.

From our Probation Department family to yours, we send our deepest gratitude and love to every woman who nurtures, protects, and uplifts. Thank you for your unwavering resilience and heart. 💛

05/09/2025

🚨 We’re Looking for Community Service Partners!🚨

Is your business, church, or not-for-profit organization looking for extra hands? Our Probation Department is actively seeking new community service sites to add to our list where individuals can give back in meaningful ways. It’s a chance to support second chances and make a real impact in our community. 💪

📩 Message us or call us at 618-498-5571 x 134 to learn more and become a partner site today!

05/08/2025

🌟 Happy Nurses Week! 🌟

This week, we want to give a special shout-out to someone who continues to serve with heart and purpose who many know as Shelby Woelfel, a former probation officer. Shelby used to work in our department, but eventually made the tough decision to leave and follow her true calling and became a nurse.

Shelby made a lasting impact on our team and clients that still come through our office with her compassion, strength, and commitment to helping others. Today, she brings those same qualities to the healthcare field, where she continues to change lives one patient at a time.

We’re so proud to have been part of your journey, and we thank you for the incredible work you do every day. 💙

From justice to healing; you inspire us. Happy Nurses Week to all of the wonderful nurses, but especially this one that we may be slightly biased towards!

05/08/2025

We spy with our little eye... some of Illinois' finest probation officers from our county neighbors!

The Officer Safety and Wellness Committee enjoyed a gorgeous wellness walk bright and early this morning here in Adams County.

05/08/2025

🌟 !🌟

Today, we’re giving a big shoutout to Mark Wagner, our dedicated Truancy Officer, whose hard work makes a lasting impact on our youth and community every single day. His dedication to our communities (Jersey and Calhoun) is admirable, whether it is getting kids back in school or cheering on the sports teams.

Mark goes above and beyond to help students find their way back to the classroom and stay on track for a brighter future. His compassionate approach, firm follow-through, and genuine care make all the difference in the lives he touches. 👏

Thank you, Mark, for being a consistent and committed partner in our mission to support, guide, and uplift the next generation. You are truly appreciated!

05/06/2025

🚨 The War on Drugs: $1 Trillion Wasted. Millions of Lives Broken.

For over 50 years, the U.S. government waged war, not on drugs, but on people. With over $1 trillion spent (and counting), what do we have to show for it?

❌ Over 31 million arrests, mostly for non-violent drug possession
❌ Skyrocketing and overcrowding prison populations, especially among Black and Latino communities
❌ Families torn apart, communities devastated
❌ Addiction rates that barely budged, rather they actually went up, along with overdose deaths.

We didn’t end drug use - we just filled prisons with people who needed help.
Let’s be honest: The War on Drugs was never about healing. It was about control, punishment, and politics.

⚖️ Now, let’s talk about what actually works: Drug Courts.

Drug courts don’t waste time or lives. They:
✔️ Treat addiction as the health issue it is
✔️ Offer structure, accountability, and real support
✔️ Keep people out of prison and in recovery
✔️ Save money: thousands of dollars per participant compared to incarceration

This isn’t soft-on-crime, it’s smart justice. Drug courts reduce repeat offenses, reunite families, and give people a real shot at change.

💡 If we spent a fraction of what we blew on the War on Drugs to support drug courts and treatment, this country would look very different.

It’s time to stop punishing pain and a diagnosed disease and start promoting recovery.

Drug courts are an innovative and effective solution to addressing substance use within the criminal court system. Instead of simply going to jail, the progr...

05/05/2025

🎉🌮 ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo, amigos! 🌮🎉

Let’s clear this up real quick: Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico’s Independence Day (that’s September 16th—mark your calendars). Today celebrates Mexico’s unexpected victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Basically, it’s the historical equivalent of the underdog winning the Super Bowl... with sombreros 💪

Now, while most of us aren’t reenacting historic battles today, we are experts at lifting tacos and chips w/salsa (or the delicious queso) in tribute. 🍹🌮 Be sure to show our friends at Los Tres Amigos and Casa Tequila some love if you stop in today!

¡Y a comer como si las calorías no contaran hoy!😍😝

So throw on a sombrero, crank up the mariachi, and remember: Today we honor culture, resilience, and the miraculous ability to eat 12 tacos in one sitting.