Chief Judge's Office takes over electronic monitoring in Cook County

CHICAGO - Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has officially ended his office’s electronic monitoring program, a process he first announced in December.

Going forward, the responsibility will shift to the Chief Judge’s Office, specifically the Adult Probation Department.

What we know:

Sheriff Dart previously said he could no longer run the program safely due to changes under Illinois’ SAFE-T Act. The transition means his office will no longer accept new participants, and all future electronic monitoring court orders will be managed by the judiciary.

Chief Judge Timothy Evans said the system should focus on two groups of people: those considered a threat to the community and those deemed a flight risk.

"We have to balance the rights of the accused at the same time that we balance the protection of the public," Evans said.

Read the Cook County Sheriff's Office statement below:

"Beginning today, the Sheriff’s Office will no longer accept new placements into its Electronic Monitoring program and all future placements will be assigned to the Office of the Chief Judge. While we expect our program to sunset later this year, the Sheriff’s Office is committed to supporting the Office of the Chief Judge in the operation of their EM program by providing any law enforcement services it may need to ensure public safety going forward. Yesterday, the Sheriff’s Office staff met with staff from the Office of the Chief Judge as part of ongoing conversations between the two agencies and assured them that the Sheriff’s Office will assist the Office of the Chief Judge in apprehending, locating, and charging individuals declared AWOL from their EM program. We also committed to assisting them during instances where they feel additional law enforcement support may be needed. All other administrative tasks – including services for individuals with no place to stay – will be performed by the Office of the Chief Judge."

What's next:

For now, individuals currently on the sheriff’s electronic monitoring program will remain under that system until their cases are resolved, which could take until fall.

The Chief Judge’s Office will oversee all new electronic monitoring assignments moving forward.