McLean County’s pretrial services coordinator has been tapped to serve as the manager of pretrial services for the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC).
Sarge Rizvi will begin his work July 20 in Springfield.
Daniel Hunt, assistant director of pretrial services for the AOIC, said Rizvi and Wendy Venvertloh, hired as pretrial services administrator, will help implement the Illinois Supreme Court’s plan for pretrial services in Illinois counties.
“The Supreme Court considers uniform and consistent pre-trial practices a priority” across the state, said Hunt.
Rizvi has worked for McLean County court services since 2007, most recently as pretrial services coordinator. Venvertloh has served as director of probation and court services for Adams County.
“I was not surprised Sarge was picked for the position," said Mike Donovan, McLean County Court Services director. "He’s been a positive influence on the department and pre-trial services in general. He has a passion for pre-trial."
The focus on services for people charged, but not convicted of a crime, follows recommendations to the Supreme Court earlier this year from a commission charged with studying pre-trial issues, said Hunt.
The Commission on Pretrial Practices “looked at best practices across the country,” said Hunt, and advised the Supreme Court on “how to best engage individuals for success.”
“Sarge will be doing a lot of what he did for McLean County–working with courts and stakeholders, and providing training and technical assistance to counties,” said Hunt.
With 40% of Illinois’ counties operating without a dedicated pretrial services division, Rizvi and Venvertloh will be busy, said Hunt.
McLean County was among a handful of counties selected several years ago for a pilot study on pre-trial evaluations to determine which services could assist defendants as their cases are pending. The county also opened problem-solving courts to help defendants with mental illness and addictions as well as veterans. A goal of the specialized courts and other pre-trial services is the diversion of people from prison.
The county will begin the process of hiring Rizvi’s replacement later this month.
