Created by law in 1979 to allow Illinois Courts to order criminal defendants and traffic violators to perform public or community service work for not for profit organizations or governmental agencies as a condition of their sentence. This work is uncompensated labor and provides restitution back to the community. The unit consists of assistant probation officers who conduct intakes, monitor completion of hours, manage work sites and submit reports to the court.  Their caseloads consist of a very high volume with cases spanning all possible criminal and traffic dispositions including: court supervision, conditional discharge, supervised supervision, probation, intensive probation, and second chance probation.   A $100 fee is assessed to public service defendants by the Court. Work-site assignment is determined by: the nature of the offense, their availability, medical restrictions, and any restrictions by the worksite and their city of residence.