Kane center checks defendants for fitness

When a judge had concerns about a sexual assault defendant's pretrial report -- and whether the Bartlett teen should be allowed to travel out of state -- he requested that a court psychologist be on hand to testify at a hearing next week.

That's where the Kane County Diagnostic Center comes in.

The facility has on staff doctors, psychologists and social workers who interview defendants to determine their fitness for trial.

But their work goes far beyond that and carries many challenges. They work with defendants -- many of them in their teens -- who don't want to be there and are evasive and defensive at first.

There's crisis intervention and counseling. Multiple interviews and referrals that come from people other than just Kane County judges.

And there aren't that many psychologists.

"The numbers outweigh staff. There's always a waiting list," center Director Tim Brown said.

"It's a very professional staff," he said. "They're able to work with people who have done pretty horrendous things without judging them. It's tough to read police reports sometimes. But everybody here goes in and looks at the humanity of a defendant."

The Bartlett defendant, Jeffrey Duncan-Powell, 18, is charged with assaulting a 15-year-old girl at South Elgin High School. He is waiting to hear whether he can travel to Indiana for his mother's cancer surgery.

A decision is expected next week.

The center handles about 500 evaluations each year. Besides that, the heavy workload includes more than 1,000 hours of family and individual therapy and crisis intervention.

Mark Kuzia, staff psychologist, said assessing a defendant's risk level to the community is the most challenging evaluation.

"That's a serious judgment you have to make. You need to be fair to the community. You need to be fair to the individual you're assessing," he said. "It's not an exact science, but it's the best we have, the best we can do."

Alicia Meyer, an intern this year, said some people come in and act in a certain way to get out of trouble. But for others, it's their chance to get services they normally wouldn't receive.

"There are also a lot of people who walk into this building who really need help," Meyer said.

Brown said his staff is persistent with clients.

"We'll dog people to get them to come in. Once they're here X number of times, they see the benefit, develop a relationship (with a psychologist) and continue to come."

The diagnostic center also:

• Provides courts with expert testimony.

• Assists the Merit Commission by conducting screening tests for sheriff's deputy and correctional officer applicants.

• Completes psychological evaluations on candidates for positions of intensive probation officers, specialized drug officers and electronic monitoring.

"The thanks is more intrinsic. It's not external," said Alexandra Tsang, staff psychologist. "You feel you've done the community a service."

Psychologists are hired and paid by the 16th Judicial Circuit Court, so they can be independent of prosecutors and defense lawyers.

They have four full-time psychologists and one part-time psychologist, along with three interns.

Brown has asked county officials for one more psychologist for the coming year, but he doubts county leaders will honor his request.

Jim Mitchell, chairman of the county's judiciary committee, said leaders will make a decision by Dec. 1.

"Dr. Brown does an excellent job," Mitchell said, adding it was too early to comment on the staffing request. "Part of it is funding and priorities. You try to set priorities because you can't do everything."