St. Louis – Susan Hendrickson has been chosen as the new Chief Pretrial Services Officer for the Eastern District of Missouri. Ms. Hendrickson will assume her new role on October 1, 2022 upon the retirement of Mark Reichert, the current Pretrial Services Chief.

“Susan Hendrickson’s expertise and professionalism are well-known to the bench, the bar, and the entire District Court community,” said Chief District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. “Based on her wealth of experience and knowledge, Susan will do an excellent job as our district’s next Chief Pretrial Services Officer, and continue the excellent work of her predecessor, Mark Reichert.”

Hendrickson earned her Bachelors of Arts Degree in Psychology from St. Louis University and her Masters of Arts Degree in Human Resources Management from Webster University. She began her career as a Probation and Parole Officer with the State of Missouri in 1993. In 2001, she became a U.S. Pretrial Services Officer in the Eastern District of Missouri. In 2009, Susan was promoted to Senior U.S. Pretrial Services Officer and oversaw the diversion and employment program for the district. In 2012, she was promoted to Supervising U.S. Pretrial Services Officer, where she currently serves.

In 2012, Hendrickson was given the Award for Distinguished Service by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In 2015, she helped start the first diversion court in the Eastern District of Missouri with the assistance of the Honorable E. Richard Webber, Senior U.S. District Judge and the Honorable Audrey G. Fleissig, U.S. District Judge, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Public Defenders Office. This Court has since graduated 28 individuals from the program resulting in a savings to the Bureau of Prisons of more than $3,000,000.

The mission of the Pretrial Services Office is to provide service to the Court, protect the public, and assist in the fair administration of justice through the investigation and supervision of defendants and pretrial divertees.