By Bruce Mohl

Saying an effective leadership team is needed at the scandal-plagued Probation Department, a judicial task force is urging the Supreme Judicial Court to give the acting commissioner a two-year appointment and fill other top slots as quickly as possible.

The task force, headed by former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, said acting commissioner Ronald Corbett should be given a two-year appointment while a search process is launched for a permanent replacement for former commissioner John O’Brien. The task force said giving Corbett the appointment will help stabilize the agency. “He is the right person to lead the department at this critical time,” the task force said in its first interim report.

The group said the limbo status of several deputy commissioners should be resolved as quickly as possible and replacements hired so a strong management team can be formed to begin turning the agency around. The group also said a hiring freeze should be lifted at the agency so key managers can be hired.

The task force said it will make additional suggestions soon, including a recommendation that placing the agency under Civil Service is the wrong way to go. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Gov. Deval Patrick, and Senate President Therese Murray say they support bringing probation under Civil Service. The task force said it favors the hiring of professional managers, the auditing of hiring practices, and outside oversight.