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Illinois Cash Bail Elimination: What You Need to Know
Elimination of cash bail goes into effect in Illinois on January 1st. Why are some people in a panic?
Illinois passed the SAFE-T act in January 2021.
The law is an attempt at criminal justice reform at the state level.
Among other things, the law reforms and standardizes police training and detention standards; updates certification and use-of-force standards; and requires body cameras to be in use by all departments by 2025.
The act will also attempt a radical experiment in abolishing cash bail.
Under the new law, a defendant can be detained pretrial for forcible felonies, such as murder and sexual assault; stalking; domestic violence while under or having ever been under a protective order; domestic battery; serious firearm violations; human trafficking; non-probationable violations; and/or if a prosecutor proves and a judge determines that the defendant is a fight risk and/or poses a specific threat to an individual or the community.
Supporters of the law argue that it brings equity to a system which currently favors those who can afford to post bail, and discriminates against those who cannot.
