Illinois will become the first state to eliminate cash bail.
The state’s democratic government, JB Pritzker, signed a sweeping police and criminal law overhaul on Monday that will eliminate the system effective January 2023.
The bill also mandates that all police officers be equipped with body cameras and sets statewide standards for the use of force, de-escalation, and arrest techniques for law enforcement.
“This legislation marks a substantial step toward dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state and our nation and brings us closer to real security, real fairness and true justice,” Pritzker said in a statement.
Other states, including New York and New Jersey, have already restricted the use of cash bail
Many at law enforcement say that getting rid of bail allows dangerous people to be released pending trial.
Critics of the system, meanwhile, argue that it is unfair to poor people, who may not be able to afford bail and then be forced to remain behind bars before being convicted on the charges that led to their arrest.
Under the new Illinois law, judges would no longer be able to issue any form of bail. However, they could still detain a suspect if charged with crimes such as murder or a household battery, local outlets reported.
“What we’ve done is strengthen judicial discretion when it comes to determining whether someone is a threat to a person or community,” said Senator Robert Peters, a Democrat from Chicago.
“We have explicitly targeted and reduced this, so that money is not an issue. Money does not determine whether someone is a threat. “
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, which spearheaded the state’s massive measure, hailed it as a historic response to the deaths of George Floyd last year in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.
Peters, chairman of the Black Caucus Senate, called it a “historic first step towards winning true security and justice in our communities,” WMAQ-TV reported.
But large organizations representing police and prosecutors said they were not consulted on important pieces, arguing that the legislation would hinder the police and discourage talented people from joining law enforcement.
“The governor is willfully undermining public safety – endangering civilians, encouraging criminals, and making Illinois less safe for families,” said Don Tracy, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.
Meanwhile, the governor argued that the bill would strengthen security.
“I am actually confident that this will make the police safer, and it will make the public safer,” he said.
With pole wires