Welcome to President Donald Trump’s America, particularly in the case of his views on crime. He simply signed new government orders on August 25 that goal to strip federal funding from cities and states that allow legal suspects go free with out posting bond. Trump argued that requiring money bail is about protecting folks protected, saying it prevents defendants from committing new crimes earlier than trial. “They kill folks and so they get out,” Trump informed reporters within the Oval Workplace. “We’re ending it.”
Illinois has taken the alternative route, turning into the primary state to completely abolish money bail below the Pretrial Equity Act. Signed into legislation by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2022 and applied the next yr, the legislation changed cash bail with a system that requires prosecutors to show in court docket why an individual accused of great crimes must be held earlier than trial. Those that are usually not thought-about a flight threat or a menace to public security are launched on the promise to return for his or her hearings.
Pritzker pushed again towards Trump’s new orders, saying throughout an August 26 press convention that it was “clear” the president hadn’t regarded into the true results of Illinois’ reforms. “They should perceive higher why it’s working and why punishing states, properly the one state that has executed it, is mindless,” Pritzker mentioned. “Actually it’s working and doubtless ought to occur in different states as properly.”
Fears that eliminating money bail would spark a wave of latest crimes haven’t materialized, based on researchers. “There’s at all times this concern that bail reform will trigger the sky to fall however that undoubtedly has not occurred in Illinois,” mentioned College of Chicago professor Alison Siegler. “All of the proof I’ve seen factors to optimistic outcomes since Illinois eradicated money bail. It’s actually clear from the information that issues have gotten higher, not worse.”
A examine from Loyola College Chicago discovered that the proportion of defendants skipping court docket dates has truly dropped barely, from 25 % to 23 %, because the legislation took impact. The identical analysis additionally confirmed that extra folks charged with violent offenses are being held pretrial now than earlier than the reform. “Earlier than bail reform, about 60% of defendants charged with severe crimes had been launched earlier than trial after posting bond. Now, solely about 50% of defendants charged with severe crimes are launched earlier than trial,” defined Loyola researcher Don Stemen.
