Illinois is on the verge of becoming the first state to eliminate cash bail.
Democratic state governor JB Pritzker on Monday signed a general overhaul of policing and criminal justice that eliminates the system from January 2023.
The bill also mandates that all police officers be equipped with body cameras and establishes statewide standards on the use of force, slowdown and arrest techniques for law enforcement.
“This legislation marks a substantial step towards dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state and our nation and brings us closer to true security, true justice and true justice,” said Pritzker in a statement.
Other states, including New York and New Jersey, have already limited the use of cash bail
Many policemen say that getting rid of bail allows dangerous people to be released pending trial.
Critics of the system, for their part, argue that it is unfair to the poor, who may not be able to post bail and will be forced to stay behind bars before being convicted of the charges that led to their arrest.
Under the new Illinois law, judges would no longer be able to set bail. However, they could still detain a defendant if they are charged with crimes such as murder or domestic assault, local media reported.
“What we did was strengthen judicial discretion when it comes to determining whether someone is a threat to a person or community,” said Sen. Robert Peters, a Democrat from Chicago.
“We focus on this explicitly and reduce it so that money has no influence. Money does not determine whether someone is a threat. “
The Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, which led the large measure of the state, hailed it as a historic response to the deaths last year of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.
Peters, president of the Black Caucus Senate, called it “the historic first step towards gaining real security and justice in our communities,” reported WMAQ-TV.
But the main organizations representing the police and prosecutors said they were not consulted on key pieces and argued that the legislation would harm the police and discourage talented people from entering law enforcement.
“The governor is intentionally undermining public security – putting citizens at risk, encouraging criminals and making Illinois less safe for families,” said Illinois Republican Party President Don Tracy.
The governor, in turn, countered that the project would increase security.
“In fact, I am very confident that it will make policing safer and make the public more secure,” he said.
Wired Poles