Illinois becomes the first state to eliminate cash bail.
The Democratic governor of the state, JB Pritzker, on Monday signed a comprehensive overhaul of policing and criminal justice that would eliminate the system from January 2023.
The bill also instructs that all police officers be equipped with body cameras and set the standards for the use of force, de-escalation and arrest for law enforcement.
“This legislation is an important step towards the eradication of the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state and our nation and brings us closer to true security, justice 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 law enforcers say that releasing dangerous people allows them to be released while on trial.
Critics of the system, however, argue that it is unfair to poor people, who may not be able to afford bail and are then forced to stay behind bars before being convicted on the charges that led to their arrest.
Under Illinois’ new law, judges would no longer be able to grant bail. However, they could still detain an accused if charged with crimes such as murder or domestic battery, local stores reported.
“What we have done is to 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 focused on it and reduced it so that money does not play a factor. Money does not determine if someone is a threat. ‘
The legislative black caucus of Illinois, which was at the head of the state’s major measure, saw it as a historic response to the deaths last year of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky.
Peters, chairman of the Senate of the Black Caucus, calls it a ‘historic first step in winning true security and justice in our communities’, WMAQ-TV reported.
But large organizations representing the police and prosecutors said they had not been consulted for key issues, arguing that the legislation would hamper the police and discourage talented people from joining law enforcement.
“The governor is undermining deliberate security by endangering citizens, encouraging criminals and making Illinois less safe for families,” said Republican Republican Party President Don Tracy.
The governor, meanwhile, opposed the bill, saying it would strengthen security.
“I am actually very confident that it will make policing safer and that it will make the public safer,” he said.
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