Associate Editor Mary Bandstra explains the SAFE-T Act, Illinois’ law eliminating cash bail, that went into effect in 2023. Associate Editor Katie Dorsey interviews Assistant Public Defender Debra Cruz to get a boots-on-the-ground perspective on the Act’s practical implications.

Illinois SAFE-T Act Full Text: https://ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/101/101-0652.htm

Cook County Court – Pretrial Fairness Act Data Dashboards: https://www.cookcountycourt.org/court-reports-statistics

Brennan center for Justice – Bail Reform and Public Safety: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/bail-reform-and-public-safety

Resources:

Loyola Chicago Law School’s Center for Criminal Justice: Tracking the Pretrial Fairness Act: https://loyolaccj.org/pretrial-fairness-act

Cook County Public Defender’s Office – Fact and Fiction on the Pretrial Fairness Act: https://www.cookcountypublicdefender.org/news/illinois-historic-pretrial-fairness-act-fact-and-fiction

Rowe v. Raoul: https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/79db4d0e-4bed-4cd2-bec1-88fc1ba8b904/Rowe%20v.%20Raoul,%202023%20IL%20129248.pdf

People v. Thomas: https://law.justia.com/cases/illinois/court-of-appeals-first-appellate-district/2024/1-24-0479.html