SE Illinois News

Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Vienna) thinks that the elimination of cash bail is a step towards making communities less safe.

“The elimination of cash bail as outlined in the SAFE-T Act will make our communities less safe. Under the language of the statute, courts will be prohibited from detaining individuals pre-trial who are charged with serious, violent felonies, such as robbery or arson. This prohibition means many dangerous criminals will be right back out on the street within 48 hours of committing violent offenses,” said Windhorst.

Supporters of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, including the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, point to the legislation as a step towards making the justice system more equitable for minorities. Republicans have called the SAFE-T Act a “de facto defund the police bill" because of the additional regulations it places on police officers. The SAFE-T will eliminate cash bail in Illinois, effective Jan. 1, 2023, which critics claim will lead to more criminals out on the streets.

When asked about whether the elimination of cash bail would make the justice system fairer, Windhorst replied, “Eliminating cash bail will make us less safe and lead to absurd results where criminals are committing crime after crime without any immediate consequence for their actions. More crime will disproportionately impact those communities that are already the hardest hit by rising crime. This result is not fair or equitable.”

Multiple state's attorneys expressed concern over the legislation at a media briefing in April, according to the Center Square. One of the biggest concerns for many is the elimination of cash bail. State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) said that some of the provisions regarding law enforcement are driving people away from the field. “It's been very frustrating to see our law enforcement officers retire early, some of our sheriff’s retire early, and our students not wanting to go into the law enforcement field,” Fowler said.

Regarding the SAFE-T Act, Rep. Windhorst said, “The SAFE-T Act has a whole will embolden lawbreakers and reduce public safety in our communities. The SAFE-T Act needs to be repealed, and we as the legislature need to work on more modest reforms that improve the criminal justice system rather than promote lawlessness.”

Gov. Pritzker recently defended the elimination of cash bail, according to The Center Square. "We do not want someone in jail because they were arrested for a low-level crime like shoplifting to be sitting in jail for months or maybe even years," Pritzker said. "At the same time, someone who is a wealthy drug dealer, perhaps accused of murder and arrested, can show up with a suitcase full of money and get out of jail."