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Every year, a quarter of a million people cycle through Illinois’ jails. Most of them are incarcerated not because they pose a threat to their community, but because they can not afford to pay a money bail. This unjust practice is coming to an end.

In January 2021, the Illinois legislature passed the Pretrial Fairness Act. This historic legislation restores the presumption of innocence and makes Illinois safer by ending money bond and the unconstitutional practice of caging people pretrial simply because they cannot afford to buy their freedom. The law went into effect on September 18, 2023.

We must protect these crucial reforms from attacks rooted in racism and fear, which seek to perpetuate the system of mass incarceration.

A diverse movement for fairness, safety, & justice.

The Pretrial Fairness Act was written by advocates and organizers in the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice and the Coalition to End Money Bond. It was championed in Springfield by Senators Elgie Sims and Robert Peters and Representative Justin Slaughter and supported by thousands of people and more than 100 organizations, including victims' rights advocates.

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Recent News

The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice celebrates our first year without money bond in Illinois as a critical step towards ending mass incarceration.

One year after the Pretrial Fairness Act, crime and jail incarceration rates are down, and millions of dollars are staying in vulnerable communitites.

After years of community pressure, Cook County Board approves sunsetting of the Sheriff’s electronic monitoring program.

The Illinois legislature passed the Pretrial Success Act as part of the Illinois state budget, increasing access to services for people awaiting trial.

THE PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT DISMANTLES A KEY DRIVER OF MASS INCARCERATION.

By ending money bond, Illinois is not only creating a fairer pretrial justice system, we are striking a massive blow to the racist prison industrial complex. Wealth-based pretrial jailing has coerced many people in Black, Brown, and poor communities into accepting plea deals they may not have taken if the court system had respected their right to be free awaiting trial. Incarceration destabilizes people’s lives, often causing them to lose jobs, housing, and even custody of their children, ultimately making it harder for people to rebuild their lives after their release from jail.

Over time, the changes made by the Pretrial Fairness Act will not only reduce the number of people caged in county jails but also the number of people in Illinois state prisons.

LEARN HOW THE PRETRIAL FAIRNESS ACT IS TRANSFORMING OUR LEGAL SYSTEM:

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REDUCING INCARCERATION REDUCES CRIME & STRENGTHENS COMMUNITIES

Incarceration has never been an effective public safety strategy; it disrupts people’s lives in ways that destabilize families and communities and make us less safe. Limiting pretrial incarceration allows people to maintain relationships, jobs, and stability in their lives while awaiting trial—and our communities will be safer as a result.


250,000 People
People

Illinois incarcerates a quarter of a million people every year in county jails.

72 Hours
Hours

People incarcerated for as little as 72 hours are 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed one year later

0 Cities
Cities

No state or city has seen a rise in crime as a result of reducing or eliminating their use of money bail.

Illinois incarcerates a quarter of a million people every year in county jails.

People incarcerated for as little as 72 hours are 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed one year later

No state or city has seen a rise in crime as a result of reducing or eliminating their use of money bail.

Stories of Survivors of Pretrial Punishment

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Public safety is not improved by money bond and pretrial incarceration

That’s why major crime survivor groups support ending cash bail. Anti-gender-based violence leaders wrote a compelling defense of the Pretrial Fairness Act: 

“The protections for survivors in the bill are a step toward a better system for all. [...] Survivors will be able to advocate for what they need to feel safe and secure.”

Read the full op-ed here.

The Pretrial Fairness Act ends the use of money bond and ensures that release decisions are focused on the safety of survivors and not the size of someone’s bank account.

Advocates analyzed the Pretrial Fairness Act and created a guide for survivors of domestic and sexual violence about the impacts of the law.

Pretrial Fairness FAQ For Survivors

Justice Is:
Bail
Jobs & Housing
Incarceration
Public Health & Safety
Surveillance
Community Investment
Punishment
Accountability & Healing

The Truth About Pretrial Justice Reform

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Thank Your Legislators for Protecting the Pretrial Fairness Act

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    "A substantial step toward dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state and our nation, and brings us closer to true safety, true fairness and true justice."

    Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on the Pretrial Fairness Act

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