Press Contact: Jeremy Cherson, Director of Communications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
(CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) – Today, the Illinois State Supreme Court upheld the Pretrial Fairness Act in its entirety. David Gaspar, Chief Executive Officer of The Bail Project, issued the following statement:
“Today, the Illinois State Supreme Court affirmed what we’ve always known – that cash bail is un-American, it upends foundational American rights that everyone is equal under the law and innocent until proven otherwise and has no place in our state statutes or constitutions. Where it exists, cash bail creates a two-tiered system of justice: one where those who can afford to pay bail get released, and another where those who are too poor to pay bail are forced to remain incarcerated while awaiting trial. With cash bail gone in Illinois, it’s time for policymakers to immediately fund and scale effective non-financial alternatives to cash bail like court notifications, travel assistance and referrals to crucial supportive services that help people return to court and avoid justice-system involvement altogether. Our own work demonstrates that with these smart investments and enough support, people will return to court more than 90% of the time without any of their own money on the line.”
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