This makes Illinois the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail and will help improve community safety by allowing people to retain housing, employment and the ability to support their families while awaiting trial. Throughout our state, Black and Brown communities are disproportionately harmed by pretrial jailing. Thousands of people in Illinois are in jail only because they cannot afford to pay their money bond. Now these individuals will have the opportunity to maintain active roles in their communities.
While this law ends the use of money bond in Illinois, judges will still have the discretion to detain someone pretrial or release them with conditions, but the presumption of innocence will be available to everyone, not just those who can afford it, and allows people to be care for their families while awaiting trial. I am grateful to all who tirelessly worked to make this a reality in our state and move one step forward in bringing justice to our black and brown and poor siblings who find themselves caught in the legal system.
Another step we are taking towards justice for the deserving kids in our community is by providing basic school supplies for them before they go back to school in the fall. I invite you to please donate generously towards that by either bringing your donations (pencils, crayons, erasers, color pencils, index cards, backpacks, glue sticks, 2 pocket folders, markers, highlighters) to the church or click here to make a financial donation.
