Elimination of cash bail effective September 18

9/6/23

Pre-trial detention in Illinois will now be based on community safety, not on the financial fitness of a defendant. 

On July 19, 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court lifted an injunction on the no cash bail provision in the Safety Accountability Fairness and Equity Today (SAFE-T) Act, making Illinois the first state in the nation to end cash bail. Implementation of the no cash bail system begins on September 18, 2023. 

The Illinois General Assembly passed the SAFE-T Act in 2020, in order to reshape Illinois' criminal justice system in three main areas: policing, pretrial fairness, and corrections (prisons and jails). Among the pretrial fairness reforms, the elimination of cash bail immediately faced pushback, including lawsuits questioning the constitutionality of the provision to eliminate cash bail. The Illinois Supreme Court issued an injunction, holding up implementation of the no cash bail system until they reached a decision this July. 

Beginning on September 18, the transition to a no cash bail system will be implemented in stages, according to provisions in the SAFE-T Act. The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice is training court observers to help track and ensure appropriate implementation of the new law. Contact issues@lwvil.org for more information.

LWV of Illinois is a strong supporter of the SAFE-T Act and recently joined other members of the Illinois Network for PreTrial Justice on this thank you letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul for his courageous support of the elimination of cash bail. 

Read more from the ACLU about the end of cash bail in Illinois.

Learn more about why the League supports abolishing cash bail.