Limited data in the first month of implementation suggest that the PFA may be reducing jail usage, but the impact varies from county to county.
Bail
- A little over a month after the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act went into effect, we summarize some preliminary observations on the rollout of the new law.
- Professors Don Stemen and David Olson of Loyola University Chicago CCJ examine whether crime has increased in places that have implemented bail reforms since 2017.
- We explore how important monetary bail is as a source of restitution for victims of crime and whether the elimination of monetary bail will have the unintended consequence of reducing compensation for victims.
- Practitioner interviews suggest that bail is imposed for a broader range of purposes than is usually articulated, at least in public. Our analyses of available data show that bail’s practical results are different from those that are widely assumed. And our conversations with defendants—people who know the pretrial system from inside—have surfaced beliefs and perceptions about bail that are both disturbing and important.
- Some Insights from Illinois Practitioner Interviews