Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice Launches in Springfield: 150 People from 11 Counties in Attendance!
On July 13th, 2019, over 160 people from throughout Illinois came together in Springfield, the state’s capital, to launch a statewide movement to end money bond. The People’s Convening on Pretrial Freedom was organized by the Coalition to End Money Bond and marked the first gathering of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice. It provided an opportunity for organizers from across the state to share knowledge, build relationships, and develop strategies to end unjust pretrial practices and build toward a more just future in Illinois.
Representatives from Champaign, Christian, Cook, DuPage, Lake, Macon, Madison, McLean, Sangamon, St. Clair, and Peoria counties filled the ballroom at the Statehouse Inn for an opening plenary facilitated by Tanya Watkins of SOUL and Christophe Ringer of A Just Harvest, where the harms of pretrial incarceration and the opportunities for reform were outlined. Vanessa McNorton of Nehemiah Trinity Rising led the group through a relationship-building exercise, during which people were invited to share some background on themselves, what brought them to the convening and why they are dedicated to ending money bond in Illinois.
A powerful testimonial was given by Jerry Davis-EL, a member of The People’s Lobby, who shared his own story of being incarcerated pretrial due to an unaffordable money bond. Jerry spoke to the inhumane conditions he was subjected to while held in jail, the pressure to take a plea deal, and the lack of control people have over their own representation in court due to overburdened public defenders and abrupt bond hearings. He noted that “the enormous losses created by time in jail—job loss, housing loss, loss of family—make the presumption of innocence seem like a luxury, not a right. [We] do not hear the voices of those impacted by it and we do not see the destruction of not only families but generations to come. … Those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution!”
Following Jerry’s testimony, representatives from Peoria, Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, East St. Louis, Chicago, Lake County, and Believers Bail Out spoke about the work they are doing in their communities and how it connects to the statewide movement for pretrial freedom. From hosting educational events and protests to bailing people out of local jails, it was made clear that there are many people working hard to intervene in unjust pretrial incarceration throughout Illinois.
During the afternoon, attendees were invited to attend one of four breakout sessions: Pretrial Justice 101; Electronic Monitoring: Challenging E-Carceration; Risk Assessment Tools: Algorithms and Dirty Data; and an art and sign-making session featuring a conversation on what community safety really looks like. These breakout sessions provided deep dives on how the pretrial system currently operates, presented opportunities for reform, and provided space for members of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice to speak more on their own work and experiences. Folks were especially moved by personal testimony on the harmful impacts of electronic monitoring shared during the Challenging E-Carceration workshop.
Following the breakout sessions, a panel discussion was held, featuring Sharlyn Grace of the Chicago Community Bond Fund and the Coalition to End Money Bond, James Kilgore of the Challenging E-Carceration Campaign, Lavette Mayes, an advocate with Chicago Community Bond Fund, and Sharone Mitchell of Illinois Justice Project. The panel was moderated by Rev. Marilyn Pagán-Banks of A Just Harvest. Panelists spoke about the harms and destabilizing effect of pretrial incarceration, provided background on previous reform efforts that have impacted Illinois’ pretrial system, and talked about what it will take to win truly transformative measures—including an end to money bond and a vast reduction of the number of people incarcerated in Illinois’ 92 jails. The panel outlined the possibilities within proposed legislation, including the Pretrial Data Act and the Equal Justice for All Act, as well as the proposed Supreme Court Rule that would end wealth-based pretrial incarceration. The proposed rule is supported by all of the more than 30 members of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice.
In a powerful act of solidarity, convening attendees then gathered to march to the Sangamon County Jail, which detains more than 300 people per day on average, many of whom are caged due to unaffordable money bonds. Margaret Tucker, a resident of Springfield and a member of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good, opened the rally with a personal testimony. Margaret’s son was locked up pretrial for more than two years because his family could not come up with enough money to pay his bond. Margaret called for an end to money bond, posing the question, “Will our justice system continue to turn a blind eye, using a money bail system that takes away our life and our liberty?’”
Other speakers included Rev. Justo González II of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ, Flonard Wrencher, an advocate with Chicago Community Bond Fund who was able to fight his case while free after his bond was paid by CCBF, James “Tygar” Corbin of First Followers in Champaign, and Devon Reid, a leader with The People’s Lobby and elected official in Evanston.
The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice is thrilled to have had this opportunity to strengthen our movement and heighten our call for pretrial freedom for all. In the coming months, we will continue to demand that the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices recommend bold reforms in December 2019, including the proposed supreme court rule, and we will continue to call for transformative legislation while organizing and educating our communities on the urgent need to end money bond and empty Illinois’ jails.
Media coverage of the 2019 People’s Convening for Pretrial Freedom:
