Over the weekend, communities across Illinois took action as part of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice’s Statewide Day of Action in support of the Pretrial Fairness Act. The Pretrial Fairness Act is proposed legislation that will end money bond and dramatically reduce the number of people incarcerated in Illinois. Network members in Champaign, Chicago, East St. Louis, Peoria, and Springfield took a variety of actions to show their support for this historic legislation.

While news media and elected officials often try to frame pretrial incarceration as being just a Cook County problem, these actions helped highlight the fact that unaffordable money bonds are impacting communities across the state. Every year, more than a quarter of a million people are booked into county jails across Illinois while still awaiting trial, and most are incarcerated simply because they can’t afford to pay a money bond. 

Faith Coalition for the Common Good kicked things off on Friday in Springfield, displaying a banner calling for “Pretrial Fairness Now!” outside the Illinois capitol building, Sangamon County Jail, and on busy streets. Sangamon County’s jail incarcerated more than 300 people on any given day, mere blocks away from the state capitol building. 

On Saturday morning, Peoria’s Banner Bandits dropped a banner calling to “end cash bail” outside the Peoria County courthouse. In June, Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice members Black Justice Project, Change Peoria, and Chicago Community Bond Fund worked together to pay bond for four people arrested while protesting the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Together, their freedom cost over $10,000, despite the fact they were all presumed innocent. Nearly 500 people are incarcerated in the Peoria County Jail today.

In Belleville, United Congregations of Metro East (UCM) and EXPO Illinois held a rally and press conference outside the St. Clair County Jail. On any given day, nearly 500 people are incarcerated there. In May, UCM

Also on Saturday, Chicago held two actions in support of the Pretrial Fairness Act. In the morning, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Chicago set-up a banner calling for an end to money bail in multiple locations in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Later in the day, the Coalition to End Money Bond held a march to Chicago’s Public Safety Headquarters to lift up an alternative vision for real community safety beyond policing. The march concluded with a speech from one of the sponsors of the Pretrial Fairness Act, State Senator Robert Peters. 

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The Illinois Network’s Statewide Day of Action concluded Saturday night with a light projection action by the Champaign County Bailout Coalition. The entrance to the Champaign County Courthouse was lit up by light banners calling to “End Money Bail” and for “Pretrial Fairness Now.” In addition to supporting policy changes, CCBC operates a bail fund. They are regularly paying bond to free people awaiting trial from the Champaign County Jail, where the racism of Illinois’ money bond system is on full display. In late 2016, 71% of the people in the Champaign County Jail were Black, compared to just 13% of the people in Champaign County as a whole.

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The Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice will continue our push for the Pretrial Fairness Act on November 10th with a Virtual Lobby Day. If you’d like to join communities across Illinois to push for the passage of this essential legislation, register here to participate!