When the Pretrial Fairness Act goes into effect in 2023, it will improve community safety, reduce pretrial jailing and end wealth-based incarceration but only if Illinois’ courts properly implement the law. Today, the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice is proud to release “From Policy to Progress: A Roadmap for Successful Implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act”, a report with recommendations to make sure this historic policy change realizes its full potential. Our recommendations were cultivated through years of researching best practices from across the country and are informed by the Principles of Bond Reform which guided the drafting of this transformative legislation. The report also center’s narratives from people directly impacted by the state’s pretrial justice system; these experiences were crucial to shaping the report’s recommendations.

• Read the “From Policy to Progress: A Roadmap for Successful Implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act” report here. 

• Read the report fact sheet summarizing our recommendations here.

For decades, wealth-based pretrial incarceration has persisted as one of the most glaring inequities in the U.S. criminal legal system. By signing the Pretrial Fairness Act into law, Illinois has taken a bold step towards ending this harmful practice. It is of the utmost importance that our state’s efforts to put this law into effect are successful and do not create new injustices. “From Policy to Progress” will serve as an essential tool to help stakeholders across Illinois ensure that our state leads the nation in pretrial justice reform.
Help protect the Pretrial Fairness Act by calling on your legislators to defend it and stop new laws promoting mass incarceration: bit.ly/DefendPFA