In 2023, Illinois became the first state in the country to end money bond and expand access to the presumption of innocence. With more people returning to the community, the Pretrial Success pilot program was created to help communities expand access to vital services such as mental health and substance use disorder support, transportation, and child care for people awaiting trial. The Pretrial Success pilot program focuses on increasing access to these resources in five regions with the program expanding soon after. 

This essential investment in community safety could be in jeopardy due to budget cuts. Jurisdictions across the country are being forced to make cuts to essential services because of funding that has been withheld by the Trump administration. We are calling on the Illinois legislature to protect the Pretrial Success Pilot program from budget cuts. 

Take Action to Protect the Pretrial Success Act

In the last year, our Network has worked with our communities and the Illinois Department of Human Services to support implementation of the Success Act and to make these reforms effective and impactful. We have been able to lay the groundwork to ensure that communities can begin accessing these essential services this summer. 

Earlier this year, Governor JB Pritzker’s introduced budget included $3.5 million for the Pretrial Success Pilot Program. Legislators must work together to ensure that these essential funds are included in the final 2026 state budget to protect this investment and make certain that we continue addressing the root causes of harm and violence in our communities.