Last night, the Coalition to End Money Bond was in Champaign-Urbana for a screening of the ACLU’s animated short films on mass incarceration and “Reclaiming the Crown: The Footwork King’s Battle with Money Bail.” Coalition members Ben Ruddell of ACLU of IL, Sharone Mitchell of Illinois Justice Project, and Lavette Mayes of Chicago Community Bond Fund participated in a panel following the screening along with Molly Galloway of the Champaign County Bailout Coalition. We were also joined by State Representative Carol Ammons and State Senator Scott Bennett, both of whom represent the Urbana-Champaign area and are members of the Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices. 

More than 100 people from the community came out to last night’s film screening and discussion. Many of them also filled out postcards calling on the Supreme Court Commission to create space for public comment on the bail reform recommendations that it will issue this December. The Coalition to End Money Bond believes it is essential that commission members hear from impacted communities and advocates before making those recommendations. Stay tuned for info on how you can join the call for a public hearing on pretrial justice reform in Illinois! 

You can watch “Lavette’s Choice” here.

Watch “Reclaiming the Crown” here.

Together, we are going to end money bond in Illinois and ensure that our neighbors remain free while they are presumed innocent!