Last month, the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices released its preliminary report on statewide bond practices. While the report is short on new findings or revelations, the Commission states that its goal is to “minimize the effects of monetary conditions of release in the criminal justice system.” The Commission will be releasing a final report with recommendations for reform in December of this year. We are committed to pushing for the Commission to recommend binding, statewide policy changes that will dramatically reduce the number of people incarcerated pretrial across Illinois and ensure that no one is held in jail simply because they can’t afford to pay a money bond.

A key step in ensuring that reforms decarcerate is making sure that this important conversation is open to the public. That’s why the Coalition to End Money Bond is calling on the Commission to hold a public hearing this July so that the voices of impacted communities can be heard in this important conversation. Add your voice by signing this petition!

Read the commission’s initial findings here.

More background on the state of pretrial practices in Illinois is also available in this 2018 report from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority: An Examination of Illinois and National Pretrial Practices, Detention, and Reform Efforts