House candidate Conforti: 'Pritzker's no-cash-bail SAFE-T Act is a disaster'
Niki Conforti, Republican candidate for U.S. House (IL-06), said that Gov. JB Pritzker's SAFE-T Act encourages and emboldens repeat offenders, undermining safety in communities like Hinsdale.
"Pritzker's no-cash-bail SAFE-T Act is a disaster," said Conforti, Candidate for Representative of Illinois. "It emboldens criminals and makes our communities less safe. The recent criminal activity in Hinsdale is a direct result of this failed policy."
According to DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, Judge Joshua Dieden granted a motion to detain a Chicago man accused of burglarizing a high-end boutique in Hinsdale. The report also noted that three co-defendants were charged with non-detainable offenses and released under conditions, highlighting ongoing tensions regarding detention decisions after such crimes.
Illinois eliminated cash bail statewide on September 18, 2023, following the Supreme Court's upholding of the SAFE-T Act provisions. Under this new system, judges can detain defendants after an adversarial hearing based on assessed risk to public safety or willful flight. This shift moves decisions from financial considerations to risk assessments. Supporters argue it is fairer, while critics claim that narrow detainable categories and additional procedures may hinder timely detention.
Concerns about repeat offenses continue locally. In a recent case in DuPage County, a Chicago man already on pretrial release for retail theft was arrested again and later ordered held for allegedly committing new thefts and burglaries across suburban stores. Prosecutors cited this pattern as evidence of ongoing risk during release, fueling arguments that reduced immediate custody could embolden serial retail thieves.
Ballotpedia lists Niki Conforti as a Republican candidate for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District in 2026. A businesswoman and energy consultant from Chicago’s western suburbs, her background includes healthcare administration and owning a staffing firm. Her campaign materials emphasize public safety and community concerns significant to DuPage County and surrounding areas.