Dupage Policy Journal

Opponents of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act are worried about its elimination of cash bail, effective Jan. 1, 2023.

“I don't like the idea at all. It should be up to the judge to make a decision,” said Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton). “The problem I have is it ties the hands of the judges for people we can't even be sure will return to court to see the case through.”

Supporters of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, including the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, point to the legislation as a step toward making the justice system more equitable for minorities. Republicans have called the SAFE-T Act a “de facto defund the police bill" because of its additional regulations on police officers. 

“If you commit a crime, you commit a crime and there’s no two ways about it,” Grant said. “If you commit a crime, you have to pay for it, no matter what other factors are involved.”

Multiple state's attorneys expressed concern over the legislation at a media briefing in April, according to the Center Square. 

One state’s attorney said, “With this new law, our hands will be tied. What sane citizen in this state of Illinois would want the state’s attorney’s hands tied, the police hands tied, and give all the perks going to violent offenders? That’s what this law does.”

“No one knows for sure what they're doing, leaving them up to their own devices,” Grant said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently defended the elimination of cash bail, according to The Center Square.

“We do not want someone in jail because they were arrested for a low-level crime like shoplifting to be sitting in jail for months or maybe even years,” Pritzker said. “At the same time, someone who is a wealthy drug dealer, perhaps accused of murder and arrested, can show up with a suitcase full of money and get out of jail.”