Illinois Policy
The SAFE-T Act has been the source of plenty of controversy, becoming a favorite campaign issue for those skeptical of criminal justice reform broadly and no-cash-bail in particular. Advocates have pushed back, labeling attacks on the bill as cynical fearmongering.
So who is right? While some states have moved toward eliminating cash bail, Illinois was the first to end it statewide. The SAFE-T Act was a flawed piece of legislation that was rushed through the Illinois General Assembly without proper debate, and it required significant amending before it took effect. Even with those changes, the bill could be made better, and we now have some initial findings on how the changes made by the SAFE-T Act have affected defendants and the community so far.
Judges should have more flexibility to detain repeat offenders, to assess the threat to individuals or the community of a defendant charged with a felony, and to take threats against animals and property into account when making their determinations.
The omnibus bill made sweeping changes to how criminal justice operates in Illinois, aside from it eliminating cash bail. The law revised police use-of-force standards and procedures, reformed complaintrules and misconduct proceedings for police officers, amended the police officer certification and decertification process, and reformed both pretrial and correctional proceedings.
Here is a summary of some of the changes to the law beyond cashless bail.
State Representative Mike Coffey says repeat offenders must be held accountable and all felonies need to be detainable.
“Sheriff Crouch, State’s Attorney Milhiser and I share the same objective – to make our communities in Sangamon County and across Illinois safer,” said Rep. Coffey. “Since the SAFE-T Act was signed into law, our judges have lost authority to keep some dangerous criminals behind bars. I filed legislation that would give that power back to judges, so repeat offenders are not let back into our communities to continue to commit crimes. “
House Republicans Offer Solutions to Fix the SAFE-T Act
Since debate on the bill began in 2021, Illinois House Republicans have consistently sounded the alarm about the dangers the SAFE-T Act poses to Illinois residents. Since its implementation, the law has allowed dangerous repeat offenders to remain on the streets, where many continue to commit crimes with little accountability.
House Republicans have introduced nearly 40 bills aimed at fixing this deeply flawed law, strengthening public safety, and restoring confidence in our justice system. Their message has been clear: Illinois families deserve a system that prioritizes their safety, not one that puts them at greater risk….read more.