This past weekend, Chicago reached another sad milestone: we’ve now officially seen 36 people accused of killing or shooting – or attempting to kill or shoot – someone in Chicago while awaiting trial for a felony this year. With the elimination of cash bail, sadly, that number will likely continue to grow next year.
What does the future have in store for Illinois once cash bail is eliminated? The State of New York abolished cash bail for most nonviolent offenses in 2020. Since then, New York City has seen a massive spike in crime, while 20.1% of “felony arraignments” are rearrested, with 16.1% failing to appear at arraignment. This doesn’t bode well for Chicago which has already seen a 38% spike in crime since this time last year.
“Governor Pritzker’s signature legislation – the un-SAFE-T Act – has been an abhorrent tragedy for Illinois residents. We’ve already seen an unprecedented rise in violent crime, which will only be exacerbated by the end of cash bail next year. Public Safety is on the ballot this November. We must elect a Governor, and legislators who will prioritize public safety and fix this ticking time bomb,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy.
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