Support the Implementation of The Pretrial Fairness Act!
Let’s Free Our People: Support the Implementation of The Pretrial Fairness Act!
The movement for pretrial justice is celebrating a huge win: On July 18, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in our favor, declaring in the strongest possible language that the Pretrial Fairness Act is constitutional and will take effect on September 18.
The racist and unfair money bond system has destabilized communities by pulling people from their homes—away from their loved ones, jobs, healthcare and more—simply because they could not afford to purchase their freedom.
With this ruling, we can finally implement the new system laid out in the Pretrial Fairness Act, which makes release the norm and detention the carefully limited exception, and take a critical step towards creating safer communities for all Illinoisans.
This victory was only possible because of the actions that thousands of everyday people across Illinois took over the past seven years.
While we have already beaten back several rounds of attacks, we know the fight isn’t over. When implementation begins, those looking to undermine the law will once again try to roll back our win in the legislature.
Help us make sure legislators know we still support the Pretrial Fairness Act, by asking them to stay strong when the next round of attacks surfaces. Let them know we have their backs!
Pretrial Fairness Act Community Court Watching
Join the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice for another round of community court watching! Starting in September, we’ll be watching pretrial hearings across the state to monitor the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act. Participants will receive training on how to record observations from these pretrial hearings.
Volunteers must be able to attend one training and take at least two shifts (each lasting between 2-5 hours) observing pretrial hearings in the county they were trained in between Monday and Friday during September or October. Trainings will take place virtually but all court watching will happen in-person.
Canvass and Friendbank in Support of the Pretrial Fairness Act
Join our community canvassing team to spread awareness of the Pretrial Fairness Act! Each canvass will include a brief training session to help you feel comfortable and confident while out in the community. Additionally, we will be offering online friendbanking events so we can map out our networks and mobilize our communities into action.
This article was originally published by the Coalition to End Money Bond.