[ACLU-CU ALERT] Senator Bennett's new bill guts Bail Reform

[Champaign County ACLU Announcements]

Good Morning ACLU members and supporter of civil liberties and civil rights
(sorry for the additional emails, and there will be one more from our local
chapter this week--above the norm but necessary)

On Monday Senator Bennett introduced a trailer bill  to the Pretrial
Fairness Act (his SB 4228) that essentially gives the courts free rein to
deny bail for virtually any vague reason of safety--in short, removing the
original bill's establishment of guardrails that constrain the decision to
deny bail.  Judging from experience in other states, the lack of guardrails
can result in an even worse situation than occurs under the current
system--and worsen the racial disparities. More people are likely to be
locked up and this time without bail.   SB 4228 is the initiative of a
Republican prosecutor who has for years been an outspoken opponent of
reform and defender of the current money bond system. Senator Bennett
unfortunately has aligned himself with that camp.

Please email or ESPECIALLY CALL  his office and express your
concern/anger/sense of betrayal.  Why betrayal?  Those of us who did
contact his office last week were assured  that he stood behind the
pre-trial fairness act.  That was disingenous. Especially if you called
before and were told how supportive he was, call again and vent.

His Champaign office 217-355-5252


Here’s the BAIL OUT Coalition statement--a coalition that ACLU Illinois is
part of



https://endmoneybond.org/2022/09/26/safe-t-act-trailer-bill-would-increase-racial-injustice-and-mass-incarceration/



and Twitter thread about why this bill is terrible:



https://twitter.com/endmoneybond/status/1574581794753892352?s=20&t=-E1KBHt_C4Em_hTqQ3Aigg
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