Episode Details

What happened when Illinois ended cash bail? As Laura’s guests explain, this deeply discriminatory and unjust system puts “a ransom on people’s heads,” disproportionately impacts Black and Brown people, and favors the wealthy who can buy their freedom while leaving the poor to languish in jail. Bail reform has faced tremendous pushback over the years, but Illinois implemented the first-of-its-kind Pretrial Fairness Act, ending cash bail statewide in 2023. The historic win didn’t happen overnight. In this episode some of those most involved explain what it took and describe the surprising results. Sharone R. Mitchell Jr., the Cook County Chief Public Defender was the lead policy expert for the Coalition to End Money Bond. Mitchell also heads the state’s largest public defender office. State Senator Robert Peters represents Illinois’ 13th District and was one of the main sponsors of the Pretrial Fairness Act. He chairs the Senate Labor Committee. Bryce Covert followed this important and under-covered story for The Nation magazine. What has Illinois to teach the nation? All that plus Laura’s commentary: Illinois has moved out of the Middle Ages. What’s holding the rest of the nation back?

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