Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
Chicago Tribune (TNS)
Every police officer in Illinois would be required to wear a body camera by 2025 as part of a massive criminal justice overhaul state lawmakers approved this month, but a lack of additional funding to help agencies pay for equipment and the absence of penalties for those that don’t raises questions about whether the legislation will achieve its ambitious goal.
Police groups voiced myriad criticisms of the overhaul package, advanced by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus as part of its response to the outcry that followed last year’s death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. The bill’s most controversial elements include eliminating cash bail beginning in 2023 and making it easier for people to file complaints against police officers.
Originally published on January 28, 2021 3:26 pm
Illinois is on the verge of becoming the first state to abolish cash bail after lawmakers passed a bevy of criminal justice reforms earlier this month.
Proponents of that change say House Bill 3653, written by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, will help end the criminalization of poverty. Specifically, it will halt the practice of jailing people accused of non-violent crimes until their trial because they cannot afford bail. But many prosecutors and members of law enforcement agencies say it will put the public at risk.
Both the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives have approved the bill, but it awaits the signature of Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
GALESBURG A Facebook post attributed to Knox County Sheriff David Clague was posted and then quickly deleted Friday, Jan. 15, over language that some community members have called divisive and potentially racially insensitive.
House Bill 3653, passed by the Illinois House and Senate and spearheaded by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, and awaiting approval from the governor, could bring big changes to law enforcement, leading to negative reactions about its passage from state law enforcement agencies and organizations.
After its passage, a Facebook post attributed to Clague drew criticism from community members and the Galesburg NAACP branch. We have a job to do and that is to protect and serve the citizens of Knox County who have shown their support for us, he said. Hold your head high and be proud! Resigning is not acceptable and by doing so, it shows the Black Caucus that they won. We are better than that!
How the Black Caucus passed criminal justice reform
Posted January 22, 2021 11:50 AM
SPRINGFIELD The Illinois General Assembly passed a massive criminal justice omnibus bill on Jan. 13 with only Democratic support, navigating initial opposition from labor unions and municipal interest groups, as well as intense Republican and law enforcement pushback.The 764-page bill was pushed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus as the culmination of nearly 30 hours of virtual hearings in state Senate committees, coordination with the offices of the governor and attorney general, and private negotiations with law …
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The Illinois legislature of Representatives passed a bill spearheaded by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus last Wednesday that would end cash bail.
The Pretrial Fairness Act, which gives Illinois until Jan. 1, 2023 to abolish cash bail, currently awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature. Pritzker has expressed support for the bill in the past. If passed, Illinois will be the first state in the nation to end all cash bail.
Evanston mayoral candidate Sebastian Nalls, 20, said ending cash bail is a step in the right direction.
“This is an issue that hits directly at home for a lot of us,” Nalls said. “And it’s been disproportionately affecting Black and brown members of Illinois and members of the nation as a whole.”