llinois becomes the first state to eliminate cash bail

All 102 counties in Illinois are preparing for the Pretrial Fairness Act to go into effect today, making it the first state in the country to end cash bail and replace it with a court hearing.

Supporters of ending cash bail say it helps eliminate people who commit nonviolent crimes from pre-trial detention.

According to the advocacy group Prison Policy Initiative, 427,000 people are awaiting trial in local jails, so eight out of 10 people behind bars are not convicted yet.

Loyola University estimates that in Illinois alone, out of the 70,000 people arrested, only 15,500 are potentially eligible for detention.