Is it Time to End Money Bond?
One more way the criminal justice system punishes poverty
Advocates in Illinois are waging a fight to end money bond — a system they say punishes those with the least resources who encounter the criminal justice system.
Here’s more from NewsBreak:
“Before I was incarcerated pretrial, I had a thriving business and was able to provide for myself and my two children,” said Lavette Mayes, a mother who was incarcerated for 14 months awaiting trial because she could not afford her money bond. “I lost all of that simply because I couldn’t afford to pay a money bond set by a judge in a matter of 30 seconds with no consideration of my lack of a criminal record or the fact that I had a five and a 14-year-old to take care of at home. People shouldn’t have to go through that nightmare experience.”
Proponents of the so-called “Pretrial Fairness Act” suggest there are other ways to ensure those accused of crimes show up for court dates and also that ending money bond will not adversely impact public safety.
“The time to end money bond in Illinois has arrived,” stated Ben Ruddell, Director of Criminal Justice Policy at the ACLU of Illinois. “We are confident that the Court will see that this law is constitutional, and that the policy will benefit thousands across Illinois. No one should be forced to languish in jail pretrial simply because they do not have resources.”