One year after Illinois ended cash bail, data shows no crime spikes

Flashback: Before the PFA took effect in 2023, some state's attorneys and politicians proffered dire predictions about what the impact would be.

• Publications affiliated with GOP-supporting radio host Dan Proft and publisher Brian Timpone ran pictures of Black men under the headline "The coming end of cash bail in Illinois: What it means for you and your family."

What they're saying: "For months [we saw] racist propaganda that was not checked by those in positions of power and journalism to call a thing a thing," Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said Wednesday at a summit where the report was released.

• "So when people say to me, 'Wow, it's really surprising that this law worked,' [I ask] 'surprising to whom?'"
• "I just feel compelled, in my time left in office, to say truths that need to be spoken. It was racist. It was racist," says Foxx, who is not seeking re-election.

By the numbers: Loyola researcher David Olson presented data from six months before and after PFA implementation and found:

• Failure to appear rates dropped from 17% to 15% across the state.
• Statewide violent and property crime rates dropped by 12%.

• Jail populations decreased by 14% in Cook County, 14% in other urban counties and 25% in rural counties. (But some of this was offset by defendants placed under pre-trial supervision involving some monitoring.)

The other side: Former Democratic Alder Bob Fioretti, who is now running as a Republican for Cook County state's attorney, questions the characterization of the PFA as a success.

• "Ask families of murder victims if they think it's a big success," he tells Axios.
• If elected he says he would further expand the discretion of judges and detention-eligible crimes.

What's next: PFA proponents say they expect some tweaks to the law around improving failure-to-appear rates. Others may push to expand what's considered a detainable offense.

• In the meantime, they'll work to offer enhanced child care, mental health and substance use services to those facing trial through the Pretrial Success Act passed this year.