CRS Goes to Springfield!

This past week, Community Renewal Society headed to Springfield to defend the Pretrial Fairness Act. Over the last few weeks, legislators in suburban counties have introduced a trailer bill (HB-4228) that significantly reduces and harms key provisions in the SAFE-T Act. This bill would violate individual rights as well as further mass incarceration in Illinois, which we know does not keep us safe. Representatives from our member congregations and community partner organizations traveled to the Illinois Capitol to demand that our bill sponsors publicly denounce HB-4228 and to ask additional legislators to pledge their support for the Pretrial Fairness Act.   

More than 400 people from all across Illinois spoke to legislators and attended a rally where organizers and clergy spoke with passion about the moral mandate for people of faith to advocate for the most vulnerable in our community. Often the most vulnerable are those who are incarcerated.    

Leading a group of fellow organizers, we met with State Senator Mike Simmons of the 7th District. We confirmed his support for the Pretrial Fairness Act and he assured our team that what will be implemented on January 1, 2023 will not be a watered-down version of the bill originally passed in January 2021.   

To join in our defense of the Pretrial Fairness Act, share this Twitter thread on your social media channels. You can also share this post and Facebook video.

Thank you to our action day participants and to the CRS network for supporting this action.   

Read a press release from the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice in support of ending money bond here.