Kim Foxx Looks To Release Some Long-Detained Inmates Unable To Pay Bond

By Stephen Gossett in News on Mar 1, 2017 11:50PM

Defendants who have been in jail for an extended period of time because of an inability to post a bond of $1000 or less could soon be released on their own recognizance.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx announced on Wednesday that her office would support “agreed motions” made by the Public Defender that recommend I-bonds—which would grant inmates release without posting bail—in certain cases. Those cases come from a pool of 50 that the Cook County Sheriff’s Office previously asked to be reviewed.

“Public safety is best served by detaining those who pose a threat to our communities rather than jailing those who are simply poor and unable to post bond for nonviolent offenses,” said Foxx in a statement. “This costs taxpayers millions of dollars per year, and does not serve public safety.”

The move is the latest step in what appears to be an inching toward bond reform in Cook County. In November, Sheriff Tom Dart called for an end to Illinois' cash bail system. Dart advocated a more thorough background check, similar to ones performed at the federal level, to decide which defendants should be released pending trial.

Activist groups, such as the Chicago Bond Fund, which seeks to raise money for defendants who cannot afford it themselves, argue that the bond system amounts to indefinite detention. "Money bail isn’t an evidence-based policy. It's been proven that the overwhelming majority of these people deserve to be released with no unfair conditions," CBF co-founder Sharlyn Grace told Chicagoist last year.