Land of Lincoln Engages in a Misguided Attempt at Reform
Have you ever watched USA Network's "The Purge"?
It’s a dystopian thriller where for one night, all crime is legal.
No rules. No protection. Just pure, unchecked chaos.
If that gives you shivers, you might want to cross Illinois off your travel list.
Welcome to the Land of Lincoln where, thanks to the SAFE-T Act, we’re seemingly prepping for a Purge-style reality around the clock. Forget one night of mayhem; we’re setting up for an all-year-round blockbuster!
The SAFE-T Act, shorthand for the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, seems to promise so much, yet delivers quite the opposite.
Clocking in at 800 pages, this convoluted bill is just another play from the legislative handbook on "equity."
But as we’ve seen again and again in states across the nation, such well-intentioned endeavors often come with unwelcome consequences: endless chances for repeat offenders and a surge in crime rates.
Now, Illinois seems poised to follow suit.
Currently in the state, if you get arrested, you are officially charged and then held in jail until your bond hearing. That’s the time when a judge decides about bail.
If the judge says "no bail" or if you can’t come up with money, you are stuck in jail until your next court date.
The SAFE-T Act completely changes how police and courts work in Illinois. Not only does it pretty much eliminate cash bail, but it modifies how police can respond and use force.
Let’s dive into the most contentious part of the legislation: bail reform. To put it bluntly, it’s a mess of contradictions and ambiguities.
On one hand, the law seems to suggest everyone arrested be set free unless the prosecution can strongly prove they are a direct threat to a specific person.
That’s a pretty tight definition of danger.
Yet, confusingly, the bill lists certain crimes like carjacking, arson, aggravated battery, robbery, kidnapping, vehicular homicide and even second-degree murder. The implication is that for these offenses, the main reason to detain someone is if they might skip town.
The message, however, from critics is unambiguous: the SAFE-T Act prioritizes the rights of the accused over the very real concerns of public safety.
Still, when Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D-Ill., was pressed on the issue, his response painted a different picture, asserting that no crime would be treated with a lenient, open-handed approach.
He argued that under the law, those with severe offenses could still be held if they pose a threat to the public.
But the confusion remains: Can or can’t the "danger"rule be applied to the above listed crimes?
The ambiguity is unsettling, transcending mere academic discourse.
Should state lawmakers get this wrong, there’s a real possibility that countless inmates, charged with grave offenses, could contest their detentions, vying for freedom via bail applications.
Compounding this issue, the act mandates bail decisions within 48 hours of arrest.
This timeframe is alarmingly brief — almost certainly inadequate for prosecutors to convincingly present someone as a danger to society.
This could lead to a deluge of rushed bail hearings, bogging down Illinois’ already overburdened judiciary system.
When the wheels of justice stall, it’s not just the immediate parties that bear the brunt.
Every Illinoisian awaiting their moment of justice will be affected.
This domino effect is a crisis one simply can’t overlook.
After examining the complexities of the bill, it’s no surprise that it has not won over many fans within law enforcement. In fact, 100 out of 102 state’s attorneys in Illinois, from both sides of the political aisle, have voiced their opposition to the law.
Such near-unanimous dissent from those on the front lines of our justice system should give anyone, especially the Democratic legislators who authored this bill, pause.
At a time when law enforcement roles are increasingly scrutinized and often thankless, the SAFE-T Act only adds to their challenges.
Men and women in uniform, who daily put their lives on the line, now face the challenge of navigating the murky waters of this legislation.
It doesn’t just alter their day-to-day job performance; it complicates an already complex job.
When the very professionals tasked with maintaining our safety feel handcuffed by the system, it’s not just an institutional concern, but a community one.
In "The Purge," citizens were free to unleash chaos for a single night.
While the SAFE-T Act may not actually promote a night of lawlessness, the similarities are clear. As a state, we stand on the precipice of a self-made, entirely preventable disaster, with the potential for round-the-clock uncertainty.
If the aim is truly public safety and justice for all, then it’s time to understand the real-world consequences of our actions.
Otherwise, Illinois might just become the set for a never-ending sequel no one asked for.
Jacob Lane is a Republican strategist and school choice activist. He has worked for GOP campaigns at the federal, state and local levels, as well as with various PACs and nonprofits. Read Jacob Lane's Reports — More Here.
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