New Illinois Law Gives Cops Choice Not to Jail People for Small Amounts of Drugs
Date:  11-08-2022

The change follows a Sun-Times/Better Government Association investigation last year that documented the impact of "dead end" drug arrests
From Chicago Sun Times:

Tucked into the new and much-debated 764-page law that does away with Illinois’ cash-bail system is a single paragraph that could have a big impact.

It means that people caught with small amounts of drugs won’t have to sit in jail for days until they’re brought before a judge.

That might sound like a small thing. But advocates for people who use drugs say spending any time behind bars can have disastrous consequences, like losing a job or going through the painful process of withdrawal from drugs.

The Pretrial Fairness Act, which is part of the sweeping SAFE-T Act, is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. Continue reading >>>