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No drastic overall changes yet reported

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Illinois

* Jeff Kolkey at the Rockford Register Star…

Average daily jail populations in Winnebago County fell from 802 in August to 765 in September to 742 so far in October. The jail has a capacity for 1,300 inmates and the numbers include more than 100 defendants being held on federal charges.

That is the lowest the average daily jail population has been in Winnebago County since it averaged 735 inmates in August 2021, when the numbers were still being impacted by the global pandemic, Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana said.

Caruana said that it will likely take months to see how the pretrial fairness act will impact the jail.

So far, there have been few hearings in Winnebago County seeking the release of inmates held on bond from before the new law took effect, Caruana said. Numbers of the detained could swing back and forth when more are released under the new rules and then perhaps returned to jail for re-offending or missing court dates.

Other, smaller county jails in the region have seen larger percentage declines, but they had fewer inmates to start with.

* Meanwhile, some SAFE-T Act advocates were worried that they would see a big increase in the number of people confined by electronic monitoring. But here are Cook County’s numbers from the Chicago Reader…

The jail’s population has fallen about 10.7 percent since the law took effect.

There are, of course, individual cases that some are gnashing their teeth about, but some of those same accused criminals could’ve been on the street after paying cash bail under the old system, as we discussed just the other day.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 9:53 am

Comments

Regarding that final line, I keep reading similar stories: “Person X released with no bail under Act and does X.”
Those stories always assume that if the person was released on bail it would make some difference.
I’m just not seeing anything to support that claim.

Comment by Crash Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 10:06 am
This can’t be right. I was promised a Purge… /s

Comment by vern Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 10:15 am
Winnebago County was one of the more, lets say vocal, opponents of this reform. The sheriff had shown opposition from the start back in 2021. The county board was passing non-binding resolutions to repeal the act. The State’s Attorney was animated in his opposition.

Back on Sept 22 of 2022, the Sheriff even put up a video on Youtube.

“I have a daily population of 800 to 850 and roughly I’m letting out with this new law roughly 400 inmates.

Is he now dragging his feet letting people out who should be let out. Because he seemed rather certain he would be the one letting all those people out automatically. Or did he not understand what the law meant back in 2021.

It’s fascinating how many people went on the record publicly with statements which are now making them appear to be unqualified to hold the job they are holding.

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 10:44 am
Will the prognosticators of no-bail doom acknowledge the facts being gathered in real time? Or are they going to try get a pass like the prognosticators of weather doom?

Comment by Lefty Lefty Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 11:06 am
Maybe you should be checking Lake County. They are down 150 since the “No Bond” started in late September. Probably a good thing since they are no longer excepting prisoners from the local departments due to an extreme shortage of staffing.
Why the shortage? The SAFETY ACT made the police the enemy, all those who could retired, did, many just quit, and the historical low of qualified people applying for the job.

Comment by Palatine Pop Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 12:26 pm
At first, Law Enforcement said this:
https://capitolfax.com/2018/05/09/hippies-are-gonna-make-us-kill-all-our-dogs/

Then, all the folderol about the SAFE-T act.

They’d better be careful, or they’ll be regarded as The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf.

Comment by Anyone Remember Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 12:32 pm
== They’d better be careful, or they’ll be regarded as The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf.==

I keep waiting for law enforcement to pay any meaningful price for all their lying and fear-mongering, but as far as I can tell it hasn’t happened yet.

Comment by charles in charge Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 12:36 pm
==made the police the enemy, all those who could retired, did, many just quit==

Provide statistics to back up this claim

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 12:52 pm
=== The SAFETY ACT made the police the enemy, all those who could retired, did, many just quit, and the historical low of qualified people applying for the job.===
The Safe-T Act didn’t make police the enemy. Where does it say that? Police are retiring for the same reason plumbers are retiring. They’re getting old. Every day 10,000 boomers reach 65.

Comment by 17% Solution Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 1:12 pm
=Why the shortage? The SAFETY ACT made the police the enemy, all those who could retired, did, many just quit, and the historical low of qualified people applying for the job.=

I thought police were supposed to be tough guys? Such victims.

Also, data? MAybe you can also explain why such (allegedly) pro-law enforcement places like Texas and Florida are struggling to find police. I’ll wait.

=I keep waiting for law enforcement to pay any meaningful price for all their lying and fear-mongering, but as far as I can tell it hasn’t happened yet.=

Like, where are all of the chinese pot growing operations that our rural sheriffs were talking about? The pot head zombies?

It is getting older by the second.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 1:14 pm
The Sky…still there.

Comment by Dotnonymous x Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 2:41 pm
@JS Mill, I know you are more of an expert than I but I think the shortage of teachers is due to the SafeT Act too. /s

I mean that makes more sense than overworked, underpaid, Tier 2, etc. amirite?

No accountably on the lies before the act and now they just make other random statements. At what point will facts hit these people?

Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Oct 25, 23 @ 3:40 pm