The SAFE-T Act

The “SAFE-T Act '' is a soon-to-be law. Fortunately, only citizens of Illinois are the immediate victims from this act which passed earlier this year. This bill was signed into law by governor JB Pritzker on January 22, 2021. The “SAFE-T Act” is set to become law at the start of 2023. A very concerning feature of this act is that not only does it “allow” certain crimes and petty theft to be reduced but now, convicted criminals will be released with no cash bail and minor probation. People who are convicted and/or sought for a crime cannot be prosecuted for approximately forty eight hours after an arrestable offense has been committed. This SAFE-T Act also ends the system of “cash bail” and abolishes the money bail system as of January 1st.

According to the U.S Commissions on Civil Rights', the cash bail system unevenly affects and impacts Black and Brown communities. The new law is allegedly aiming to get rid of cash bail to address issues of systematic racism in the criminal justice system, but many locals believe it would only allow violent offenders to walk free. Cash bail also impacts many other underrepresented, underserved, or impoverished groups of society. As clarification, someone who is already convicted and in jail will not be released; however, anyone who is arrested or apprehended after January 1st may be considered to be released prior to their trial, because of the assumption of innocence that is guaranteed by the United States Constitution. However because of the SAFE-T Act the prosecuting judge will have the power to determine if an individual should/could be released based on a public safety evaluation, and excluding the amount of funds the defendant may have to pay bail.

To put this another way, someone who is considered a threat and a constant consecutive danger to the public and society will have their past convictions evaluated. Judges will take into consideration if they have repeated infractions or not. By the newly invested power from the SAFE-T Act, the judge could immediately take away any possibility of release by bail or probation and solely judge them by their criminal pedigree. Offenses impacted by the new SAFE-T Act are the following: aggravated battery, aggravated DUI, aggravated fleeing, arson, burglary, drug-induced homicide, intimidation, kidnapping, robbery, 2nd-degree murder, and threatening a public official.

Imagine if someone were to break into your house. You may call the police but they will not respond because that scenario is not going to be considered a safety compromising situation. If there was an individual who has managed to break into your back shed or garage, the only legal resort that the police will be allowed to make will be inscribing a ticket, no more no less. It comes to the owner of the property to devise the amount of force, whatever that may mean, to then remove the intruder/trespasser from their property.

The “SAFE-T Act” is pushing civilians out into the open with relatively no protection and no reliable means of safety, which is ironic considering the name. People will be forced to take matters into their own hands and assume their own amount of proper force and reasonable use of power, with little to no help from their local law enforcement. Many people frown upon this act. Citizens in Illinois have spoken and said “they do not side with such a lawless state, no enforcement and no protection will inevitably lead to more crime” (Injustice Watch). Citizens who have only lived in Illinois are in a way being forced to move and relocate, they simply believe that they would no longer feel safe in what could be a highly hostile environment, and can not live with constant worry. This issue is very concerning no matter who you are, if a bill like this can pass and be signed and initiated into law, imagine what else could be to come. Many politicians are afraid that ideas and laws as such may spread or become incorporated in present laws. Officers across the state are in strong disagreement, one anonymous officer stated anonymously to the Chicago Sun Times: ”I don't believe in not being able to do my job I feel like I would no longer be protecting or serving.”