The population in the Cook County Jail was reduced after Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail.
Cook County Jail Population Reduces Following Cash Bail Elimination to Jail Defendants in Illinois
The population in the Cook County Jail reduced following the elimination or the ending of cash bail to jail defendants in Illinois, wherein the proponents of the cash bail elimination believed that the defendants should not be forced to remain in Cook County Jail just because they couldn’t pay the cash bail.
According to a report published in Chicago Sun Times, the Cook County Jail already reported less than 5,000 detainees and defendants, even smaller than the population Cook County Jail reported during the pandemic when officials tried to lessen overcrowding in the Cook County Jail, which became noticeable after the elimination of cash bail to defendants.
With the cash bail eliminated in the Cook County Jail, criminals who faced a certain criminal charge would not be held in Cook County Jail unlike what it used to be before where they would be held in jail until they paid for the cash bail, which would make it quicker for criminals to get away with their crimes.
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Cash Bail Elimination in Illinois Receives Criticism Following the Decreasing Numbers of Population in Cook County Jail
Although having fewer people detained in Cook County Jail was great news, some critics claimed that it only means larger numbers of criminals are on the loose due to the elimination of cash bail, CBS News reported.
Suspects who had been released due to the lack of cash bail in Cook County Jail could find more victims while they wait for their trial, especially since cash bail elimination has already been implemented in various jails.