The League of Women Voters of Cook County applauds the new policy of the State’s Attorney’s Office to recommend that people accused of low-level offenses be granted pretrial release. In providing this guidance, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has taken a step towards making pretrial services fairer and rebuilding community faith in the County’s justice system. “We are extraordinarily pleased with the direction the State’s Attorney’s Office is taking on the issue of cash bail,” said Jan Goldberg, Co-chair of the League’s Criminal Justice Interest Group. “The elimination of cash bail was our number one recommendation in our report. We found that the inequities that occurred in bond court only exacerbated the inequities that followed. We hope that this first step will go a long way towards creating a fairer pretrial experience for all defendants in Cook County.” For several years the Cook County League has advocated for 11 reforms to the County’s pretrial services, including the discontinuation of cash bail. If you would like to learn more, visit www.lwvcookcounty.org.