Jurisdictions across the country are moving away from money as a condition of pretrial release, a shift broadly supported by research, advocates, and communities seeking fairer, more equitable systems. In Illinois and New Jersey, pretrial systems without financial release conditions are now in place. As these systems mature, they raise important questions that warrant honest, community-grounded examination: When money is removed from the equation, how are victims/survivors, people accused of crimes, and their loved ones experiencing the change?
This training brought together people with direct experience of pretrial justice systems: survivors of violence, people who have been accused of crimes, and family members who discussed how these changes affect them. Their perspectives illuminated critical questions about agency, safety, the presumption of innocence, and the structures needed to help ensure that removing financial conditions of release does not inadvertently create new forms of harm or limit people’s rights under the law.
“Thank you to Gem and Michael for doing this webinar. I appreciate it so much and their insight is invaluable.”
