A set of controversial reforms to Illinois' cash bail system went into effect this week, changing a decades-old system of holding people in jail until their trial begins when they can't afford to pay bail.

Backers of the change hope it will eliminate a hardship which has fallen primarily on marginalized communities. Social justice groups, some elected officials and others have hailed the Pretrial Fairness Act as a breakthrough.

Sen. Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, president of the Senate, said it should help thousands of people who often lost their jobs, housing and even custody of children because they couldn't afford bail.

"Risk-based detention takes effect, people who -- I will remind you, are considered innocent in the eyes of the law -- will now forfeit their freedom based on the threat they pose," Harmon explained. "They will not forfeit their freedom because they lack the cash to buy it."

Opponents of the act, including prosecutors and other law enforcement officials, warned it could put dangerous criminals back on the street. The new law gives judges more latitude to look at a suspect's background and other factors to consider their likelihood of committing more crimes if they return to the community.

Implementation of the act was delayed several months by a court challenge, which was recently resolved. Under the previous system, thousands of people faced financial and family consequences when they could not afford to pay for their release from jail.

Rep. Chris Welch, D-Westchester, Speaker of the House, predicted the measure will help keep families together.

"Today is the day that we stop criminalizing poverty," Welch emphasized. "Today is the day we end a system that keeps you in jail solely because you lack resources."

The Pretrial Fairness Act is part of a sweeping package of criminal justice reforms approved by the Illinois General Assembly in 2021. The law contains a number of changes affecting policing and the court system, including pretrial detention and bail, sentencing and corrections.


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An Alabama bookstore is working to make sure people in prison have access to books.

The Burdock Book Collective in Birmingham is on a mission to bridge connections and shatter stereotypes within the prison system.

Teaming up with the Alabama Books to Prison Project, they are providing books and pen pals to help people combat the isolation of prison life and expand their access to educational resources.

For collective co-founder Katie Willis - who is also a volunteer with the project - the act of sending books fosters connections and helps bring humanity to people serving time.

"Also the relationships that are built by sending books to people - and feeling cared for, feeling connected to somebody else," said Willis. "Because a lot of the folks that we are in contact with, they have no one else in the world. And so, it's been really meaningful for them in that way."

Since joining the books to prison program, she said the bookstore has delivered 400 books to about 200 recipients in recent years. According to data from the Prison Policy Initiative, about 43,000 people are incarcerated in Alabama.

Meagan Lyle, also a co-founder of collective and a volunteer with the project, explains that getting the books isn't always a straightforward process.

Someone at the prison - perhaps the warden or another designated person - determines which titles are allowed, so restrictions vary depending on the facility.

Lyle said the lack of clear-cut rules can make it difficult for those behind bars to get some of the reading material they seek.

"Sometimes, prisons have just been completely rejecting books from us," said Lyle. "So, there are a few prisons - including Tutwiler and the Montgomery Women's Facility - that haven't accepted books. And they cite the reasons are, like, contraband."

Willis and Lyle said they're working to forge connections with jails and prisons statewide to grow their efforts.

And they firmly believe the simple gesture of providing reading materials can bring about change, even in a system plagued by low parole rates and overcrowding.

Lyle said she hopes this work can also serve as a way to initiate discussions on restorative justice.

"I think you can come to this project thinking, 'Oh yeah, anybody deserves a book,'" said Lyle. "But you may not totally recognize the humanity in people that are incarcerated until you start building relationships with them. I hope that is something that's coming out of this, for folks on the outside."

According to the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, there can be significant negative economic and social impacts when incarcerated people don't have access to education, that can affect them after their release.




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A Mississippi-based organization is providing free books to incarcerated individuals to promote literacy and pave the way for prison reform.

Prison book programs have been distributing free books to inmates in the United States since the early 1970s.

Miranda Vaughn, program assistant for the nonprofit Big House Books, said they have been sending books to incarcerated individuals throughout the state since 2014. She explained they collect book donations from the community and supply them to incarcerated individuals upon request. Inmates can request specific titles, authors or literary genres through letters.

"Every person who writes to us gets three books, regardless of whether they ask for 20 or they asked for one," Vaughn noted. "We just send them all three books. They have to be paperback only, and we always ask that they're in good condition. Any time we can send them new books, obviously, we try to do that as well."

Vaughn emphasized they operate mainly on the generosity of individual donors and volunteers. While the organization sometimes receives small grants, its primary source of funding is individual contributions, typically ranging from $5 to $20 per month.

Vaughn added they have not run into any issues so far with the book bans in Mississippi prisons, but some city and county jails throughout the state are a little stricter about what they will accept.

"We are written into the Department of Corrections policy as a book vendor. They have to accept our books," Vaughn stressed. "But some of the local jails and stuff that aren't really under that jurisdiction can pretty much have whatever restrictions they want, and we really can't do anything about it."

Vaughn said this GivingTuesday, they are asking the public to donate more books to help them send 1,000 packages to incarcerated Mississippians. They have a financial goal of $5,000 and she added each package contains three books to educate and transform an incarcerated person in Mississippi.


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Florida lawmakers are being asked to use the winter months to swiftly install air conditioning in prison housing units before the return of scorching summer temperatures.

Ricky Dixon, secretary of the Department of Corrections, told a Senate committee 75% of Florida prison housing currently lacks air conditioning.

Denise Rock, executive director of the advocacy group Florida Cares Charity Corp., a nonprofit working with people who are incarcerated and their families, said she is convinced the sweltering conditions in state facilities ultimately are unsafe. Rock pointed out their concern is lawmakers simply do not see the urgency, or have the will to act, to fix the problem.

"I read someone had mentioned, 'No one has died because of air conditioning.' We've had lots of people pass out, by the way; we have records of lots of people passing out," Rock countered. "You know, cooler temperatures cool people's personality temperatures. That in itself is a reason to provide that air conditioning in those housing units."

Previous legislative attempts to air-condition the prisons have been unsuccessful. Recently, Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, announced House Bill 181, mandating each state correctional institution provide a portable air conditioner or air-cooling system in every prison housing unit. A parallel measure, Senate Bill 296, has been filed by Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville.

With climate change and record summer heat, Rock argued the time is now for lawmakers to find a permanent solution by retrofitting all existing housing facilities with portable air conditioning. She credited the Corrections Department for doing the best it can over the summer.

"Providing cold water and ice in the quads; allowing them to wear shorts in their housing units, which normally they're not all allowed to; providing electrolyte packets," Rock outlined. "But that still was not enough, especially with our aging population."

Rock noted almost one-third of Florida's prison population is age 50 and older, emphasizing the medical need for many to stay cool.

Dixon seemed to endorse the urgency for air conditioning. A consultant's report to senators on Nov. 15 estimated the cost at about $582 million. However, Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Lee County, questioned whether the investment is worth it.


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