Winnebago County criminal justice officials say they were prepared for the end of cash bail, but the extra work it requires is straining limited resources and already overworked personnel.
Preparing for initial court appearances under the Pretrial Fairness Act is a more difficult and time-consuming task than bond court ever was, said Winnebago County State's Attorney J. Hanley.
Burnout among prosecutors could become a real problem, Hanley warned.
Hanley was among officials who participated in a panel discussion Wednesday night at Veterans Memorial Hall.
They gave Rockford residents a primer on the Pretrial Safety Act which took effect Sept. 18. Hosted by Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli and Board Member Brad Lindmark, the event also featured Chief Judge John Lowry, Sheriff Gary Caruana, Public Defender Nick Zimmerman and Circuit Clerk Chief Deputy Tom Lawson.
Advocates say this is the end of a cash bail system that punished the poor and traumatized their families.
Lowry told residents that the 17th Circuit Court spent months studying the law and preparing for it. So far, initial appearance court and detention hearings have gone smoothly, he said.
Caruana said he remains concerned with parts of the law. The practice of issuing notices to appear in court instead of arresting on lower level offenses could increase risks to public safety, he said.
And the loss of fees associated with bail will eventually have to be replaced, Lawson said.
Jeff Kolkey can be reached at (815) 987-1374, via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on Twitter @jeffkolkey.
