Illinois set to become 1st state to eliminate cash bail
On Jan. 1, Illinois will become the first state in the nation to entirely eliminate cash bail amid high concern about crime. On Jan. 1, Illinois is set to become the first state to completely eliminate cash bail, a closely-watched bid to advance racial justice that has also raised concerns about public safety. State lawmakers last year passed a sweeping overhaul of the criminal justice system – the SAFE-T Act – that includes dramatic changes to pretrial detainment protocols state wide. The legislation makes presumption of release the default, ending any financial considerations in the decision of who should remain behind bars. "The use of money as a determining factor in whether somebody is going to be in or out of jail before trial is really just an abhorrent practice," said Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell. WATCH: ABC News Live PRIME explores the cash bail debate in Illinois on Monday at 7 p.m./9 p.m. ET. Streaming on Hulu. Judges will have primary responsibili...