YWCA E/NS Response to The SAFE-T Act and Pretrial Fairness Act

YWCA Evanston/North Shore firmly supports the Pretrial Fairness Act, as this transformative and historical legislation to end cash bonds will help domestic violence survivors. YWCA’s mission is to eliminate racism and empower women, and we recognize that the current cash bail system disproportionately impacts Brown and Black communities through over criminalization of both offenders and survivors.

The Pretrial Fairness Act ensures that survivors of domestic violence will have greater access to notification and orders of protection and that poverty is no longer a driver of incarceration. We are proud to be a part of an expansive state-wide coalition of domestic violence advocates that helped shape and advance this reform through a lens of mindful consideration of the needs of survivors.

There are many changes under this act that support and enhance protections for survivors, including expanded options for getting an order of protection, strengthened notification processes, and the option to get an order of protection at a bond hearing at any point in time. We look forward to seeing decisions made based on safety and risk and not access to money, resulting in more just and equitable outcomes for the communities we serve.