Cash bail detains few people charged with felonies

Under the current cash bail system in Illinois, most people do not await trial in jail, according to researchers from the Loyola University Chicago Center for Criminal Justice Research. This chart from the college shows how many people with pending felony cases were awaiting trial in jail custody, compared to those who were awaiting trial at home at the end of the calendar year between 2017 and 2019.

Researchers used the Illinois Department of Corrections’ Jail and Detention Standards Unit 2017-2019 Annual Reports, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts’ 2017-2019 Annual Reports, and the online pretrial data portal.
Source: Loyola University Chicago Center for Criminal Justice Research