Opponents of electronic monitoring say trading ankle bracelets for cash bail won't guarantee justice

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - This Monday, bail reform takes the spotlight as Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to abolish cash bond.

However, there are growing concerns that trading cash bail for ankle bracelets won't guarantee justice for the accused.

Opponents of electronic monitoring held a rally downtown Thursday ahead of Monday's historic end to cash bail in Illinois as part of the controversial SAFE-T Act.

Their concern is that judges will replace cash bonds with ankle monitors.

Sarah Stout, an attorney with the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, says moving from cash bail to electronic monitoring trades one bad practice for another.

"It means they're in their house 24/7 with the exception of two short periods where they can leave the home just twice a week, where they can do just very basic outings," said Stout.

Electronic monitoring, or as some call it "digital jail," has led to instances where the innocent find they can't do the time at home, according to multiple studies.

"We know that sometimes people end up pleading guilty to crimes even when they haven't committed them because of all the pressure put on them by electronic monitoring," said Stout.

Inside the Cook County Public Defender's Office, they've been preparing for the release of inmates with no cash bond for two years and remind everyone that determining a suspect's guilt or innocence doesn't happen in bond court.