(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — With cash bond ending in Illinois next year, a partnership of advocates has launched a pilot program to help defendants find stable housing as they await trial.
Some defendants freed on their own recognizance starting in January, under a new system designed to keep low-level offenders out of jail as their cases move through state court.
Annissa Lambirth-Garrett, director of the Chicago Low-Income Housing Trust Fund, said these defendants might not want to go back to an overcrowded or dilapidated home or live around the wrong crowd.
Her group will help them find housing and provide financial assistance.
Amy Campanelli, a former Cook County public defender, said the program also provides supportive services such as mental health counseling and employment assistance.
The connection between bond reform and housing is the topic of discussion on “At Issue,” which airs 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sunday.
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