Pretrial Implementation Task Force | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts
The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force was created in 2020 to prioritize and implement the recommendations of the Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices Final Report and help prepare the justice system for the changes coming once the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA). The PFA abolishes the use of cash bail in pretrial release decisions on Jan. 1, 2023 and establishes new processes for pretrial release and detention decisions.
The Task Force is committed to preparing all justice system partners throughout Illinois to implement the requirements of the PFA by its January 1 effective date. To accomplish this, the Task Force, its subcommittees and other AOIC working groups are partnering with national, state and local experts including the Center for Effective Public Policy and Justice System Partners. The Task Force has created six subcommittees: Communications, Education and Training, Legislation, Pretrial Assessment Tools, PFA Guidelines and PFA Pilot Sites. The subcommittees are made up of over 100 members from around the state and include judges, sheriffs, police chiefs, state’s attorneys, public defenders, circuit clerks, pretrial officers, domestic violence advocates, victims’ rights advocates, community members with lived experience in the pretrial system, trial court administrators and researchers.
Press Releases
Town Hall Meetings
The Task Force will host a series of monthly town hall meetings starting on June 23 at 4 p.m. via Zoom. These meetings will update court stakeholders on the work of the Task Force as it prepares for the changes coming once the Pretrial Fairness Act and answer questions regarding the PFA.
Future town hall meetings are scheduled for the third Thursday of the month at noon: July 21, August 18, September 15 and continuing into 2023. Any questions regarding the town halls and the work of the Task Force can be sent to pretrialtaskforce@illinoiscourts.gov
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Date & Time
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Event Overview
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Introductory Town Hall
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June 23, 4 p.m.
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This first town hall will cover an introduction of the six subcommittees and their work to prepare the state for implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act.
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Town Hall No. 2
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July 21, noon
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An agenda for this town hall will be posted at a later date.
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Town Hall No. 3
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August 18, noon
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An agenda for this town hall will be posted at a later date.
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Town Hall No. 4
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September 15, noon
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An agenda for this town hall will be posted at a later date.
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Subcommittee Information
PFA Guidelines
Subcommittee Purpose
The purpose of the PFA Guidelines Subcommittee is to develop a model process, guidelines, and related resources for counties to use to implement the Pretrial Fairness Act.
Subcommittee Activities
To accomplish its purpose, this subcommittee will conduct the following activities:
- Prepare a model system map that illustrates how the system “should” work based on the PFA and taking into consideration the Commission’s report.
- Prepare guidelines that explain how pretrial decision making should occur under the PFA (e.g., what are the components of a pretrial detention hearing, under the PFA).
- Identify where new court rules or forms are needed to provide guidance to the counties.
- Develop documents that are designed to advise counties on the steps they can take to implement the PFA.
- Identify the most challenging parts of the PFA and develop guidance for counties to consider when starting to implement the PFA.
- Liaise with the PFA Pilot Sites Subcommittee and hear what challenges are facing the pilot sites; revise any documents or guidance accordingly.
- Liaise with the Education Subcommittee to ensure that any training materials align with the guidance prepared by this subcommittee.
PFA Pilot Sites
Subcommittee Purpose
The purpose of the Pilot Sites Subcommittee is to identify and provide technical assistance to two (2) to three (3) sites to support their implementation of the PFA, and to share their tools, templates and experience with other jurisdictions so that all Illinois counties are prepared to fully implement the provisions of the PFA in advance of the 1/1/23 effective date.
Subcommittee Activities
To accomplish its purpose, this subcommittee will conduct the following activities:
- Identify pilot sites via engagement with cross-disciplinary local stakeholders and community members
- Work with the sites to develop and implement plans that incorporate the input of cross-disciplinary local stakeholders and community members and have clearly defined goals and objectives
- Serve in a supportive advisory role to the sites as they conduct planning and implementation
- Develop baseline measures and support sites’ data collection efforts to determine the impact of the pilot project in partnership with the Guidelines subcommittee
- Create and implement a forum to support statewide sharing of tools, processes and lessons learned from pilot sites
Education
Subcommittee Purpose
The Education Subcommittee shall develop a comprehensive Education Plan (Plan) to support the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) effective January 1, 2023.
Subcommittee Activities
To accomplish its purpose, this subcommittee will conduct the following activities:
- Develop a comprehensive education plan to identify the following and sustain continuing education post PFA implementation.
- Identify overall educational goals.
- Identify the Stakeholders, including the community.
- Determine the educational needs of each Stakeholder group.
- Develop a comprehensive PFA curriculum.
- Design courses consistent with Stakeholder need and overall educational goal.
- Identify presenters.
- Develop a calendar of PFA programs and course presentations.
- Collaborate with the Task Force Guidelines, Assessment and Communication Subcommittees, to ensure educational content, materials and resources align.
- Coordinate with OSPS on PFA related education content, materials and resources.
Communications
Subcommittee Purpose
The purpose of the Communications Subcommittee is to develop a plan and resources to educate diverse internal and external audiences about the PFA—including the legal and evidence-based practices that will support successful implementation of the law—and the AOIC’s plans for PFA implementation.
Subcommittee Activities
To accomplish its purpose, this subcommittee will conduct the following activities:
- Prepare a strategic communications plan for both internal and external audiences that the Task Force can discuss and approve.
a. Create a public webpage that covers the basics of the PFA, explainers, and news coverage; this would be geared towards public, media, legislators.
- Identify and recruit spokespeople from varied constituencies, including stakeholder agencies, advocacy groups, and the community.
- Create documents (e.g., issue briefs, policy summaries, talking points) that are designed to:
a. help the public understand the changes underway as the PFA is implemented
b. provide clear, accurate, and up-to-date guidance to those speaking publicly (or internally) about PFA implementation
- Coordinate with the Education Subcommittee and PFA Guidelines Subcommittee to ensure consistency in content and messaging.
Legislation
Subcommittee Purpose
Review pretrial-related legislation for possible improvements and clarity.
Pretrial Assessment Tools
Subcommittee Purpose
The purpose of the Pretrial Assessment Tools subcommittee is to develop and approve guidelines for scoring and using assessment tools related to the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA).
Subcommittee Activities
To accomplish its purpose, this subcommittee will conduct the following activities:
- Review the sections of PFA about the use of pretrial assessment tools
- Identify existing pretrial services professionals within Illinois and outside of Illinois to serve as advisors to the subcommittee, as necessary
- Develop processes and clearly defined instructions on scoring the three approved tools in use across Illinois (ORAS, VPRAI-R, PSA)
- Represent the Taskforce on the JSP Steering Committee for the development of a statewide tool
- Identify potential research questions or measures that may need to be forwarded to the AOIC (OSPS) data team
- Defining willful vs. non-willful flight - Potential cross over with PFA Guidelines
Committee Members
Charge: Provide guidance and recommendations regarding pre-trial reform in the Illinois criminal justice system.
Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices Final Report
Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices Preliminary Report
Chairperson: Hon. Robbin J. Stuckert
Supreme Court Liaison: Hon. P. Scott Neville, Jr.
Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts
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Dan Hunt - Assistant Director, Probation Services
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Joanne Olson - Chief of Staff, Office of Statewide Pretrial Services
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Sharjeel Rizvi - Pretrial Services Administrator
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Jason Slone - Field Services Coordinator
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Wendy Venvertloh - Deputy Director of Performance Management, OSPS
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carol
Representative Carol Ammons serves as a State Representative in Illinois, representing the 103rd District in Champaign-Urbana. She has served in the Illinois House of Representatives since January 2015.
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Sheriff John Booker serves as the Sheriff in Whiteside County, Illinois. He has served as Sheriff since 2019.
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Senator John Curran serves in the Illinois Senate representing the 41st District. He has served as an Illinois Senator since July 2017.
mitchell
Mitchell Davis is the Chief of Police for the Hazel Crest Police Department. He serves on the Board of Officers of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and recently served as president of the Association.
garien
Garien Gatewood is the Director of the Illinois Justice Project. He also has served as a Governor-appointed member of the Board of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority since 2021.
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Keith Grant is Chief of Special Defense in the Office of the Lake County Public Defender. He serves as President of the Illinois Public Defender Association.
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Justin Hood has served as the State’s Attorney in Hamilton County, Illinois since 2008. He also recently served as President of the Illinois State’s Attorney Association.
nathalina
Nathalina Hudson is the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and previously was Deputy Attorney General for the Criminal Enforcement Division.
clint
Hon. Clint Hull is the Chief Judge of the 16th Judicial Circuit in Kane County, Illinois. He was first elected Chief Judge in 2019 after being appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court as a Circuit Judge in 2016 and Associate Judge in 2009.
rebecca
Rebecca Janowitz serves as a member of the Cook County Justice Advisory Council. She previously was Special Assistant for Legal Affairs at the Cook County Justice Advisory Council.
sharone
Sharone Mitchell has served as the Cook County Public Defender since April 2021. He was previously director of the Illinois Justice Project.
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Hon. P. Scott Neville is a Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. He has served on the Supreme Court since June 2018.
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David Olson is a Professor in the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department at Loyola University Chicago, and is Co-Director of Loyola’s Center for Criminal Justice Research, Policy and Practice. He serves as the Chairperson for the advisory boards of the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.
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Senator Elgie Sims serves in the Illinois Senate representing the 17th District in Chicago. He has served as the Illinois General Assembly since 2012, first in the House of Representatives, then in the Senate beginning in January 2018.
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Hon. Cara Smith is Director of the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services within the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts. She previously served as a Cook County Circuit Court Judge beginning in 2019 and as Chief Policy Advisor to the Cook County Sheriff prior to joining the bench.
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Hon. Robbin Stuckert is the Chair of the Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Practices Implementation Task Force. She also served as the Chair of the Supreme Court’s Commission on Pretrial Practices. Judge Stuckert was the Chief Judge of the 23rd Judicial Circuit of Illinois (DeKalb and Kendall Counties) from 2012 until retiring in 2021, after first becoming a Circuit Judge in 2003.
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Carol Thompson is a partner at Chapman and Cutler LLP. Carol serves as Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee of the Civic Federation of Chicago and represents the Civic Federation on the Task Force.
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Representative Dan Ugaste serves as a State Representative in Illinois, representing the 65th District. He has served in the Illinois House of Representatives since January 2019.