Jefferson County Sheriff supports collaborative reforms to SAFE-T Act

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

MT. VERNON, Ill., (KBSI) — Jefferson County Sheriff Jeffrey Bullard has joined sheriffs across Illinois in supporting efforts to collaborate with state leaders on potential modifications to the SAFE-T Act, citing concerns about its impact on public safety, victims and local justice systems.

Sheriffs statewide maintain that their priority is protecting residents, and they welcomed recent comments from Gov. J.B. Pritzker indicating he is open to considering changes to the law following several high-profile incidents.

“As front-line public safety professionals, we see firsthand how policy decisions impact victims, communities, peace officers and the criminal justice system as a whole,” the statement said. “Our goal is to ensure the system is fair, transparent and effectively keeps our communities safe.”

Illinois sheriffs outlined several areas they believe deserve consideration:

Sheriffs say judges should have broader discretion when determining whether a defendant should be detained pretrial. They argue that limiting detention to a narrow list of qualifying offenses restricts judges’ ability to weigh case facts, criminal history and victim input.

Under current procedures, the Office of Pretrial Services interviews only the arrestee before making recommendations, which sheriffs say does not fully account for the impact on victims or the community.

The elimination of cash bail has created financial strains for counties, the sheriffs said. Bail previously helped fund court operations, jail staffing, victim services and enforcement. In some cases, defendants are now held longer while waiting to appear before a judge, adding to local costs.

Sheriffs also noted decreased revenue from failure-to-appear warrants. They support returning to the prior system in which a warrant is issued after a missed court date without further notice.

The statement calls for clearer communication about sentencing outcomes. Sheriffs argue that statutory sentencing ranges often do not align with actual time served due to credits or adjustments, which they say can undermine public confidence.

They cited cases in which individuals convicted of forcible felonies served significantly less than 50 percent of their prison sentences and urged reforms to the parole board.

Sheriffs expressed readiness to work with the governor, legislators, prosecutors, judges and community stakeholders to strengthen public safety and rebuild trust.

“These changes are not about undoing reform,” the statement said. “They are about ensuring reforms function as intended and do not unintentionally place victims, communities or officers at risk.”