In 2017, the Illinois General Assembly passed a statewide bail reform law that provided for a presumption that most people charged with nonviolent crimes could be released without posting cash bonds. DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin has testified that since that law went into effect, his county saw an overall increase of 53% in defendants failing to appear for their court dates.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.