Darren Bailey, a candidate for Illinois Governor, has expressed concerns regarding the state’s SAFE-T Act, asserting that it limits judges’ discretion in pretrial detention decisions and should be revised.
“J.B. Pritzker’s Safety Act took common sense out of the courtroom and replaced it with cashless bail,” said Bailey, Gubernatorial Candidate. “Judges’ hands were tied, violent criminals were turned loose, and regular folks were left to deal with the fallout. Look, the bottom line here is violent criminals shouldn’t be turned loose by default. When a law won’t allow that, it needs fixed.”
The SAFE-T Act, which includes the Pretrial Fairness Act, eliminated cash bail across Illinois and introduced a hearing-based pretrial system starting September 18, 2023. This legislative change has faced significant scrutiny from prosecutors and local officials and was challenged legally; however, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law in Rowe v. Raoul. Additionally, reports from late 2025 in Chicago have underscored ongoing public safety issues related to pretrial release or electronic monitoring in certain cases.
According to public debate, one case involved Nicholas M. Koczor, who was arrested in 2022 on charges of aggravated battery against a peace officer in McHenry County. Reports indicate he was held pretrial after failing to post bond and later sought release under the new Pretrial Fairness Act. Prosecutors highlighted alleged threats made by Koczor as part of their concerns about the revised framework.
CWBChicago reported on another incident involving Deontay Logan, 33, who was on felony pretrial release when prosecutors accused him of shooting his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend on June 1, resulting in attempted murder charges. A judge subsequently ordered Logan’s detention following a hearing where prosecutors detailed the allegations and argued he posed a danger. Bailey referenced such incidents—where release is followed by alleged new violence—as justification for enhancing detention options for defendants considered high-risk.
Bailey is an Illinois farmer and former state legislator who served in both the Illinois House and Senate before becoming the Republican nominee for governor in 2022. He continues to campaign on public safety issues, including criticism of the SAFE-T Act’s pretrial system. The governance structure of Illinois comprises an elected executive (the governor), a bicameral General Assembly responsible for enacting statutes like the SAFE-T Act, and a judiciary that interprets these laws with statewide constitutional review authority.
