Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., on Tuesday signed in to law a series of amendments to the landmark SAFE-T Act, which is a sweeping criminal justice overhaul that notably eliminates cash bail.

Cash bond has long been a practice used to ensure the accused appears at trial, but critics say it penalizes the poor.

I’m pleased that the General Assembly has passed clarifications that uphold the principle we fought to protect: to bring an end to a system where wealthy violent offenders can buy their way out of jail, while less fortunate nonviolent offenders wait in jail for trial,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Advocates and lawmakers came together and put in hours of work to strengthen and clarify this law, uphold our commitment to equity, and keep people safe.

State Democrats have said the measure's goal is to detain dangerous people while they await trial while not locking up those who pose no threat but sit in jail simply because they can't afford bail; however, a lot Republicans object to ending the cash bail system in Illinois over concerns about the risks of potentially releasing dangerous criminals into communities.

The bill goes into effect on January 1st, 2023.