Cook County prosecutors will no longer oppose the release of some detainees who are held on nonviolent offenses because they can't afford to pay cash bonds of up to $1,000 at a time. Sheriff Tom Dart's policy chief, Cara Smith, quickly praised the decision. Dart has focused on the issue for the past two years in order to reduce the county jail's population.
The immediate impact of the decision will be minimal, affecting just a few dozen of the more than 7,400 inmates currently in jail. But Foxx and other county officials say it'll make the criminal justice system fairer and more cost effective.
