November 9, 2020

The Honorable JB Pritzker State Capitol 207 Statehouse Springfield, IL 62706 Sent via email to GovPritzker@.gov

Re: Faith Leaders Call for Illinois to End Money Bond

Dear Governor Pritzker:

As many as 250,000 people will move through county jails in Illinois this year, some staying for hours and days, others for months and even years. The majority of these people are awaiting trial and presumed innocent. Even more concerning, most are incarcerated because they simply cannot afford to pay a money bond. As faith leaders, ​ we call on Illinois legislators, your office, and Lieutenant Governor Stratton and her office to end this wealth-based system.

As people of faith, we understand that each life is sacred. We know that equitable justice is essential. The great prophet Isaiah proclaimed that we must do the work of binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming release for captives, and securing liberation for prisoners. We know that this wealth-based system is unjust and we need prophetic voices and action.

Access to money should never determine whether someone is jailed or free to go home to their families, jobs, physician’s care, classroom, or any other part of their lives. The practice of requiring people merely accused of a crime—people who are innocent until proven guilty—to pay money to gain their freedom while awaiting trial is immoral and unfair.

The harms of money bonds reach far beyond individuals and disproportionately burden families that cannot afford to pay them. The result is jail for the impoverished and freedom for the wealthy. The individuals jailed lose their jobs, their housing, and sometimes even custody of their children. Their loved ones lose caretakers, primary income-earners, and companions. We need a justice system that repairs communities instead of further injuring them.

Illinois elected officials must take swift action to remedy this injustice and do so in a way that reduces the number of people jailed while legally innocent. We are grateful that Governor Pritzker’s administration remains committed to the same vision for fairness and we urge the legislature to make it a reality. Let us listen to the prophet Amos and allow justice to roll on like a river throughout our beautiful state. We, nearly 200 faith ​ leaders from different traditions and regions of the state, join together in calling on the Illinois General Assembly to end money bond in 2020.

601 S California Ave. · , IL 60612 www.endmoneybond.org Page 2 of 5

Signed,

Abdul Malik Mujahid, President, Sound Grant Swanson, Deacon, Urban Village Vision Foundation United Methodist Church Ahmed Taha, President, Muslim American Halil Demir, Executive Director, Zakat Society of Urbana-Champaign Foundation of America Aiman Beg, Board Member, Illinois Muslim Harriet Dart, Chair, Justice and Witness Civic Coalition Ministry; Chicago Metropolitan Ali Yurtsever, Executive Director of Islamic Association, United Church of Christ Society of Midwest Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, Justice For All Alka Lyall, Pastor, Broadway United Imam Badruddin Abdul Hafeez, Masjid Methodist Church Dawah Ashfaq Mohiuddin, UMMA Center Imam Ousmane Sawadogo, Central Illinois Barbara Stanford, St. Louis Meeting, Mosque and Islamic Center of Religious Society of Friends Urbana-Champaign (Quaker) Imam S. T. Ibrahim, Founding Imam, Beverly L. Wilkes-Null, United Methodist Mosque of ‘Umar, Inc. Clergy Imam Tariq I. El-Amin, Masjid Al-Taqwa Bishop Sally Dyck, Northern Illinois Annual James A. Hobart, Affiliated Minister, First Conference of the United Methodist Unitarian Church Church Jeremiah Wright, Trinity United Church of Chan Ik Choi, Site Pastor, Urban Village Christ Church Jerome Jackson, Pastor, Southern Mission Cynthia Breunlin, First United Methodist of Missionary Baptist Church Oak Park Rev. Lawrence Marshall, Pastor, Payne David Cherry, President, Leaders Network Chapel AME Church David Eber, Assistant Rabbi, Jewish Minister Attorney M. Michelle Day, Reconstructionist Congregation Nehemiah Trinity Rising Derek Elmi-Buursma, Pastor, Loop Mohammed Faheem, President, American Christian Reformed Church Muslims Assisting Neighbors Dilnaz Waraich, Interfaith and Outreach (AMAN) Co-Chair, Muslim Community Center Muhammed Aslan, Chaplain at UC Dr. Dilara Sayeed, President, Illinois Muslim Medicine Civic Coalition Pamela Rumancik, Minister, Unitarian Dr. Khalid Abdus Sami, Masjid Al Huda Church of Hinsdale Dr. Marvin E. Wickware, Jr., Assistant Pastor Adam Malak, Independent Professor of Church and Society and Pastor Cy M. Fields, New Landmark MB Ethics, Lutheran School of Theology Church at Chicago Pastor Debra Sutter, First Mennonite Dr. Saima Azfar, ICNA Relief Church of CU Fr. Larry Dowling, Pastor, St. Agatha Pastor J. Kevin James, Jr., Macedonia Catholic Church Baptist Church, East St Louis

601 S California Ave. · Chicago, IL 60612 www.endmoneybond.org Page 3 of 5

Pastor Norma Patterson, Good Shepherd of Rabbi Suzanne Griffel, Jewish Council on Faith United Church of Christ, East Urban Affairs St Louis Renée Antrosio, Pastor, New Covenant Pastor Seamus Enright, Reynolds United Fellowship Methodist Church Rev. Patrick Price, Unitarian Universalist Rabbi Ariel Naveh, Illini Hillel Cohen Center Minister for Jewish Life Rev. Alan C. Taylor, Unitarian Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, Chicago Director, Universalist Congregation Avodah Justice Fellowship Rev. Alan Taylor, Minister at Unity Temple Rabbi Binah B. Wing, Temple Beth-El UU Congregation Rabbi Brant Rosen, Tzedek Chicago Rev. Alexander Sharp, Clergy for a New Rabbi Bruce Elder, Congregation Hakafa Drug Policy Rabbi Bruce Elder, Congregation Hakafa Rev. Allen Harden, Unitarian Universalist Rabbi Daniel Kirzane, Oak Park Temple Congregation of Rock Valley Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Independent Rev. Allison Bengfort, Pastor, St. John's Rabbi Dr. Rachel S. Mikva, Chicago Lutheran Church of Wilmette Theological Seminary Rev. Allison Farnum, Director, Unitarian Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus, Shir Tikvah Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois Rabbi Frederick Reeves, KAM Isaiah Rev. Amy M. Heinrich, Associate Pastor, Rabbi Ilana Axel, Beth Tikvah Congregation First Presbyterian Church of Rabbi Ilana G. Baden, Temple Chai Libertyville Rabbi Lauren Henderson, Mishkan Chicago Rev. Anna Voinovich, Downers Grove First Rabbi Laurence Edwards, Congregation Or United Methodist Church Chadash, Emeritus Rev. Ben Adams, Holy Trinity Lutheran Rabbi Lisa Sari Bellows, Congregation Beth Church and the South Loop Campus Am Ministry Rabbi Maralee Gordon, Interfaith Rev. Betty Birkhahn-Rommelfanger, Community for Detained Immigrants Retired Clergy/Chaplain, United Rabbi Max Weiss, Oak Park Temple B'nai Methodist Abraham Zion Rev. Brian Hastings, Pastor, First Baptist Rabbi Megan GoldMarche, Base Hillel Church of Bloomington Rabbi Michael A. Weinberg, Temple Beth Rev. Brian Sauder, Faith in Place Action Israel, Skokie Fund Rabbi Paul F. Cohen, D.Min., D.D., Temple Rev. Bruce Ray, Pastor, Kimball Avenue Jeremiah United Church of Christ & Nuestra Rabbi Rachel Weiss, Jewish Señora De Las Americas Episcopal Reconstructionist Congregation Church Rabbi Scott Gellman, Temple Sholom of Rev. Catherine Healy, Rector, Church of St. Chicago Paul & the Redeemer Rabbi Seth M. Limmer, Chicago Sinai Rev. Charles Straight, Faith United Congregation Methodist Church Rabbi Shoshanah Conover, Temple Sholom Rev. Colin Knapp, Pilgrim Congregational of Chicago Church

601 S California Ave. · Chicago, IL 60612 www.endmoneybond.org Page 4 of 5

Rev. Colleen Vahey, Minister, of Chicago Rev. Dr. Terrill N. Murff, Chicago Rev. Darice Wright, New Faith Baptist Metropolitan Association of the Church International Illinois Conference of the United Rev. Darrick Jackson, Affiliated Community Church of Christ Minister, of Rev. Dr. Vilius Rudra Dundzila, Peoples Chicago Church of Chicago Rev. David B. Thornton, Sixth Grace Rev. Dr. Waltrina Middleton, Community Presbyterian Church Renewal Society Rev. David Schwartz, First Unitarian Church Rev. Dr. William Sasso, Minister Emeritus, and Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship Rev. Dennis M. Oglesby, Jr., Rev. Eileen Wiviott, Acting Senior Minister, Transformation Community United Unitarian Church of Evanston Methodist Church Rev. Elizabeth A. Harding, AM, MDiv, Rev. Dr. Ann L. Rosewall, Senior Minister, LCSW Affiliated Community First Congregational Church of Minister, Second Unitarian Church of Evanston, UCC Chicago Rev. Dr. Beth Brown, Pastor, Lincoln Park Rev. Emily Gage, Unity Temple Unitarian Presbyterian Church Universalist Congregation Rev. Dr. Darla Ann R. Kratzer, Pastor, Our Rev. Emily McGinley, Urban Village Church Lord's Lutheran Church Rev. Erik Christensen, Lutheran School of Rev. Dr. Lee Barker, President Emeritus, Theology at Chicago Meadville Lombard Theological Rev. Florence Caplow, Unitarian School Universalist Church of Urbana Rev. Dr. Linda Eastwood, Affiliate Faculty, Champaign McCormick Theological Seminary Rev. Fred Kinsey, Unity Lutheran Church, Rev. Dr. Lucas Hergert, North Shore Chicago Unitarian Church Rev. Hannah Kardon, Teaching Pastor, Rev. Dr. Marilyn Pagán-Banks, A Just Urban Village Church Harvest / United Church of Christ Rev. Hilary Landau Krivchenia, Countryside Rev. Dr. Marshall E. Hatch, Sr., Senior Church Unitarian Universalist Pastor, New Mount Pilgrim Church Rev. Hilary Landau Krivchenia, Unitarian Rev. Dr. Myron McCoy, First United Universalist Methodist Church at the Chicago Rev. Janet D Niemeyer, The Presbytery of Temple Chicago Presbyterian Church (USA) Rev. Dr. Richard P. Ellerbrake, United Rev. Jason Lydon, Minister, Second Church of Christ Unitarian Church of Chicago Rev. Dr. Richard W. Shelton, Retired United Rev. John Bell, Wesley United Methodist Methodist Pastor Church Rev. Dr. Rodney C. Walker, St. Matthew Rev. Josh Ebener, Pastor, St. Andrew UM Church Lutheran Church West Chicago Rev. Julie Taylor, Meadville Lombard Theological School

601 S California Ave. · Chicago, IL 60612 www.endmoneybond.org Page 5 of 5

Church Rev. K E Mooney, Unitarian Universalist Rev. Ryan Wallace, Associate Pastor for Advocacy Network of IL Faith Formation, First Presbyterian Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer, St. John's Church of Libertyville Episcopal Church Rev. Sarah Richards, Carbondale Unitarian Rev. Krista Paradiso, Pastor, United Fellowship Methodist Church Rev. Scott Aaseng, Unitarian Universalist Rev. Laura Wilson Underwood, First United Advocacy Network of Illinois Methodist Church of Morris Rev. Scott Onque, St Luke Missionary Rev. Leland Bond-Upson, Unitarian Baptist Church Universalist Church of Elgin Rev. Teresa Schwartz, First Unitarian Rev. Lindsey Long Joyce, United Church of Church of Chicago Rogers Park Rev. Thomas R. Gaulke, Gethsemane Rev. Linny Hartzell, Pastor, Hope United Lutheran Church of Cicero Methodist Church of Joliet Rev. Vilius Rudra Dundzila, Interim Pastor, Rev. Mark Pedigo, Pilgrim Congregational Wellington Avenue UCC Church, Oak Park Salman Azam, Downtown Islamic Center Rev. Mark Winters, Pastor, First Sr. Marianne Supan, OP, Roman Catholic Congregational United Church of Sr. Kathleen Desautels, SP, Sisters of Christ Naperville Providence Rev. Megan Dean Tobola, Pastor, Good Sr. Marcelline Koch, OP, Springfield Shepherd UMC Dominican Sisters, Office of Justice Rev. Melissa L. Earley, First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights Rev. Meredith L. Onion, First Congregational Church of Western Springs Rev. Michael B. Crosby, First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana Rev. Michelle Hughes, Associate Conference Minister, Illinois Conference United Church of Christ Rev. Pam Rumancik, Minister, Unitarian Church of Hinsdale Rev. Pamela Stallings, Associate Pastor to Children, Covenant UCC Rev. Rachel Birkhahn-Rommelfanger, Clergy, Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church Rev. Richard Mosley, Jr., Pastor, Clair Christian United Methodist Church Rev. Robbie Craig, New Faith Baptist

601 S California Ave. · Chicago, IL 60612 www.endmoneybond.org