Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a sweeping criminal justice and police reform measure into law on Feb. 22 that includes making the state the first in the nation to completely abolish cash bail. Pritzker, a Democrat, said in a statement after signing the bill that “this legislation marks a substantial step toward dismantling the systemic racism that plagues our communities, our state, and our nation and brings us closer to true safety, true fairness, and true justice.” Proponents of the change have argued that cash bail unfairly affects poor defendants, while critics say it skews the scales of justice in favor of criminals and makes communities less safe. While there have been efforts in other states to get rid of cash bail, related reforms in New York and Alaska were later amended or reversed. Under the new law, called House Bill 3653, judges won’t be able to set any kind of bail for …