Cook County officials have disclosed that roughly 8% of participants in the county’s electronic monitoring program – nearly 250 people out of more than 3,000 – are currently missing, raising additional questions about pretrial release practices under Illinois’ landmark criminal justice reforms.
According to data released by Chief Judge Charles Beach II and detailed on a new court dashboard as of early April, the absconders include individuals facing serious charges: 21 charged with murder, 13 with attempted murder, 29 with aggravated criminal sexual assault, along with dozens more accused of aggravated battery, robbery, and carjacking.
The revelation comes weeks after the fatal shooting of Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew and the critical wounding of his partner at Swedish Hospital (Endeavor Health). The suspect in that case, Alphanso Talley – a repeat felon with multiple prior violent charges – had been released pretrial on electronic monitoring and later cut off his ankle bracelet, authorities said.
Critics have also pointed to the case of Lawrence Reed, a career violent criminal with 72 arrests, who in November 2025 allegedly set 26-year-old Bethany McGee on fire aboard a CTA Blue Line train (the “L”) in an unprovoked attack. Reed, who was on pretrial electronic monitoring at the time for a separate battery charge after a judge declined to detain him. He now faces federal terrorism charges in the fire attack.
Background: No-Cash Bail and the SAFE-T Act
Illinois’ SAFE-T Act (Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act), fully implemented in 2023, eliminated cash bail statewide and shifted to a risk-based pretrial release system. Judges now rely on assessments to decide detention versus supervised release, with electronic monitoring frequently used as a condition for those charged with felonies who are not detained.
Cook County had already been moving away from cash bail for years prior to the law. Proponents of the no-cash bail reforms argued they would reduce unnecessary pretrial detention for low-level offenders and “address inequities in the system.” Critics argue the policies have strained supervision resources and allowed too many high-risk defendants to remain in the community, creating a “get out of jail free” dynamic.
Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke is now calling the electronic monitoring system “broken,” and welcoming the new transparency, but described the numbers as “alarming.”
Court Response and Transparency Efforts
Chief Judge Beach, who took office about six months ago, emphasized a push for greater accountability. “Transparency is not optional – it is a core obligation of this office,” he stated. The court has implemented strict hours and protocols, such as issuing reports for curfew breaches of three or more hours, and is coordinating more closely with the Sheriff’s Office on warrants.
A public dashboard now provides details on charges of those currently on monitoring, and regular updates on non-compliance are planned.
The disclosures have reignited debate over the effectiveness of pretrial supervision in one of the nation’s largest court systems. While Cook County officials argue that most participants comply and that judges retain authority to detain the most dangerous defendants, the high number of missing individuals with violent charges has drawn sharp criticism from law enforcement and community members concerned about public safety.
Further reports from the Chief Judge’s office are expected in the coming weeks as reforms continue.
