McHenry County’s sheriff and state’s attorney say they welcome Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker‘s comments on revising the criminal justice reform SAFE-T Act that went into effect two years ago.

Pritzker said his administration is “open to listening to what changes might need to be made.” Those comments came after a woman was set on fire Nov. 17 on the CTA in Chicago. According to published reports, a Chicago man who has over 70 prior arrests, including eight felony convictions, has been accused in case, and some leaders say he should have been detained long before the attack.

In a joint statement released Thursday, McHenry County Sheriff Robb Tadelman and State’s Attorney Randi Freese said they “welcome that openness” and encourage Pritzker to work with local prosecutors, law enforcement, judges and victims’ advocates as they consider revisions.

The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office released similar opinions in a statement last week.

Among other judicial reforms, the SAFE-T Act eliminated cash bail, a provision that went into effect in 2023. Judges can still order someone to be detained as they await trial, but the new system is instead based on an offender’s level of risk of reoffending or fleeing prosecution, rather than a judge setting an amount of money the person can put up to be released pretrial.

The SAFE-T Act also reformed police training, certification and use-of-force standards, expanded detainee rights and gave the attorney general’s office authority to investigate alleged civil rights violations by law enforcement. It also required body cameras at all police departments.

“Before the SAFE-T Act, McHenry County’s justice system operated with balance, accountability, and strong coordination among law enforcement, prosecutors and the courts,” Tadelman and Freese said in the statement. “That approach helped make our county one of the safest in Illinois. When the act was passed, many of the people who work with victims and offenders every day were not included in shaping it – and the result has been a system that is harder for all of us to navigate, especially victims."

Freese and Tadelman suggest the revisions allow heightened authority for local governments who “understand their communities best.”

“When a single statewide bill over-regulates or limits that flexibility, it creates a one-size-fits-all model that doesn’t reflect the unique needs of counties across Illinois,” Freese and Tadelman said.

McHenry County’s law enforcement leaders said they do not have concerns with the hearing structure, but rather that people facing charges for violent crimes can be released with “minimal conditions, limited supervision and little certainty they will return to court.”

“Reform can absolutely work – but it must be collaborative," Tadelman and Freese said. “Victims deserve a system that puts their safety first, respects the judgment of local officials and ensures violent offenders remain accountable.”

The statement continues: “McHenry County stands ready to help craft reforms that strengthen accountability, restore balance and keep Illinois families safe. With honest partnership and respect for how communities differ, we can build a justice system that truly serves the people of Illinois.”