Turning tragedy into political gain

Expanding the pretrial detention net is not the way to keep our communities safer. The tragic death of Estefania Abril-Hernandez is heartbreaking, and we need to think about how to protect survivors — something we have historically failed at. But as if on cue, our elected prosecutor is simply asking for carte blanche authority to detain more people, failing to look at actual investments that help victims, like housing assistance, shelter resources or other economic support. It’s a political talking point, not an actual solution.

In reality, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin’s solution would make things worse. Already, he routinely moves to detain everyone charged with domestic violence regardless of the facts — highlighting the danger of adding more detainable offenses. That approach swells the number of community members locked up in jail without reliably preventing violence and diverts resources from risk assessment, victim services and violence prevention programs that actually reduce harm.

If the goal is to prevent future tragedies, lawmakers should focus on measures that use detention precisely and sparingly, improve violence prevention programs and prioritize the safety and needs of survivors, rather than simply putting people in jail until their cases are resolved. And they should avoid turning tragedy into political gain. It’s a horrific practice that has to end.

Rev. Dwight Stewart

Wheaton