"I'm not doing this for political reasons. These are people who are in jail because they can't come up with $100 or $200 in bail bond money. These aren't serious criminals — it's folks who got caught with a small bag of marijuana or who were hungry and stole some food from the store," Wilson said.
Surprisingly, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is actually supporting Wilson's plan.
Working with Wilson, the Sheriff has provided him with a list of the inmates who have the best chance of success on the outside.
"If I let you sit there you don't have a chance to get a good education, get a job, or start your life over," Wilson said.
Comment: The number of people incarcerated in the U.S. has soared in the past few decades and many are there because they have not been convicted of a crime but are too poor to post bail while their cases are processed. The overwhelming majority are in for nonviolent infractions, such as traffic, property, drug or public order infractions because keeping the jails full is profitable - jails and prisons provide many jobs to local, state and federal officials.