ILLINOIS PRISON PROJECT

THROUGH ITS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT LED AND STAFFED BY FORMERLY INCARCERATED STAFF MEMBERS MANY OF WHOM WERE IPP CLIENTS-IPP IS ACTIVELY SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE AROUND INCARCERATED PEOPLE ESPECIALLY THOSE SERVING LONG SENTENCES. IPP TAKES A PERSON-FIRST APPROACH THAT CENTERS THE VOICES OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE AND SUPPORTS THEIR TESTIMONIES WITH DATA. IPP EDUCATES COMMUNITIES ABOUT THE HARM CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE SENTENCES AND THE NEED FOR BACK-END REFORM THROUGH TRAINING AND EVENTS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE-INCLUDING SCHOOLS RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS WORKPLACES AND PUBLIC SPACES. IPP EDUCATION EVENTS CENTER FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS CALLS TO ACTION AND READING LISTS ALL TAILORED SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE AUDIENCES. THROUGH THIS APPROACH WE SEEK TO UNDO PERVASIVE MYTHS ABOUT WHO IS IN ILLINOIS PRISONS THE REALITY OF PRISON LIFE AND THE DESPERATE NEED FOR PATHWAYS OUT OF INCARCERATION. IN FY25 IPP HAS DELIVERED OVER 40 EDUCATIONAL EVENTS REACHING ALMOST 9,000 PEOPLE. IPPS WORK WAS FEATURED IN RESEARCH SYMPOSIUMS AT UNIVERSITY CHICAGO NORTHWESTERN AND HEARTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE. IPP HAS ALSO TRAINED TWO COHORTS OF NEW HIRES FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE A PARTNERSHIP THAT ALLOWS US TO BRING IPPS REFORMATIVE APPROACH DIRECTLY TO SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS. THROUGH THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IPP OFFERS ROBUST TRAINING PUBLIC SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES AND COMPENSATION TO FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE; IPP HAS TRAINED AND SUPPORTED 28 SYSTEM-IMPACTED PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPENT A COMBINED 440 YEARS IN PRISON. PREVIOUS AMBASSADORS HAD ON AVERAGE SERVED 15.7 YEARS IN PRISON BEFORE BEING RELEASED. AMBASSADORS SHARE THEIR STORIES TO GALVANIZE STATE-LEVEL SYSTEMS CHANGE AND THIS PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT IPP ENCOURAGES THE LEADERSHIP OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE. AMBASSADORS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES OF INCARCERATION AGING IN PRISON REHABILITATION AND HOPE DIRECTLY WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SETTINGS RANGING FROM LARGE WEBINARS TO INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS. THROUGH THE PROGRAM EACH 6-PERSON COHORT RECEIVES 8 MONTHS OF TRAINING CREATING A TEAM OF COMPELLING ADVOCATES ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND POLICYMAKERS ABOUT THE DEEP NEED FOR BACK-END REFORM.