IL-CHEP End of Year Board Nomination

Illinois Coalition for Higher Ed in Prison (IL-CHEP) began in 2016, with the following purposes: 1) to learn what kinds of higher education programming existed in Illinois, 2) to learn what challenges these programs encountered, and how programs had overcome those challenges, 3) to discuss how to advocate in a more unified and effective way for HEP in the state, and 4) to better coordinate HEP offerings in the Illinois Dept. of Corrections, and 5) to establish a consistent working relationship with key administrators in the DOC.

There's something so enriching and fulfilling about being in a room filled with individuals that share a common purpose, a collective ambition of seeking and promoting change.

Being among a group of like-minded people all firmly committed to making a significant difference in the lives of those impacted by the justice system was a profound experience. I felt a reinforcing solidarity of purpose and strength in the knowledge that we are not alone in this fight. Having the opportunity to exchange ideas and ambitions with them was not just enlightening; it was thoroughly motivating.

The room was filled not just with activists, but also with poets, storytellers, social justice advocates, and even individuals who had recently been freed from incarceration. Their presence added another layer of purpose and urgency to our mission. It was a poignant reminder of the real faces and lives affected by the system's ineffective and often punitive policies.

Their stories, told in lyrical stanzas and vivid prose, echoed in the dim-lit room, pressing upon the hearts of all those present. Every expressive line, nuanced phrase felt like a prayer, a pledge of sorts, to accelerate our efforts to affect meaningful change in a system all too resistant to it.