Illinois Prison Project

Founded in 2019, Illinois Prison Project (IPP) works to address the devastating impact of decades of over-prosecution and over-sentencing by state and local courts that have disproportionally impacted low-income and marginalized communities, by advocating for the creation and expansion of mechanisms to correct unjust, unnecessary, or excessive sentences. IPP represents incarcerated people who have been harmed by harsh, unjust, inequitable, and retributive policies or practices, advocating for both the individual and system-wide reform. This award provides continued support to IPP for Equip, Empower, and Engage, a project to elevate the voices, experiences, and expertise of formerly incarcerated people to educate communities about the need for sentencing and other criminal legal reforms, include their voices in changing narratives around mass incarceration, and create a supportive environment for decarceration efforts.

The Illinois Prison Project (IPP) works to address decades of over-prosecution and over-sentencing targeted at communities of color in Illinois by advocating for the creation and expansion of mechanisms to correct unjust and excessive sentences. IPP combines direct representation, community education, and advocacy to maximize its impact in the fight to release people serving unjust sentences. IPP aims to meaningfully reduce the prison population in Illinois through improved statewide policy that enables safe reentry for long- and-short-term prison residents.