2022 Reentry Guidelines
From the Illinois Alliance for Reentry & Justice
Reentry Topics and Issues
Filter Resources
Curated publications on Recidivism and Reentry
Prison Policy Initiative curates readings and cautions against overreliance on recidivism data.
Data Visualization Tools for Illinois Prison Population
From the John Howard Association
Data
thejha.org
Do I Have the Right to Feel Safe? A Vision for Holistic Safety in Corrections
A resource for correctional administrators to empower people with lived experience and reform the criminal legal system.
Employment of Individuals After Release from Illinois Prisons
A 2023 report by the IL Criminal Justice Information Authority
Data
Economic Opportunities / Employment
Institutional Resources
icjia.illinois.gov
Four Ways to Improve Reentry for Formerly Incarcerated People with Behavioral Health Needs
Lessons from a program in Orange County serving formerly incarcerated individuals. March 2022.
Housing
urban.org
Getting Back on Course: Educational exclusion and attainment among formerly incarcerated people
A report from Prison Policy Initiative. October 2018.
Economic Opportunities / Employment
prisonpolicy.org
Housing is Justice: Exploring State and Local Innovations
April 2024 report by Center for Justice Innovation and NYU's Housing Solutions Lab
Housing
innovatingjustice.org
How Can Counties Create Housing Stability for Justice-Involved People?
Urban Institute | Counties can promote better outcomes for justice-involved people. March 2021.
Housing
housingmatters.urban.org
IL Prison Data Sets
From the Illinois Department of Corrections
Data
Institutional Resources
www2.illinois.gov
Illinois Compassionate Release
Illinois provides compassionate release to eligible incarcerated individuals with terminal illnesses and certain medical conditions through Medical Release.
Special Considerations
famm.org
Illinois Reentry Housing Demonstration Program: Process Evaluation & Recommendations
Impact and lessons learned from providing rental subsidies and wraparound services to 122 individuals leaving prison from 2020 to 2022.
Data
Housing
illinoisreentrycouncil.org
Know More: Recidivism
Get informed on recidivism, a common, nuanced, and often misunderstood concept.
Data
restorejustice.org
New data on formerly incarcerated people’s employment reveal labor market injustices
Newly released data doubles down on what Prison Policy Initiative has previously reported on. February 2022.
Data
Economic Opportunities / Employment
prisonpolicy.org
Nowhere to Go: Homelessness among formerly incarcerated people
August 2018 report from Prison Policy Initiative
Housing
prisonpolicy.org
Out of Prison & Out of Work: Unemployment among formerly incarcerated people
A report from Prison Policy Initiative
Economic Opportunities / Employment
prisonpolicy.org
Re-Entry Housing Issues in Illinois: The Current Situation, Challenges, and Possible Solutions
A joint report from the Illinois Justice Project and the Metropolitan Planning Council. 2019.
Housing
metroplanning.org
Reassembling the Workforce: the Case for Fair Chance Hiring
A March 2024 report by Cara Collective & JBM Packaging on how JBM Packaging revolutionized their talent strategy by hiring justice-involved individuals.
Economic Opportunities / Employment
caracollective.org
Redefining the Narrative
A report by the Statewide Women’s Justice Task Force of Illinois with actionable strategies to address social, political and economic injustices and oppressions. Launched in 2018, the report was published in 2021.
Special Considerations
redefine.womensjusticeinstitute.org
Reflections on Chicago’s Public Housing Reentry Program
Key findings and policy implications about a CHA pilot program. August 2020.
Housing
housingmatters.urban.org
Social Supports and Housing Influence Formerly Incarcerated People’s Outcomes after Prison
This study's author underscores that encouraging sufficiently supportive living contexts with housing is key for one's stability. October 2022.
Housing
housingmatters.urban.org
Unlocking Reentry Housing: Keys to Building Collaborative Tenant-Based Voucher Programs
A report from BPI on tenant-based voucher model for reentry housing. March 2021.
Housing
bpichicago.org
Webinar: Looking Beyond a Conviction: Opening Doors to Public Housing
A March 2021 discussion of discuss best practices for providing access to public housing for formerly incarcerated people.
Housing
nationalreentryresourcecenter.org
Why Recidivism Isn’t a Strong Metric for Determining a Housing Program’s Success
Reframing effective ways to measure program success. February 2022.
Data
Housing
housingmatters.urban.org
– Orlando Mayorga, co-chair of the IRC support services working group.The traditional way of doing things is evolving. People who are system-impacted, who are formally incarcerated, are being recognized as thought partners and architects of what this space is – setting up holistic and transformative visions of what reentry can be.
Are you or someone you know navigating reentry?
Get directed to information about resources, organizations, and people available to support you below.
Are you looking for peer support or employment resources?
View curated employment resources and information about a Returning Citizens Network led by Restore Justice
Community Support Advisory Councils
Find info about community-based partnerships and their meetings.
Directory of services for people returning home from prison
Curated and managed by Education Justice Project
Reentry Guides by Education Justice Project
Learn ways to prepare for reentry while incarcerated and continue following release.
Get Involved in Reentry Advocacy
There are various partners and organizations leading advocacy efforts for and with people who have been incarcerated. Learn more about them and the various opportunities to get involved on their websites.
Are you hoping to support housing opportunities for people on conviction registries?
The Chicago 400 Alliance is a campaign to repeal public conviction registries and housing banishment laws—initiated by people experiencing homelessness because of these laws. Learn more about their cause and join the work at their website:
Are you interested in joining a public health approach to reentry support?
The Chicago Reentry Taskforce (CRT) is convened by the Community Reentry Project, which focuses on ensuring that people living with and at the highest risk for HIV transition smoothly from incarceration to communities. CRT focuses primarily on issues faced by current and formerly incarcerated individuals and prioritizes training and discussion around barriers to reentry and changes that are relevant in Chicago, Cook County, and high-prevalence areas statewide in order to provide a public health response to mass incarceration.
Are you looking to join work that advances systemic reform through legislation?
The Illinois Alliance for Reentry & Justice does such work and more. Learn about them and how to join the Alliance.