CHAMPAIGN — Anthony spent about half of his life in prison and just got out last year. It was a huge adjustment because so much had changed in the decades Anthony was incarcerated. “I hadn’t seen a cell phone in almost 30 years,” Anthony said. “Now in this new world, you can’t function without a
CHAMPAIGN — Research and social justice are often separate issues — but one local organization is using its connections to figure out how to combat violence before it starts. First Followers helps formerly incarcerated people re-enter the Champaign-Urbana community. The group released the results of their survey of people in Champaign-Urbana on the leading causes
Each year, roughly 28,000 people are released from Illinois prisons. Now, four of those men will live in a modest five-bedroom home in a residential neighborhood near downtown Champaign. First Followers, a group that offers support to formerly incarcerated people operates the home called the First Steps Community House, in partnership with the Housing Authority