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
A University of Illinois college-in-prison program created a reentry guide for those released from prison and jail during the COVID-19 pandemic. Every year, the Education Justice Project updates one reentry guide to reflect the latest information about resources available to those released from prison and returning to Illinois communities, as well as another guide for
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