Education Justice Project (EJP) leadership feels compelled to address the damaging misrepresentation of research in the recent Inside Higher Ed (IHE) article, “Prison Education May
The holiday season can be hard emotionally for those in prison, so we create winter programming for EJP students and affiliates that is fun and
We have been featuring profiles of EJP alumni who are now out in the world making an impact in their communities. In our latest EJP
“I had been locked down for a while,” says Larry Brent, who was among EJP’s first cohort of students at the Danville prison in 2008.
We are proud to share that EJP is offering our first-ever graduate-level course this Fall 2025 at Danville prison. Soo Ah Kwon, a professor of
“There are men and women on the inside,” says Angel Pantoja, EJP alumnus, “who, every day, take it upon themselves to listen to their peers,
Education Justice Project hosts a project called RIPPLE Effect, which sends holiday cards and letters inside prison and will be directly impacted by the recent
For the first time, a former EJP student has been accepted and enrolled in the University of Illinois. Mike Pierce is working on a master’s
We have been spotlighting the accomplishments of EJP alumni recently (see posts about Johnny Page and James Wood) and are happy to feature one of
We wish to extend congratulations to Johnny Page, EJP alumnus, who was recently named Director of Reentry in the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention and
A second cohort of EJP Alumni Fellows has been selected to build professional skills and networking opportunities among our former students. This initiative also aims
Since he was released five months ago, James Wood, known as “Silk,” has been surrounded by the EJP community. The skills he learned from EJP
A new book by EJP alumnus Raylan Gilford talks candidly about the emotionally fraught time of reentering society after a lengthy prison term. Navigating ReEntry
EJP held our Fall Convocation at Danville Correctional Center on August 20, 2025 to kick off the new academic year. The theme of the convocation
EJP is committed to building inclusive, people-centered learning communities on campus and at Danville Correctional Center. Given the current climate, and considering feedback we’ve received
We want to introduce you to our new cohort of EJP scholars for the 2025-26 academic year. This spring we have 21 students in our
“It makes me feel like I’m not alone,” says Ricardo Guzman, who used a copy of EJP’s A New Path: A Guide to the Challenges
This year more than ever, EJP recognizes the linkages between incarceration in the United States and the criminalization of immigrants, particularly those from Mexico. Some
We wanted to disseminate an executive summary from a research luncheon held at this year’s National Conference on Higher Education in Prison (NCHEP). Several current
EJP was invited to participate in a legislative subject matter hearing held on Tuesday (5/6) on Credit for Change, a statewide campaign aimed at repealing
It’s the time of the year when EJP reviews applications from individuals hoping to join our program at Danville Correctional Center. Every spring, EJP starts
The Education Justice Project (EJP) has made the commitment to apply to become a center at the University of Illinois. This decision comes after a
EJP is thrilled to welcome Shaelyn Smith as our new Academic Director! In this role, Shaelyn will lead all our college-in-prison programming. Shaelyn is familiar
An interesting and timely EJP course, Latin American Studies 395: Latin American Insurgencies, is being taught this spring at Danville prison by instructor Liliana Lule.
Growing up with system-impacted family members, Jessica Vargas was familiar with the effects of incarceration early on. Her experience drove her to get involved with
As a member of the Education Justice Project’s (EJP) Social Media Team, Natalie Cline (Advertising, Class of 2025) has gained hands-on experience and worked for
This holiday season, we are thrilled to announce we have selected several recipients of the Education Justice Project Scholarship! Every year, EJP offers several scholarships
By Brian Dolinar We are excited to share the news that we have chosen our first ever cohort of EJP Alumni Fellows. The new fellowship
We are excited to announce the results of our 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Survey, the second survey since EJP launched our DEI Initiative.
Liliana Lule is a lecturer in the Latino/Latina Studies department at the University of Illinois. She has recently joined EJP as an instructor and will
This year, EJP’s Prison-to-Gown initiative has begun its research and exploration phases to provide support for people making the transition from incarceration to academic study
Spankey Davis is the Senior Alumni Advocate for ConTextos, a Chicago non-profit that uses education and personal narrative to promote healing, reflection, and social change.
Johnny Page has come a long way since he enrolled in classes at Cook County Jail just to get off the deck. Locked up at
Fidelis Anyanegbu is a lawyer from Nigeria pursuing an LLM at the University of Illinois. During his year in the United States, he is working
Kevin McSweeney is the arboretum director at the University of Illinois and also teaches soil science classes on campus. He is going to be teaching
Shiphrah Nantongo loves her job. She announces this fact with a verve and vitality that feels rare to American ears. Shiphrah is the Project Officer
Language Partners (LP) is one of the only English as a Second Language (ESL) programs offered in Illinois state prisons. It’s one of twelve educational
Recently, our Higher Education in Prison (HEP) Task Force collected and analyzed Illinois-driven data gathered by the Data Working Group at EJP. This data helped
During their annual work on Mapping Your Future, the RGI team pays close attention on how to better adapt their guides to make them more
Michael Harrell knows the exact number of days he was incarcerated: 20 years, 5 months, 4 weeks, and 3 days. Six months after his release,
Illinois is poised to become a national exemplar in the field of higher education in prison (HEP). The Illinois Higher Education in Prison Task Force
The Reentry Guide Initiative (RGI) is gearing up to distribute hard copies of the 2022 edition of Mapping Your Future: A Guide to Successful Reentry
In recent weeks, EJP highlighted an article from the Chicago Sun, written by EJP alum Johnny Page-then co-director of programs and partnerships for ConTextos. His
Higher education in prison experts Tim Barnett and Sharon Varallo presented at the Illinois Higher Education in Prison Task Force on May 5, 2022. Sharon
“EJP’s mission does not end once a person leaves prison,” states Nia Hill, EJP’s scholarship and travel grant coordinator. EJP’s scholarships provide pathways for EJP
When he sets his mind to something, Jose Ornelas Vallejo will get the job done. Driven, motivated, and with a can-do attitude, Jose was an
After COVID-19 forced a second suspension of our programming at Danville Correctional Center in January 2022, we’re grateful that EJP classes were able to resume
Alejandro Sandria’s nervous excitement is palpable as his wife translates. He is the recipient of an EJP scholarship, awarded this spring to a formerly incarcerated
Cesar Fierro, Aspiring Baker Each spring, as a part of our scholarship programs, EJP hosts two scholarship competitions for individuals in Mexico. The scholarships provide
Keiahty Jones, EJP alumni incarcerated for almost 14 years, was able to go home in November. How would he summarize reentry? “It’s like walking on
Last week, in lieu of our annual gala, EJP hosted a virtual Impact Week highlighting EJP alumni and community members. On Tuesday, EJP was joined
After being incarcerated for 22 years, one of David “Happy” Todd’s biggest challenges upon release was adjusting to his family and their way of living.
As an organization committed not only to mitigating the negative impacts of incarceration but also to supporting more just and humane responses to harm and
Over the past two weeks the IL senate has done something unprecedented. It failed to confirm appointees to the Prisoner Review Board, three individuals with
The Illinois Higher Education In Prison Task Force held an initial meeting in February to begin working toward its goal of reporting on ways to
Friends of the Education Justice Project (FEJP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit that exists solely to raise funds for EJP. Its members fund academic scholarships for
EJP publishes two reentry guides every year: Mapping Your Future: A Guide to Successful Reentry in Illinois and A New Path: A Guide to the
We are excited to announce that HJR27, which calls for the creation of a Higher Education in Prison Task Force, was adopted by the Illinois
EJP provides for-credit courses and other academic programs to incarcerated individuals within Danville Correctional Center. While students at Danville take the same classes and parse
Over the years, the Education Justice Project has grown and attracted many international scholars from around the world. Their diversity in backgrounds and perspectives have
The Education Justice Project started the Reentry Guide Initiative to try to answer some of the questions that formerly incarcerated individuals might have when reentering
When EJP was first in the makings, the group was treading quietly on campus, forgoing publicity through flyers and other means. Advised by both the
The Reentry Guide Initiative team recently printed 7,000 copies of the 2021 version of Mapping Your Future: A Guide to Successful Reentry — the largest
The prison population is one of the groups most vulnerable to COVID, and the pandemic hasmade incarcerated individuals more isolated than ever. That is one
I’m Laura Kalmes. My work is focused on educational justice, and this is an extraordinary opportunity for me to engage with such a dynamic and
EJP’s Writing Workshop Coordinator, Chelsea Catt, earned her PhD from the University of Illinois. She studied language and literacy with a specialization in writing studies.
The Reentry Guide Initiative is one of EJP’s largest endeavors. The hundreds of pages for the two guides – Mapping Your Future and Returning Home
As a father of three, Robert Reed recognized while in prison that he needed to be a strong example for his children, Anthony, Diamond and
David Todd is a fervent advocate for education-in-prison programs. He credits such programs, including his time taking courses with EJP, with helping him find his
Linda Larsen became Research Coordinator of EJP’s Reentry Guide Initiative (RGI) in January 2021, but has been working as a member of RGI since 2017. Linda’s
When I entered EJP I was coming from a dark place. I was searching for the power within knowledge to harness it for destructive purposes.
Features The Beginning, Middleton and End of My Writing Process | Logan Middleton (EJP volunteer) Nick & Shorty | Chad Lane Bookshelf: Review of Adam
Features Welcome to the very first all-poetry issue of the Amplifier, featuring original poetry written by EJP students.
Features Knock Knock | James Wood Waiting for the Bus | Millie Wright My Introduction to Yoga | Raphel Jackson Spring 2018 Semester Review
Features Learning in El Barrio | Anastacio Esparza Word of the Day: Sankofa | by Copenhaver Cumpston Congratulations Andy Borum, volunteer of the year Thoughts
Features Shouting at Air | David Hensley Apt Tutor, a tribute to Edward Viens | Sean Lawless Dare to be Different: an interview with Terrance
Contents: Manny | Angel Pantoja Second Sight | Bert Stabler Book review of Le Ton beau de Marot by Douglas Hofstadter | Edward Viens
Features Call of Duty | Angel Pantoja Wordplay | Edward Viens What’s in the Box? | Raylan Gilford Book review of Reality is Broken by
Features Cubs and Trump | Angel Pantoja Positively Speaking | Sean Lawless
Features Interview with Bert Stabler | Terrance Hanson Road Warrior | Angel Pantoja Anthem Protest | John Cunningham Book review of Freakonomics by Steven Levitt
Features Mis Heroes | by Angel Pantoja Weeds, Words, and Woods | Edward Viens Book review of Rosa Lee by Leon Dash | Christopher Shea
Features Is “Free College” the Answer? | C.J. Shea Interview with Ian Scott, co-facilitator of C.A.V.E. | Terrance Hanson When We All Act (Outgoing Reflections)
Features Newsnotes: Progress in Post-Incarceration Eduction To Code or not to Code | Josh Walbert Inheritance? | Nikia Perry Breathing Space 10 Ways to Live
Features Higher Education Update from Rebecca Ginsburg IDOC Director Baldwin’s “Ask” / Address for the Illinois Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentence Reform
