ILLINOIS REENTRY & REINTEGRATION RESOURCE GUIDE

People's Liberty Project (PLP) · Updated November 2026

PEOPLE'S LIBERTY PROJECT (PLP) OFFERS THIS GUIDE TO CONNECT INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, THEIR FAMILIES AND THE PEOPLE WHO WALK BESIDE THEM TO ILLINOIS ORGANIZATIONS ROOTED IN REPAIR, DIGNITY AND COLLECTIVE LIBERATION.

Organizations are grouped by need, followed by regional resources for the collar counties, Central Illinois and Southern Illinois. Many offer more than one kind of support, so reach out even if a listing does not name your exact need. Services, hours and eligibility change; call or visit each website to confirm before you go.

FEATURED COMMUNITY PARTNERS

These eight organizations are led by or alongside people directly impacted by incarceration, and each pairs practical support with healing and repair.

  • What They Offer:
    Transformative justice, healing-centered reentry support and community organizing; publisher of this guide

    Who They Serve:
    Returning community members, families and communities most impacted by systemic harm

    Where:
    Illinois

    Contact:
    Form

  • givingothersdreams.online

    What They Offer:
    Job readiness, workforce development, entrepreneurship, case management, counseling; "We Win" care packages for the first 30 days home; food pantry

    Who They Serve:
    Justice-impacted people, especially women and survivors of gun and domestic violence

    Where:
    8920 S. Commercial Ave.
    Chicago
    (South Chicago)

    Contact:
    773-437-4157

  • endpermanentpunishments.org

    What They Offer:
    Fully Free organizing chapters, leadership development, Know Your Rights materials, Clean Slate and Home For Good campaigns

    Who They Serve:
    People with arrest or conviction records statewide

    Where:
    Chicago and chapters across Illinois

    Contact:
    Form

  • pbmr.org

    What They Offer:
    Reentry accompaniment, peace circles, Education Lab (high school diploma), workforce development, urban farm, arts, mothers' healing circles

    Who They Serve:
    Youth, young adults, returning men and women and families impacted by violence and incarceration

    Where:
    5114 S. Elizabeth St.
    Chicago
    (Back of the Yards)

    Contact:
    773-952-6643
    info@pbmr.org

  • challengeiichange.org

    What They Offer:
    Inside-and-outside prison model: prerelease planning, reentry support, housing and mental health focus, violence prevention

    Who They Serve:
    People inside and coming home and those at risk of system involvement

    Where:
    31 W. Downer Pl.
    Aurora

    Contact:
    Form

  • restorejustice.org

    What They Offer:
    Returning Citizens Network, Future Leaders Apprenticeship, family support group (CRIIC), self-advocacy training, sentencing-reform advocacy

    Who They Serve:
    People coming home from long and extreme sentences and their loved ones

    Where:
    Chicago
    (River North)

    Contact:
    Form

  • lifeimpactersfoundation.org

    What They Offer:
    Reentry and workforce programs, transitional housing, domestic violence resources, food pantry, youth violence prevention

    Who They Serve:
    Returning citizens, youth and families

    Where:
    2100 N. Kildare Ave.
    Chicago
    (Hermosa)

    Contact:
    info@lifeimpactersfoundation.org

  • abcreentry.org

    What They Offer:
    Peer-to-peer navigation to housing, health care, education, and jobs; help with vital documents, technology and expungement

    Who They Serve:
    People returning home, including people exonerated after wrongful convictions

    Where:
    Chicago

    Contact:
    ashley@abcreentry.org

HOUSING AND IMMEDIATE NEEDS

The first 30 days home shape everything after. Start here for a place to stay, food, clothing, and documents.

  • slministries.org

    Support:
    Residential reentry housing for men and women (St. Leonard's House, Grace House, St. Andrew's Court) with life skills, counseling, and job support

    Where:
    Chicago
    (Near West Side)

  • lifeimpactersfoundation.org

    Support:
    Transitional housing, food pantry, crisis and family support

    Where:
    Chicago
    (Hermosa)

  • givingothersdreams.online

    Support:
    "We Win" care packages for the first 30 days; food pantry at 8832 S. Commercial Ave.
    (Mon 4–6 p.m., Tue 11 a.m.–1 p.m.; bring ID)

    Where:
    Chicago
    (South Chicago)

  • chicago.gov/city/en/sites/reentry/home/reentry-resources.html

    Support:
    City-funded hubs for any Chicagoan with a conviction history: case management, workforce training, legal help

    Where:
    Five Chicago sites, including a women-focused center in Pilsen

  • abcreentry.org

    Support:
    Peer help getting vital documents, housing and a phone or computer up and running

    Where:
    Chicago

  • chicagohomeless.org

    Support:
    Organizing for housing access; free legal aid through its Law Project for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness

    Where:
    Chicago and statewide network

EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING

These programs build skills, work history, and income, many with paid transitional jobs.

  • Support:
    Job placement, training, and retention coaching; licensed counseling and wellness center

    Where:
    571 W. Jackson Blvd.
    Chicago
    + plus other sites

  • nlen.org

    Support:
    U-Turn Permitted job readiness for people with felony convictions; paid transitional jobs at Sweet Beginnings

    Where:
    1111 S. Homan Ave.
    Chicago
    (North Lawndale)

  • chicookworks.org

    Support:
    Free job training and career services across Cook County, with reentry-focused partner sites

    Where:
    Cook Country

  • restorejustice.org/our-work/future-leaders-apprenticeship-program

    Support:
    On-the-job training and career skills for people home from long sentences

    Where:
    Chicago

  • pbmr.org/programs

    Support:
    Education Lab for a high school diploma; workforce development and urban

    farm jobs

    Where:
    Chicago
    (Back of the Yards)

  • givingothersdreams.online/resources

    Support:
    Workforce development and entrepreneurship training, centered on women

    Where:
    Chicago
    (South Chicago)

  • educationjustice.net/reentry-guides

    Support:
    College-in-prison program and the free Mapping Your Future Illinois reentry guide, updated every year

    Where:
    Statewide
    (mail and download)

  • govst.edu/sji

    Support:
    Generating Hope restorative justice program supporting students who have been involved in the criminal legal system; self-help legal assistance clinic

    Where:
    University Park
    (Southland)
    708-534-3088

LEGAL HELP: RECORD RELIEF, CLEMENCY AND RIGHTS

A record should not follow anyone for life. These resources help with expungement, sealing, clemency (pardons and commutations), certificates and knowing your rights.

  • osad.illinois.gov/expungement

    Support:
    Free eligibility answers, worksheets, and statewide forms (does not represent people in court)

    Contact:
    866-787-1776
    expungement@osad.state.il.us

  • cgla.net/get-legal-help

    Support:
    Free help with expungement and sealing, health care worker waivers and certificates of good conduct; volunteer attorneys prepare free clemency (pardon and pardon-with-expungement) petitions for people home from prison; runs help desks at the Daley Center and Markham Courthouse

    Contact:
    Apply online

  • illinoisprisonproject.org

    Support:
    Free legal help and advocacy for commutations (shortened sentences) for people in Illinois prisons, and support for their loved ones; free Zoom legal clinics on the first Tuesday (4–5 p.m.) and third Saturday (9–10a.m.) of each month; free pardon and commutation handbooks and templates for people writing their own petitions

    Contact:
    53 W. Jackson Blvd.
    Suite 452
    Chicago
    illinoisprisonproject.org

  • illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/filing-petition-executive-clemency

    Support:
    Free fill-in Petition for Executive Clemency form, step-by-step guides and a Get Legal Help tool that matches people to a free legal aid provider by county; useful for anyone filing on their own

    Contact:
    illinoislegalaid.org

  • uis.edu/illinois-innocence-project

    Support:
    Free legal help for people wrongfully convicted, including pardon petitions based on actual innocence

    Contact:
    Springfield; serves statewide

  • law.uchicago.edu

    Support:
    Law students supervised by faculty advocate for clemency and other second-look relief; small caseload, mostly federal convictions

    Contact:
    6020 S. University Ave.
    Chicago

  • pslegal.org

    Support:
    Free civil legal aid for people with low incomes, including sealing and expungement information sessions, housing, safety and financial stability; call to ask about clemency help or a referral; apply online through Illinois Legal Aid Online

    Contact:
    36 counties in Northern and Central Illinois
    815-965-2134

  • cookcountycourtil.gov/case-type/expungements-adults

    Support:
    In-person filing help and forms at the Circuit Court Clerk

    Contact:
    Cook County courthouses

  • endpermanentpunishments.org/rights

    Support:
    Plain-language guides to the legal barriers people with records face and campaigns to remove them

    Contact:
    Form

  • Support:
    Protections for Chicagoans with conviction histories and how to file a discrimination complaint

    Contact:
    officeofreentry@cityofchicago.org

Outside Cook County, contact your county's Circuit Clerk for local filing steps and fees.

Clemency Tip: To clear a record through clemency, the petition must ask for a pardon with authorization to expunge. The Prisoner Review Board hears petitions four times a year, and legal aid intake often closes well before each filing deadline, so reach out early.

HEALTH, HEALING AND RECOVERY

Healing is part of coming home. These groups offer medical and mental health care, recovery support, and spaces to process harm in community.

  • tasc.org

    Support:
    Clinical reentry case management with the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC); links to substance use and mental health treatment, housing and recovery groups

    Where:
    Offices across Illinois
    312-787-0208

  • saferfoundation.org

    Support:
    Licensed mental health, substance use and recovery services for people with records

    Where:
    Chicago

  • pbmr.org/community-healing

    Support:
    Peace circles, restorative justice practice and healing circles for mothers and families

    Where:
    Chicago
    (Back of the Yards)

  • givingothersdreams.online/services

    Support:
    Counseling plus emotional and social wellness programs for survivors of gun and domestic violence

    Where:
    Chicago
    (South Chicago)

  • lifeimpactersfoundation.org/domestic-violence

    Support:
    Crisis intervention and domestic violence resources

    Where:
    Chicago
    (Hermosa)

  • chicagotorturejustice.org

    Support:
    Free clinical healing (therapy), reentry support and case management for people impacted by police violence and incarceration: housing, food, insurance, emergency aid, court accompaniment, driver’s license help

    Where:
    6337 S. Woodlawn Ave.
    Chicago
    773-966-6666
    info@chicagotorturejustice.org

  • wallsturnedsideways.org

    Support:
    Art gallery, studio and community space for artists and families impacted by incarceration: healing circles, community care, political education, exhibitions

    Where:
    2717 W. Madison St.
    Chicago
    (Thu–Sat, noon–5 p.m.)

  • touchofwholeness.com

    Support:
    Culturally attuned outpatient therapy for adults, youth, couples and families: individual, group, and family therapy for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief and anger; coordinates with case managers; telehealth available; accepts Medicaid and most private insurance

    Where:
    600 Town Center Rd.
    Suite 520
    Matteson
    (also Chicago)
    708-295-7427

  • grocommunity.org

    Support:
    Culturally rooted mental health care for Black and Brown boys and men (ages 5+): individual and group counseling, psychiatric care, reentry support for formerly incarcerated men, probation services, mentorship, violence prevention, family services. Accepts Medicaid, CountyCare and most major insurance; sliding scale for uninsured

    Where:
    259 E. 115th St.
    Chicago
    773-253-8385

    Peoria
    309-966-9238

    Rockford
    815-860-3043

    Carbondale
    513-233-7847

    Waukegan

  • naefimentor.wixsite.com/naefi

    Support:
    Peer-led weekly reentry circles for adults and young people coming home, led by formerly incarcerated mentors, plus help with résumés, job applications, voter registration and record-clearing information; also holds circles inside Sheridan Correctional Center. Call to confirm the current schedule.

    Where:
    Sankofa Cultural Arts & Business Center
    5820 W. Chicago Ave.
    Chicago
    (Austin)
    also on Zoom
    773-593-2540

MEDICAL CARE AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

These clinics and community health centers offer primary medical care, behavioral health and other everyday health services, with low-cost options for people with Medicaid or without insurance.

  • imancentral.org

    Support:
    Culturally competent primary medical and behavioral health care at the IMAN Health Center, serving South Side residents of all backgrounds. IMAN’s Green ReEntry program also offers returning residents transitional housing, green construction training, and job readiness. Call to ask about insurance and costs.

    Where:
    2744 W. 63rd St.
    Chicago
    (Chicago Lawn)
    + second campus in Englewood
    + also Atlanta
    773-434-IMAN (4626)

  • auntmarthas.org

    Support:
    Federally qualified health center with integrated primary care and behavioral health (psychiatry, therapy and counseling) for adults, children and teens.

    Accepts all Illinois Medicaid plans (including CountyCare), Medicare and many private plans; sliding fee scale based on income for people without insurance.

    Where:
    3528 E. 118th St.
    Chicago
    + also Park Forest, Hazel Crest, Joliet, Chicago Heights, Oak Forest, South Holland
    877-MY-AUNT-M (877-692-8686)

  • vnahealth.com

    Support:
    Community health centers offering primary care for all ages, pediatrics, behavioral health and psychiatry, STD testing and treatment, vision care and WIC. Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and self-pay; uninsured patients may qualify for income-based discounts.

    Where:
    400 N. Highland Ave.
    Aurora
    + also Bensenville, Bolingbrook, Carol Stream, Elgin, Joliet, Romeoville, Villa Park, Wheaton
    630-892-4355
    Book at VNAHealth.com/schedule

COOK COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS (LOW-COST CLINICS)

Cook County community health centers offer family and internal medicine, pediatrics, and women’s health, and connect patients to specialists, mental health care and community services. Uninsured Cook County residents ages 19 to 64 can apply for CareLink, which cuts the cost of care by 30%, 50% or 100% based on income; immigration status does not stop anyone from qualifying. Apply in person with a Financial Counselor (questions: 866-223-2817). Appointments: 312-864-0200.

In a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988 any time.

FAMILY, WOMEN’S AND YOUTH REENTRY

Incarceration fractures whole families. These programs center women, young people, and loved ones on the outside.

  • womensjustice.net

    Support:
    Reclamation Center and Chicago's first women-focused Community Reentry Support Center; family reunification, behavioral health, case management

    Who It Centers:
    Women and gender-expansive people coming home

  • givingothersdreams.online

    Support:
    Reentry training, wellness and care packages; mental health workshops inside Cook County Jail

    Who It Centers:
    Women and survivors of violence

  • restorejustice.org/our-work/communities-relatives-of-illinois-incarcerated-citizens

    Support:
    Support group for people with incarcerated loved ones, plus a self-advocacy training series

    Who It Centers:
    Families and loved ones

  • pbmr.org/our-community

    Support:
    Healing circles for mothers who have lost children to violence or incarceration; youth mentoring

    Who It Centers:
    Mothers, families, and youth ages 14–24

  • lifeimpactersfoundation.org

    Support:
    Basketball leagues, sports mentorship, and leadership development to prevent violence

    Who It Centers:
    Youth

  • challengeiichange.org

    Support:
    Prevention and behavior-change programming before system involvement

    Who It Centers:
    Young people at high risk of system involvement

  • abcreentry.org

    Support:
    Peer navigation led alongside exonerees

    Who It Centers:
    People freed after wrongful convictions

REGIONAL RESOURCES: COLLAR COUNTIES

Support in Lake, DuPage, Will, and Kane counties for people coming home outside Chicago.

  • legacyreentryfoundation.org

    Support:
    Faith-aligned holistic reentry: case management, Life After Release, Second Chance Services, mentorship, community closet, mental health advocacy, and youth violence prevention; 900+ people served in 2024

    Where:
    420 W. Clayton St.
    Waukegan
    (Lake County)

    Contact:
    800-573-8538
    info@legacyreentryfoundation.org

  • familyfirstcenter.org

    Support:
    Faith-based behavioral health clinic, case management, community health workers and youth programming; serving Lake County since 2002

    Where:
    2504 Washington St.
    Waukegan
    (Lake County)

    Contact:
    224-421-0948
    info@familyfirstcenter.org

  • focuos.org

    Support:
    OUTLOOK reentry program: case management, job readiness and placement, peer mentoring, counseling, advocacy (free; bring photo ID). Also youth programs (ages 9–24), court diversion and mental health and trauma support

    Where:
    430 E. Briarcliff Rd.
    Bolingbrook
    (Will/DuPage)

    Contact:
    630-729-4329
    info@focuos.org

  • dupagehealth.org/756/Re-Entry-Program

    Support:
    Re-entry coordinator for people in the county jail with mental health or substance use needs: care coordination, insurance enrollment, treatment connections near home

    Where:
    DuPage County

    Contact:
    630-682-7400

  • search.ne211.org/search/2b605bf2-1cbe-5916-acdd-81710d61faf9

    Support:
    IDs and school records, employment help, counseling and anger management, transportation, HIV testing and care; free, for Will County adults released in the last two years

    Where:
    840 Plainfield Rd.
    Joliet
    (Will County)

    Contact:
    Call for an appointment
    (Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.)

  • challengeiichange.org

    Support:
    Inside-and-outside prison model: pre-release planning, reentry support, housing and mental health focus

    Where:
    31 W. Downer Pl.
    Aurora
    (Kane County)

    Contact:
    Form

  • ilarj.org

    Support:
    Statewide coalition: courtwatching and judicial accountability, LibHERated, Liberatory Health Initiative, resources for families

    Where:
    Aurora
    (Kane County)
    + statewide

    Contact:
    hello@ilarj.org

REGIONAL RESOURCES: CENTRAL ILLINOIS

Peer-led and community-rooted support in Champaign-Urbana, Peoria, and the surrounding region.

REGIONAL RESOURCES: SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND THE METRO EAST

Support in East St. Louis, St. Clair County, and southern Illinois.

  • obkministry.org

    Support:
    Faith-based support for returning citizens and their families; call to confirm current services and location (the office is moving)

    Where:
    East St. Louis
    (St. Clair County)

    Contact:
    618-271-7821

  • eastsidealigned.org

    Support:
    Community collaborative building the conditions for young people to thrive: Youth Wellness Coalition, Early Learning Partnership, Youth Development Alliance, First Stop and the East St. Louis Roadmap

    Where:
    1764 State St.
    East St. Louis

    Contact:
    618-857-7700

  • tasc.org

    Support:
    Clinical reentry case management with IDOC; permanent supportive housing in southern Illinois for people with substance use or mental health needs

    Where:
    Offices statewide, including southern Illinois

    Contact:
    312-787-0208

POLICY, ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING

Lasting repair means changing the laws that keep punishing people after they come home. Join these efforts led by people most impacted.

  • endpermanentpunishments.org

    Fully Free chapters across Illinois organize to end the legal barriers attached to arrest and conviction records.

    Join a chapter.

  • restorejustice.org/our-work/advocacy/

    Works to end extreme sentencing, especially for young people and trains advocates through its advocacy team and Returning Citizens Network.

  • chicagohomeless.org

    Led by a steering committee of formerly incarcerated people; won pilots opening public housing to people with records in Chicago and Cook County.

  • womensjustice.net

    Policy, research, and leadership development to end women's mass incarceration.

  • challengeiichange.org

    Works with Kane County officials on diversion alternatives to incarceration.

  • ilarj.org

    Statewide coalition working to end mass incarceration; runs courtwatching and a People’s Guide to Cook County Criminal Division judges. Its motto: "No entry is the best form of reentry."

  • illinoisreentrycouncil.org

    Statewide collaborative of 200+ members, including people with lived experience, that coordinates reentry strategy and advocates for policy change. Its website hosts a resource library and annual reports.

  • chicagotorturejustice.org

    Born from Chicago’s 2015 police torture reparations; organizes to end police violence while supporting survivors.

STATEWIDE HOTLINES AND PUBLIC RESOURCES

Not sure where to start? Call 2-1-1.