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Photo credit: Chicago Community Bond Fund
Illinois made history when Governor Pritzker signed the Pretrial Fairness Act into law on February,21, 2021, bringing an end to wealth-based pretrial incarceration in Illinois!  Now is the time to celebrate this important victory for our communities!

And from our friends at UUANI: "Let’s let our elected representatives know we appreciate their work in getting us started toward equity in criminal justice.  Send a thank you to Governor Pritzker for his endorsement HERE.  If you know your senator or representative voted to pass the bill (Action of the Week, February 4:  Senate votes, Rep votes), send a thank you HERE for senator and for representative HERE.  Let them know we are watching – and appreciate their work on behalf of the well-being of ALL our people. "

UUPMI concerned over COVID-19 and care for those incarcerated 

CALL TO ACTION!
The Illinois Department of Corrections is not conducting enough Covid-19 tests to provide an accurate count of people who are ill. Even with this underestimate, an alarming number of our friends inside are infected. Everyone is living in intolerable conditions where they cannot take the advised precautions to protect themselves from the virus. As of August 15, 261 people in Stateville, 93 at East Moline and 72 women at Logan are reported to have Covid-19, and we know that far more people in these prisons were exposed and are being held in quarantine. Of the 602 reported cases of people in custody with Covid-19 since March, just 365 are listed as recovered. PLEASE call Governor Pritzker (217-782-0244) and Lt. Governor Stratton (217-558-3085) and ask them to release people from IDOC. By focusing on older people (who almost never are re-arrested), people with medical conditions that increase their risk of death, and people within six months of release, Illinois can release enough people from prison to make social distancing possible inside, to reduce the spread and prevent more deaths.  IDOC must increase testing and provide prompt medical care when people inside report that they are ill.  
A State-by-State Look at Coronavirus in Prisons
​by The Marshall Project 
::updated daily::
The Marshall Project is collecting data on COVID-19 infections in state and federal prisons. See how the virus has affected correctional facilities where you live.
Read more...
A Letter Unanswered
March 7, 2020

​On the morning of March 7, 2020, UUPMI sent a letter to 
Rob Jeffreys, Acting Director Illinois Department of Corrections 
and Jim Kaitschuk, Executive Director Illinois Sheriffs’ Association.  The letter addresses concerns over how COVID-19 may affect people who work and live in Illinois prisons and jails. 

Read the letter here... ​

Learning together

If you are new to abolition, check out this wonderful resource from Abolition Journal. With six sessions, you can go at your own pace. 

Self-led Learning page lists historic offerings and more to help deepen your knowledge.

Events

Legislative Advocacy Training 
Sat. March 6, 2021
10am-11:30am CST

The Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois and Unitarian Universalist Prison Ministry of Illinois invite you to join Director of Restore Justice Jobi Cates in a Legislative Advocacy Training. We will spend time on a big picture orientation followed by tips for strategic organizing and advocacy. Jobi brings nearly thirty years of legislative advocacy experience in Illinois, and we are eager for Unitarian Universalists to benefit from this wisdom and experience!
​Register here.

​Virtual Solidarity Circle Member Training Registration
Sun. March 7, 2021
3pm-4:30pm CST
Register here

A Solidarity Circle is a group of individuals who come together to journey with someone who has been released from prison or jail. The group consists of a Circle Leader and several Circle Members (ideally 6-8) who meet regularly to listen and to assist the Circle Leader in finding ways to meet both immediate and long term needs, and to achieve independence.  The Concentrated Training session is a meeting with all of the Circle Members before the first meeting of the Solidarity Circle with the Circle Leader.  This includes training about the logistics of the Circle meetings, Circle Leader boundaries, and identifying points of privilege when engaged with someone with a social location different from the Circle Member’s social location. 

You will receive a Zoom link when we confirm your registration by email.

Past events...

Thank you to all who registered and participated in Abolitionist Theologies: Religious Resistance to Policing and Prisons on August 12, 2020. Catch up on the conversation with this transcript or watch the video below:
8-12-20_abolitionist_theologies_virtual_roundtable_transcript.pdf
File Size: 150 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Thank you to all who gave so generously to benefit UUANI and UUMPI at the UU Democracy Revival that was held Sunday, 10/25/2020. To catch it later, watch here.

Other Events you should know about

  The COVID-19 Pandemic has highlighted the many needs of those who are recently released or still inside.  Though there are immediate needs that must be addressed, our organization still holds onto to a long-term religious vision where the humanity of all is recognized and liberation/reconciliation is possible for all people.
​
Get Involved! For action you can take, visit the Illinois Prison Project, who is keeping a running list of ways we can stay engaged in our vision of liberation in these difficult times. See how we as an organization are staying engaged while sheltering-in-place.

Our Mission

We equip UU's in Illinois to ​transform institutions and support people harmed by the prison industrial complex.  Read More
Use Amazon Smile to easily donate to our good work at UUPMI!
HUGE Celebrations for Monica Cosby:
FIELD FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST LEADERS FOR A NEW CHICAGO AWARD RECIPIENTS -- The Field Foundation today announced the 14 recipients of its inaugural Leaders for a New Chicago award, supported by a $2.1 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to expand the definition of leadership in Chicago.
“In Chicago we have no shortage of brilliant minds working every day to change lives and reshape our city,” said Angelique Power, president, the Field Foundation. “We are so honored to be in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation as we hand over a megaphone, share resources, and then sit back and watch as these incredible people continue to soar, bringing our city to more just and beautiful places than we could’ve ever imagined.”

THE 2019 LEADERS FOR A NEW CHICAGO AWARDEES ARE:
• Monica Cosby, a leader of the participatory defense work at Westside Justice Center and one of the leading advocates for incarcerated women and the fight for post-incarceration rights in Chicago.
Read More
We need your help! We can sustain this ministry only if we have the support of people who care about our shared humanity with people in prison. Your contribution will help fund our half-time minister’s salary, benefits, and travel costs, plus the costs of our education offerings to congregations.

The In Prison Ministry works to create a spiritual space where all people can come as they are and be affirmed in their inherent worth and dignity, no matter their identities or past harm they may have caused. 

The outside work of the UU Prison Ministry focuses on preparing our congregations to become radically welcoming places for formerly incarcerated and convicted people. We embrace the call of Unitarian Universalism to make our congregations accepting of all people.

​The Prison Ministry will also connect Unitarian Universalists to local and state-level policy  initiatives that seek to build a world community of peace, liberty and justice for all.
UU Prison Ministry of Illinois is a 501(c)3 organization, so your contributions are tax-deductible.

​We are funded in part by the Fund for Unitarian Universalist Social Responsibility - and grateful for their support.
​This project is in part funded by the Fund for Unitarian Universalist Social Responsibility.

UUPMI

We equip UU's in Illinois to ​transform institutions and support people harmed by the prison industrial complex.
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