The Challenge

PRISON DESTABILIZES COMMUNITIES, CASCADING TRAUMA TO FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS. EVERY DAY FINDS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE U.S. LOCKED UP PRETRIAL. AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE HELD IN STATE PRISONS AT NEARLY 5 TIMES THE RATE OF THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS. WHEN RELEASED, THEY OFTEN RETURN TO COMMUNITIES UNDER-RESOURCED FOR GENERATIONS, SHUTTING THEM OUT OF JOBS AND HOUSING.

• AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE 15% OF ILLINOIS RESIDENTS, BUT 49% OF PEOPLE IN JAIL AND 56% OF THOSE IN PRISON.

• LESS THAN A THIRD OF ILLINOIS PRISONERS HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.

• THE COST OF INCARCERATION FOR ONE PERSON PER YEAR IS NEARLY $40,000.

• THE RECIDIVISM RATE IN ILLINOIS WITHIN 3 YEARS OF RELEASE IS 43%. FAILURE TO REDUCE IT WILL COST TAXPAYERS $13 BILLION OVER 5 YEARS.

What Works

WHILE NONE OF THE COUNTRY’S REENTRY PROGRAMS HAS DECREASED RE-INCARCERATION NUMBERS, READING BETWEEN THE LINES OFFERS HOPE FOR HEALING. PARTICIPANTS SAY THAT IGNITING CURIOSITY, COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION CAN HELP THEM NEGOTIATE THE POST-PRISON WORLD.

WE PARTNER WITH TRANSITIONAL LIVING FACILITIES AND COOK COUNTY JAIL TO COMPLEMENT EXISTING PROGRAMS. RESEARCH POINTS TO APPROACHES SUCH AS OURS AS BETTERING THE ODDS FOR MORE SUCCESSFUL REENTRY.

Our Impact

“IT HELPED ME OPEN MY WAY OF COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOT MY CELLMATES.”

READING BETWEEN THE LINES IS NOT A CLASS. THERE IS NO HOMEWORK. THERE ARE NO GRADES. WE BUILD REAL-WORLD SKILLS THROUGH THOUGHT-PROVOKING DISCUSSIONS. PARTICIPANTS GAIN TOOLS THAT CAN BE LIFE-CHANGING AS THEY:

•      HEAR THEIR THINKING AND VOICES VALIDATED.

•      EXCHANGE VIEWS WITH PEERS, LEARNING TO RESPECTFULLY MAKE A CASE OR DISAGREE.

•      USE EVIDENCE FROM THE TEXT TO SUPPORT AND EXPRESS THEIR IDEAS.

•      GAIN A NEW SENSE OF CONFIDENCE AND SELF-WORTH.

“SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO STEP OUTSIDE OF YOURSELF TO KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE. POEMS LIKE THIS MAKE ME THINK THAT WE ALL HAVE STRUGGLES.”