John Howard Association of Illinois

JHA is thrilled to welcome Alexa James to our Board of Directors. She recently joined Health Management Associates as an Associate Principal. Alexa's background includes a long tenure at NAMI Chicago, teaching at her alma mater Loyola University School of Social Work, and seeing patients in private practice. We look forward to the passion, energy, and mental health & nonprofit expertise she will bring to JHA - welcome aboard, Alexa!

The perspectives shared with JHA via our latest prison survey are critical to better understanding the conditions and treatment inside prisons and to identifying viable, effective reform efforts. This quote is from Big Muddy; full report will be online soon. View other prison results here: https://www.thejha.org/survey2025

SAVE THE DATE! Join us Friday Oct. 23rd to celebrate 125 years of our impact on Illinois' prison system, and to hear what we're prioritizing this year. You don't want to miss keynote speaker Larry Miller; his story (as told in his book JUMP) is truly inspiring. Learn more: www.thejha.org/125

JHA Community Advocate Tony Thomas attended the "Bridging the Gap: Amplifying Incarcerated Voices" conference this weekend, supporting system-impacted storytellers and touring the highly impactful mobile museum on solitary confinement.

JHA was thrilled to participate in a convening of researchers, academics, members of the judiciary, executive branch leaders, advocates and policy-makers from the U.S., Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands to discuss the differences and intersections of youth and adult criminal legal and prison systems, and how systems can better meet needs, increase positive outcomes, and improve public safety.

In Illinois, reform of our juvenile system has far outpaced that of our adult system. Many of our expensive and ineffective policies and practices do not comport with what research and experience prove in terms of how and when people change and largely stop engaging in criminal activity. We look forward to continuing to learn from other jurisdictions and new stakeholders with whom we are now in community – conversations such as this help identify ways we can advance meaningful change that promotes better outcomes, better utilizes resources, and centers human rights and dignity in decision making and accountability.

A special thank you to Professor Emily Buss, University of Chicago Law School, and Dr. Siobhan Buckley, Ulster University, for organizing and leading this insightful and thoughtful conversation.

Thank you to all of the people living and working at Vandalia and Centralia for speaking with us and sharing your experiences.

Learn more about how we monitor prisons here: https://www.thejha.org/methodology

Join JHA for trivia on July 29th! Stewpendous Productions is back for a 3rd year in a row - come play in support of prison oversight & reform! Get 1 free drink + appetizers with your ticket. www.thejha.org/TTJ2026

What happens on an average day in prison? Some individuals incarcerated in Illinois prisons generously shared their days with us for publication.

Join JHA for our 3rd Annual Trivia Night in support of prison oversight! Wed. 7/29 at Tree House Chicago. Find out more: www.thejha.org/ttj2026

JHA appreciates the difficult and challenging nature of working inside prisons and thanks those who seek to help the people in custody under untenable circumstances. We hear you, and appreciate you sharing your experiences and insights in our IDOC staff survey: