Being incarcerated is a brutal education on the impact prisons have on individuals, families and communities. IPP understands this experience is expertise– hard earned knowledge that is integral in the fight against incarceration. This month, our Lunch & Learn examines IPP’s Ambassador Fellowship Program, an 8-month training program where formerly incarcerated people transform their lived experience with the carceral system into a narrative that confronts misconceptions of mass incarceration. We will examine the power of the program and the importance of centering people with lived experience in the work.

The Illinois Prison Project invites you to join us for our 6th Annual Gala celebration on Friday, October 16 at the beautiful, historic Chicago Cultural Center located in Chicago's Loop directly across from Millennium Park. The IPP Gala brings together advocates, elected officials, legal experts, and community members working at the forefront of the movement to end mass incarceration in Illinois and beyond. Each ticket includes a plated dinner, dessert, drinks, and exclusive access to three iconic event spaces at the Cultural Center.