Parole Illinois Fundraiser

Hi, we are Parole Illinois, a unique coalition of activists from both inside and outside of prison who are advocating for a fair and inclusive parole system in our state.  We are raising money to pay our campaign organizer, create promotional materials and t-shirts, and further our educational and political work. 

Discretionary parole was abolished in Illinois in 1978. At that time, people served relatively short sentences and received day-for-day good time.  Since then, however, new laws have increased sentencing ranges repeatedly, resulting in thousands of people serving excruciatingly long sentences without any opportunity for early release.  These long sentences are the main driver of mass incarceration in Illinois. If no changes are made, nearly 6,000 currently incarcerated men and women will be required to spend their rest of their lives in prison.

Parole Illinois believes in the power of redemption and transformation; and that it is inhumane to order people to spend decades in prison, until they die, without any periodic assessment of whether such sentences are necessary for public safety. We therefore stand against policies that sentence people to death by incarceration, whether that be life-without-parole or excruciatingly long sentences that people cannot outlive.

Our mission is to advocate for a fair and effective system of parole in Illinois; to bring the voices of incarcerated individuals into criminal-justice discussions in Illinois; and to help coordinate the activities of people inside and outside prison walls who are committed to bringing to Illinois an effective and non-discriminatory system of parole that addresses the goals of rehabilitation and respect for all human beings.

Currently, we are working to build out movement and educate the general public on the issues of parole in hopes of passes legislation in a year to reinstate it!