Trouble reading this email? View as a webpage.

Oct 12, 2026

EJP alumni pictured at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation, which works towards reconciliation and justice in Chicago's Back of the Yards and Englewood neighborhoods. From L, Michael Harrell, Robert Reed, and Augie Torres. Renaldo Hudson, Illinois Prison Project, at the far right, is a longtime EJP ally.

EJP Alumni Making a Difference

EJP alumnus Augie Torres announced last week that he has taken a new position at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation as Director of Program Services. He was formerly Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives at Integrity & Fidelity NFP, a community violence intervention organization in Chicago.

His career path mirrors those of many EJP alumni who choose to pursue roles in community service. For example, Augie is pictured above with Michael Harrell, PBMR's Director of Community Violence Initiatives and Reentry, and Robert Reed, a Case Manager at the same organization.

Not all EJP alumni choose to work in violence prevention or allied fields, but many do, and find employment in organizations as varied as ConTextos, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the City of Chicago, the Illinois Department Juvenile Justice, and Corazon Community Services.

Many will say that there's something about the EJP learning community at Danville Correctional Center that gives them the confidence and know-how to pursue their ambitions of making a difference. As alumni Michael Tafolla's bio puts it:

At the Danville Correctional Center [Tafolla] participated in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Education Justice Project (EJP), a unique college-in-prison program that offers upper division UIUC courses to incarcerated individuals, provides reentry resources through its proprietary Reentry Guide Initiative, and more.

Utilizing his knowledge and skills acquired through EJP, Tafolla now gives back to Chicago communities by providing trauma-informed and restorative trainings to nonprofits, serving as the Case Management, Victim Services and Hospital Response Supervisor at Claretian Associates' Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) Program, and now, serving as a Board Member for Corazon Community Services. From being at the epicenter of violence to becoming a leading practitioner of violence prevention, Tafolla's expertise is of immeasurable worth to the Cicero community.

If you're interested in learning more about the world that EJP students have created at Danville Correctional Center and how you might get involved, you're warmly encouraged to attend one of our upcoming Zoom info sessions. See below for more details, and thanks for your interest! We're accepting applications until Nov. 15.

Take Care,

Rebecca Ginsburg

EJP Director



Upcoming EJP Events

Alumni Discussion

Monday Oct 12 - Today!

5 - 6 pm

Via Zoom

Our next alumni discussion is intended for individuals who work with or have interest in working with our college-in-prison program at Danville Correctional Center.

Alumni discussions provide sensitive and nuanced insight into the range of prison and reentry experiences. It's a panel format, alumni responding to questions, so feel free to bring your queries about incarceration, EJP's program at DCC, reentry, and related topics.

Alumni Fellow Spankey Davis, above, will be part of the panel.

You can RSVP for the Oct 12 discussion and future ones via the RSVP link below.

Upcoming dates:

Monday Nov 30, 5 - 6pm

Tuesday Dec 8, 5 - 6pm

If you have any questions or concerns, or need any accommodations to fully participate, please reach out to events@educationjustice.net.

EJP Lunch

Tues Oct 13

12 -1pm

Hybrid

Our October lunch will feature an update on EJP becoming a campus center. If you've been unable to attend previous updates and are curious about where we are in the process and what it will mean for EJP to become a campus center, we encourage you to attend!

There are significant updates to share!

There will be a potato bar for those in person. If you're zooming in, please plan on the presentation starting around 12:10pm, after everyone has collected their lunches and found their seats.

Upcoming lunches that you can also RSVP for now:

Wed Nov 18 - Innocence claims. EJP's Chrissy Ferree, who formerly worked at the Innocence Project, will provide a primer on how innocence claims work.

Thurs Dec 10 - After lunch we'll host an open house + RIPPLE (Reaching Inside Prisons with Purpose and Love) card-writing session.

If you have any questions or concerns, or need any accommodations to fully participate, please reach out to events@educationjustice.net.

EJP Accepting Applications

Deadline: Nov 15

Info Tables: Oct 14, Oct 26, Oct 28

Zoom Info Sessions: Oct 1, Oct 27, Nov 11

We're accepting applications until November 15, 2026 from individuals interested in contributing to EJP's college-in-prison program at Danville Correctional Center, our Prison to Gown Pathway, and Policy & Research team in Spring 2027. We are also accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students who wish to intern with EJP in Spring 2027.

For those interested in teaching a for-credit course at the prison, we are recruiting for instructors for the 2027-28 academic year. For-credit instructors are compensated; other positions are not.

You can learn more from the flyer below, which provides detailed information about upcoming EJP info tables and information sessions held via Zoom. Please RSVP for he info sessions in advance and feel free to stop by the info tables to chat with EJP members at your convenience.

Oct 14 - College of Education, 10 - 1

Oct 26 - Law College, 11:30 - 1:30

Oct 28 - School of Social Work, 11 - 1

If you have any questions or concerns, or need any accommodations to fully participate, please reach out to events@educationjustice.net.

From Stigma to Solutions

Thurs Oct 22

4-6pm

In person

For decades, mandatory registration laws have been a major source of confusion and stigma towards people who have been charged with sexually-based offenses. EJP continues to invite guest speakers as well as other impacted individuals to discuss this subject.

We are honored to feature Paul Rothschild at our Oct 22 event. Paul's presentation will draw on his lived experience with incarceration, supervision, registration, and permanent punishment, along with his work building directly impacted leadership and statewide policy campaigns through the End Permanent Punishments campaign, at ENDPP.ORG. 

This event is part of the statewide No New Prisons Campaign and Feminist Teach-In.

We'll serve light supper (another potato bar!) at the event. All are welcome.

If you have any questions or concerns, or need any accommodations to fully participate, please reach out to events@educationjustice.net.

Author Talk: 911, What's Your Emergency?

Mon Oct 26

4:30-6pm

In person

The Education Justice Project is honored to host Rebecca Neusteter, executive director of U Chicago's Urban Labs, for a conversation about her new book 911, What’s Your Emergency?: The Promise and Peril of Crisis Response.

911 is largely promoted as a tool to save lives—yet too often, it puts people’s safety in jeopardy, especially in communities of color. 

Neusteter’s research is an urgent call to action that challenges us to transform America’s overburdened 911 system and make it safe, just, and equitable for all.

Indivduals planning to attend the event are welcome to pick up a free copy of the book in the EJP office

If you have any questions or concerns, or need any accommodations to fully participate, please reach out to events@educationjustice.net.

Abolition Discussion

Mon Nov 2

5 - 6pm

Via Zoom

We hold occasional discussions about prison abolition via Zoom. All are welcome to participate, learn, and share.

More details coming soon, but you're invited to sign up now if interested.

If you have any questions or concerns, or need any accommodations to fully participate, please reach out to events@educationjustice.net.

Paid Positions with EJP

Some EJP positions can be held virtually, some are hybrid, and some (those based at Danville Prison) require that an individual be able to regularly visit the prison. Our preference is always to hire local individuals and we especially seek candidates who have personal experience of incarceration. Click on the links below to see complete job descriptions. Most positions based at the prison are part-time.