Trouble reading this email? View as a webpage.

June 8, 2026

Mapping Your Future 2026 has arrived from the printer! Thousands of copies of EJP's Illinois reentry guide (access a digital copy here) will soon be headed out to individuals in prison and agencies across the state.

Preparing to Become a Campus Center

No--you didn't happen to overlook last week's "EJP this Week." During the summer, this newsletter comes out at a slower pace, once every two or three weeks.

As you can see from this week's edition, we also host fewer events over the summer, but that doesn't mean work slows down. One of the projects we'll be giving much attention to this summer is restructuring our long-standing Reentry Resource Program (RRP).

Currently, RRP produces reentry guides and deportation guides and hosts our Mexican scholarship program for individuals who have been impacted by deportation to that country. We'll be transitioning the latter two programs, as they're not clearly aligned with our core mission of creating a model college-in-prison program. This restructuring is part of our process, as we prepare our application for center status, of reexamining our activities and organizational structure. The goal is a final proposal that presents EJP as a coherent, impactful, and sustainable entity that should (obviously!) be approved to become a permanent center of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

If this is of interest to you, or you think you might have something to contribute to the process, or you want to learn more, please RSVP to attend our next upcoming "Becoming a Center update" on Tuesday June 9.

Take Care,

Rebecca Ginsburg

EJP Director

Upcoming EJP Events

Becoming a Center Update

Tuesday June 9
11am - 12pm
Hybrid

We hold monthly updates on the progress we are making towards becoming a center at UIUC. It's been a long journey and becoming a center (as opposed to a research project) has many implications.

Our next meeting will be June 9. Future updates will be held on:

Tuesday July 14, 3 - 4pm

Thursday August 27, 4 -5pm

You're welcome to share your questions and concerns on the RSVP form, link below, so we can be sure to address them at the meeting.

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

EJP Summer Lunches

Friday July 10

12 - 1pm
Hybrid

We're holding summer lunches this year! All EJP members and interested others are welcome to join us in person, at the EJP offices on campus (1001 S. Wright St), or via Zoom.

In-person lunches are always veggie-friendly. In July, we'll provide food from Y Thai. Individuals who join via Zoom should expect discussion to start around 12:10, after in-person participants have had a chance to order their lunch and settle into their seats.

Our August lunch will be on Thursday August 20.

You can sign up for July and August lunches via the RSVP link below.

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

Volunteers Needed!

Reentry Simulation

Oct 10, 2026
In Person

EJP and the Restorative Justice Initiative at Penn State University are co-hosting a Reentry Simulation with the purpose of exposing structures and systems that create barriers after incarceration. 

Location: The University YMCA (1001 S Wright Street, Champaign Urbana)

Date: October 10, 2026

Volunteer Timeframe: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM.

If you are interested in volunteering with setup, station roles, acting as a floater, or takedown and clean up, please sign up below.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Chrissy Ferree at

cferr3@illinois.edu

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

EJP Picnic

Saturday August 29

In Person

Save the date for the annual EJP picnic in Custer Park, Illinois, just outside Kankakee River State Park. We're holding the event at a private Airbnb, pictured above, with plenty of room for outdoor and indoor activities. Families and friends are welcome. Stay tuned for more details and carpool sign-ups.

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

EJP Member Announcements

Are you an EJP member looking for weekly announcements? Please look for member announcements in your Bamboo mailbox instead of being linked to this newsletter, as they were formerly.

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.