Housing for people with criminal records is sparse across the United States. Permanent punishments, including prohibitions from living in certain locations and receiving certain housing benefits or supports, is a major contributing factor to the strong - and often cyclical - relationship between imprisonment and homelessness. 
In Illinois, if an imprisoned person reaches their release date and does not have an address to go to, they remain captive in prison. As a result, there are over 1000 people in Illinois alone serving "dead time" or time that does not serve the interests of justice or public safety, and simply extends beyond their court-ordered sentence. Additionally, there are the "Chicago 400" who are 400+ people who are homeless by the design of the government. Some people with criminal records are placed on registries that affect where they can live. None of them can leave Illinois and some cannot leave the county. There is not a single residency that meets the requirements of where they should live. It is exactly these systems that have inspired a movement to fund housing that is specifically designed for folks returning to our communities from prison. To learn about and support this movement, check out the Home for Good Coalition. 

Indefensibly, Illinois is currently budgeting $900 million to build new prisons, and is only *considering* a $103 million investment in housing supports for formerly incarcerated individuals. Sign this petition to tell Illinois executive leadership that we want investment in meeting the basic needs of people who are languishing in prisons right now, not investment in designs to imprison future generations. 
Funding for this housing is a necessary first step. For a look inside one organization's attempt to use state funding to establish a welcoming home for people reentering in Illinois, check out the piece by Elise Maren on lavendermagazine.com being published in June.