In Illinois, more than 3.3 million people live with an arrest or a conviction on their record. A legal justice record of any kind can prevent an individual from accessing housing, employment and services—barriers collectively termed the “second chance gap.” The consequences are lost opportunities and $4.7 billion in lost earnings across the state, according […]

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Written inside Dixon Correctional Center, The Story of Violence is one of more than 15 original works created by a dozen men who were part of the Dixon Performing Arts program. A play written by men incarcerated in an Illinois prison won a regional Public Media Journalists Association Award for Audience Engagement this week. The […]

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For Chicago residents who live in food deserts, the future of access to fresh, affordable meat has become increasingly uncertain. Could meat grown in a lab help expand access in Chicago’s food deserts? Surging grocery prices—which noticeably spiked during the pandemic—continue to trend upwards in 2026. Since 2019, the average cost of food items in […]

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