Education Justice Project

RRP member Scott Pollack and RRP Outreach and Distribution Coordinator Chad Rand attended the Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement regional gathering in Chicago last weekend.

It was an inspiring space where social justice advocates and organizations from across the Midwest came together to network, share knowledge, and build powerful relationships. We’re so proud to be part of this movement for change!

To read more at EJP this week, click this link: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/EJP-this-Week.html?soid=1112531363573&aid=a1vdKB_rYkA and to learn more about the event, visit the FICPFM website: https://ficpfm.org

EJP is hosting an LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) preparation workshop this summer that focuses on developing logical reasoning, reading comprehension, and the core test-taking strategies needed to excel.

Led by EJP student Demetrice Crite and DCC on-site coordinator Ma’at Husband-Ausar, this hands-on workshop is a direct continuation of the successful spring semester sessions, providing a supportive space to build foundational analytical skills. Throughout the summer, participants will dive into a plethora of practical tips and tricks designed to tackle the official exam. Thirteen EJP students are scheduled to take the LSAT later this fall.

EJP Director Rebecca Ginsburg joined state leaders and advocates in Chicago yesterday as an invited panelist for a two-day legislative retreat hosted by The Hunt Institute.

The retreat focused on key educational reforms across Illinois, including expanding access to higher education for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated learners. It was inspiring to see so much enthusiasm among Illinois lawmakers to expand educational opportunity for all.

Pictured alongside Rebecca (in the black dress) from L to R are State Representative Camille Lilly, State Representative Michael Crawford, and Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford. The second picture features Rebecca and Yaacov Delaney (Director of the Justice, Equity & Opportunity Initiative in the Office of Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton).

Together, we are working to build a brighter, more accessible future for higher education in prison across Illinois.

EJP is offering a summer reading group that examines corporate responsibility and the human consequences of profit-focused decision-making. “Flying Blind: The 737 Max Tragedy and the Fall Off of Boeing” is co-led by EJP student Joseph West and one of our community librarians, Kelli McQueen. It invites participants to explore the history of Boeing and the systemic failures that led to the 737 Max disasters.

Across five Wednesday sessions, from 1:30-4:30pm, the group will engage with and critically analyze how one of the world’s most trusted aerospace companies put lives at risk.

EJP is offering a reading group this summer that focuses on the experience of youth in Chicago between 1900-1970. This reading group is led by EJP’s academic manager, Chris Getowicz.

The book “Mean Streets” by Andrew J. Diamond will serve as the main text. Students will examine themes of masculinity, race, street life, schooling, and work in Chicago. In addition to the book, students will explore historical sources such as newspapers, pamphlets, flyers, and artwork from young people during the time period.

Students will be assigned weekly readings, and are asked to bring their own questions to the group to be explored together through conversation.

We are thrilled to congratulate Ashton Klekamp (Hoselton), EJP’s Policy & Research Director, for being selected for the 2026-2027 Corrections Education-to-Employment Leadership Academy (CELA) cohort!

Ashton is one of only 12 leaders nationwide chosen from corrections agencies, colleges, and education and reentry programs. Through CELA, this cohort will strengthen their leadership and connections across systems and advance education-to-employment pathways that support economic mobility for people impacted by incarceration.

Congratulations to Ashton and the entire cohort! We look forward to learning from their leadership and seeing what they build together.

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. This in-person event is on Saturday, October 10th, 2026 in Champaign, IL.

We are seeking volunteers to help with setup, station roles, acting as a floater, or takedown and clean up. You do not have to be an EJP member to volunteer. 😊

If you’re interested in volunteering for this event, click here: https://educationjustice.jotform.com/261366328521052

To read more at EJP this Week, click here: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/EJP-this-Week.html?soid=1112531363573&aid=2orKcsw5M1c

A new summer reading group at the prison is studying Shaka Senghor’s “How to Be Free.” The six-week reading group is facilitated by EJP students James Kral and Demetrice Crite, and DCC on-site coordinator Ma’at Husband-Ausar.

Students at Danville Correctional Center will meet for six Mondays this summer from 9am-12pm and dive into Senghor’s reflections on the “hidden prisons” that shape our lives; whether rooted in incarceration, perfectionism, fear, or self-doubt. Participants will examine their own relationships to freedom and write a 1-2 page personal narrative on what being free means to them.

According to the group's facilitators, freedom begins internally, with Demetrice noting that beginning to heal oneself can “spread the same gift to others,” and James emphasizing that freedom is “more than just an idea; it’s a way of life; it’s a mindset; it’s a choice.”

EJP members recently joined other experts and advocates in Chicago for the fifth and final "Expanding Information Access for Incarcerated People Convening,” hosted by the San Francisco Public Library, centered on the theme "Reflection as Direction."

The conference focused on bridging resource gaps and advancing educational equity. Key sessions and small group collaborative discussions explored critical developments in the field, including legal access, youth and academic library services, and digital literacy initiatives for incarcerated individuals.

EJP member Adebola Obayemi and EJP alumnus Johnny Page, the Director of Reentry in the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention at the Illinois Department of Human Services gave formal presentations, which was also attended by EJP Policy and Research Director Ashton Klekamp and EJP’s Reentry Resource Program Guide Production Coordinator Christy Cannon.

Access to higher education in prison is at the core of the Education Justice Project’s mission. EJP's commitment to expanding educational opportunities is reflected in the Morrill Land-Grant Act, which we celebrate today.

On July 2, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant Act into law, establishing a new vision for public higher education—one grounded in expanding educational opportunity, advancing knowledge through research, and serving the public good. The Act laid the foundation for institutions dedicated to making higher education more accessible to people who had historically been excluded from it. The University of Illinois has carried this evolving commitment forward since its founding as a direct result of the Morrill Act.

Today, EJP takes up the charge of the land-grant mission by expanding access to higher education for incarcerated students and families. Through this work, EJP affirms the enduring principle at the heart of the Morrill Act: that providing higher education for marginalized communities is both a public responsibility and a powerful pathway to dignity, opportunity, and a more just society.

We also acknowledge that the spirit of this act has yet to be fully realized. As Illinois looks toward the next 164 years of the land-grant commitment, EJP invites us to reimagine how we can more fully realize the land-grant promise in the 21st century.