In 2025, JHA is championing 2 pieces of legislation in order to better protect the rights, well-being, and safety of both people who are incarcerated and people who work in prisons.

First, SB 2201/HB 2581 Amendment 1, to track and publicly report prison contraband data.

READ our fact sheet on SB 2201/HB2581 Amendment 1

Second, HB 3713 HA 1, to protect communication for people in IDOC, including the right of every person who is incarcerated to receive the original, physical copy of their mail unless the mail is determined to threaten the security or safety of the institution. JHA is partnering with Restore Justice on this bill.

READ OUR FACT SHEET ON HB 3713 HA 1

Want to learn what we heard from people inside IDOC when they responded to our “Measuring the Quality of Prison Life” surveys?

MQPL survey dashboard

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New in 2025! Read past updates here.

Scroll down to find our most recent reports and statements.

Mission & Vision

Our Mission: JHA monitors prisons and advances independent oversight of carceral systems to promote humane treatment and increased transparency.

Our Vision: As long as there are prisons, we aspire to have a system that is equitable, reduces harm, and respects people’s humanity.

our guiding principles

Defying Injustice. Defending Humanity.

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Illinois has one of the most overcrowded, understaffed and underfunded prison systems in the U.S. We believe that people who are incarcerated should be treated humanely and with dignity and respect.

Impact

For more than 120 years, the John Howard Association has served as Illinois' only independent citizen correctional oversight organization. We uncover problems large and small in our correctional facilities and advocate for reforms that lead to meaningful change for prisoners and their families. System-wide reform leads to more successful correctional outcomes for our communities, and better use of limited resources and taxpayer funds.

JHA’s work leads to changes inside our prisons and throughout our system that impact thousands of lives for the better.

Featured

Advocacy

Statements

Legislative Impact

In the Media

Recent Publications

2024 Monitoring Reports: Graham, Shawnee & Vienna

Summary
- Consistent refrains from people in all three facilities were a desire for more opportunity for productive activity and the harms of lockdowns, the latter largely attributed by administrators to staffing issues. Additionally, ongoing concerns regarding healthcare provision and physical plant issues were shared at all three prisons, including concerns regarding climate and ventilation and water.
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Read “Dear Allies” summary email here

Read Graham Report Here

Read Shawnee Report Here

Read Vienna Report Here

2024 Annual Report

Summary
- Thank you to all of you – our volunteers, funders and donors, partners, interns, and champions – for supporting this work and enabling our mission. We could not do this without your help. Read our Annual Report to learn more about what we accomplished in 2024, and what our priorities are for 2025.
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Read Report Here

Report on Reentry-Focused Facilities (Part 1 of 2)

Summary
- JHA visited all six reentry facilities between July 2022 and July 2023 in order to report on the resources available within IDOC’s best established and most intensive reentry-focused settings. Findings from these visits, data, and JHA’s ongoing communications and survey work indicate that reentry facilities remain relatively successful, productive, and well-received compared to IDOC prisons, and yet are vastly underutilized. Most existing reentry facilities have populations far below reported capacities, and even at full capacity, could only serve a small percentage of the IDOC population potentially meeting eligibility criteria. Further, they remain regionally limited, particularly for women.
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Read Full Report Here

2024 Joliet Treatment & Joliet Inpatient Treatment Centers Monitoring Report

Summary
- In October of 2024 JHA visited the Joliet Treatment Center and Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center (JTC/JITC). JTC opened in 2017 as a mixed security level men’s prison with a focus on providing mental health treatment to those classified as seriously mentally ill (SMI). JITC, which opened in June 2022, is a coed facility that intended to provide the highest level of inpatient mental health treatment and medical care available in an IDOC facility.
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Read Report Here

Donate

Every donation matters. We rely on the generosity of individual, corporate and foundation donors committed to criminal justice system reform. With your support, we will continue to promote prison reform, seeking a fair, effective and humane criminal justice system in Illinois. Thank you!

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John Howard Association in the News

News

Dec 10, 2024

Amid Concerns Over Paper, Illinois Prisons Would Be Able to Electronically Scan Mail Under New Contract

Dec 10, 2024

For months, state lawmakers, correctional workers and those incarcerated have been raising the alarm over the future of physical mail in Illinois Department of Corrections facilities.(WTTW)