Prison Communications 2020

John Howard Association’s Prison Communications work in 2020 shifted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of March of 2020, the immediate priority was protecting the health and safety of those who live and work in prison. Due to coronavirus restrictions JHA was unable to enter prisons after March 14th, 2020; thankfully, the information received from people incarcerated in Illinois provided direct information about current conditions and evolving concerns. More than ever, the calls and emails JHA received from the loved ones and advocates of people incarcerated in Illinois served to inform our monitoring and advocacy work while we communicated regularly with IDOC and IDJJ leadership and administrators, collaborated with other criminal justice advocates and used external pressure to push for needed  pandemic response and ongoing reform. The information provided through JHA’s Prison Communications aided JHA in advocating for the release of as many incarcerated people as possible; pushing for adequate PPE, social distancing, cohorting and healthcare for those working and living in prisons; calling for more data transparency on COVID-19 protocols, testing, positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths; and seeking the prioritization of vaccines for those behind prison walls.