Restore Justice Foundation

We advocate for fair legal system & prison policies in IL. Our focus: people serving life or extreme sentences their families. We 🧡 (and train new) advocates!

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE MOVES TO ABOLISH LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE SENTENCES FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS

January 10, 2023 - Springfield, IL

The Illinois General Assembly has moved to abolish life without the possibility of parole sentences for children and young adults.

[Prison Policy Initiative @PrisonPolicy]

🚨NEW: Prisons across the U.S. are stripping away physical mail in what they claim to be an effort to combat drug smuggling.

Here's the truth: Mail scanning does not stop drug use behind bars — but it does hurt incarcerated people & their loved ones 🧵

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

The 2026 legislative session kicks off in January! Our team will be headed back to Springfield to advance policies that promote a fairer legal system in Illinois.

Join us for an overview of our 2026 legislative priorities & learn how you can TAKE ACTION: https://t.co/giSOfL1pWl

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

RJ Executive Director Wendell Robinson & Outreach Director Julie Anderson attended @theCFSY's Freedom Celebration. We're so grateful for this opportunity to gather with advocates, leaders, and impacted people from across the country working to end extreme sentences for children.

[Prison Policy Initiative @PrisonPolicy]

As the U.S. continues to criminalize substance use disorder, jails & prisons are often thought of as de facto treatment facilities – but the reality couldn't be further from the truth

Communities must prioritize public health, not punishment

[John Howard Assn. @JHAofIllinois]

Mail scanning doesn’t solve the drug problem in prisons; it only hurts people. Without data on how drugs get into prisons and without considering all the ways in which contraband enters facilities, these Proposed Amendments and move to mail scanning are a rush to put an ill-fitting bandage on a wound whose source is unexamined. Read more: https://t.co/bXNEJcf3Uj

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

During our luncheon, Restore Justice honored trailblazing advocate Bernardine Dohrn with the title Board Member Emerita. Bernardine was instrumental in founding Restore Justice and building the movement to end life without parole sentences for children. https://t.co/qok1VuQYwd

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Elevator access available to the space.

This is a project led by grad students in an ART 541/SOC 543: Prison Aesthetics & Policy course, featuring Restore Justice, a Chicago non-profit organization.

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

The Illinois Department of Corrections has placed a temporary ban on physical mail via an emergency rule. Instead, mail is being scanned across all Illinois prisons, with those incarcerated no longer receiving mail directly from their loved ones.

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

Please join us to:
Write letters to every single person in Logan Correctional Center.
Write brief emails to oppose the new letter scanning policy before Nov 24.
Hear a presentation + Q&A from Restore Justice about mail policies in IL prisons!

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

Most people in prison will someday return home to our communities. Making it harder for them to stay connected to their support systems does not make anyone safer.

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

Take action now to oppose mail scanning before it becomes permanent!

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) began using mail scanning statewide in September 2025, even though mail scanning is not an evidence-based solution to the alleged problem of contraband.

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

Restore Justice Executive Director Wendell Robinson and Outreach Director Julie Anderson are in Philly with @theCFSY this week!

[Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth @theCFSY]

What a day in Philly! 🙌 We explored the city’s history and culture — from walking the Eagles’ iconic field to visiting Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Eastern State Penitentiary. Tonight, we celebrate freedom, second chances, and the power of community. 💫

[Illinois Prison Project @ILPrisonProject]

Do you have a legal question regarding an incarcerated loved one? You're not alone!
Join our free virtual legal clinic to chat with an attorney about clemency, medical release, sentence credits & more! Next clinic is SATURDAY, Nov. 15, 9-10 am. RSVP: https://t.co/OvnZB564vY

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

In case you missed it last week, you can listen here anytime: https://t.co/FrVxYAdaRY

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

Tonight! Don't miss a special radio play of Mud Theatre Project's award-winning play "The Story of Violence" at 7 p.m. on WBEZ.

[WBEZ @WBEZ]

As Chicago reaches a record $266 million in police misconduct settlements this year, wrongfully convicted exonerees like James Gibson continue to struggle with lasting trauma. https://t.co/dnEsvUAqHN

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

Wendell continued, "Additionally, there is no evidence to support that the proposed permanent rules will be effective in stopping contraband from entering the IDOC.”

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

Last week, Restore Justice Executive Director Wendell Robinson spoke at a public hearing about mail scanning in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Read more about the public hearing here: https://t.co/E2y8p7xu7d

[Restore Justice Foundation @JusticeRestore]

"People often read and re-read mail to remind them of their support system. To digitize physical mail is to eliminate the art, beauty and emotion, the texture and even a scent that is unique to physical correspondence," he said in his remarks.