{"id":394,"date":"2023-03-27T23:57:27","date_gmt":"2023-03-27T23:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/?page_id=394"},"modified":"2025-10-27T14:42:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T19:42:56","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \n No human is disposable.\n <\/h1>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
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We work to make Illinois a safer and more compassionate state by replacing the ineffective, extreme sentencing policies of the past with evidence-based laws that allow families and communities to heal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n

\n \n \n Get Involved\n <\/a>\n \n \n \n\n Read stories of impact<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n
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\n Our Work\n <\/h3>\n \n
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\n What we do\n<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n \n
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Restore Justice advances legislative change, trains advocates, and conducts research with a focus on rolling back the punitive policies of the past and replacing them with smart and safe policies for the future. <\/span>We seek to support, empower, and promote healing and hope for people who are incarcerated, their loved ones, and their communities. <\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n

\n \n Read about our impact\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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Advocating for fairer laws<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n

We aim to center the voices of those most harmed by Illinois\u2019 unjust criminal legal policies by engaging system-impacted people in our policy work. Thanks to the tenacious advocacy of our policy team, Illinois recently became the 26th state to abolish life without parole sentences for children and young adults! Our work now seeks to further undo the Illinois laws that result in extreme sentences, especially for young people.<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n

\n \n\n learn about our legislative impact<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Our work with communities<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n

In addition to our advocacy work, we engage with communities through a variety of support groups, including Communities and Relatives of Illinois Incarcerated Citizens (CRIIC) and our Returning Citizens Network (RCN). Both of these groups were founded and continue to be run by system-impacted people, and provide spaces of support and resilience for community members and returning citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n

\n \n\n Learn about our Community Impact<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n
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\n Our main focus areas\n<\/h2>\n \n
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We center our reform efforts on three primary issue areas: sentencing, prison conditions and practices, and pathways to release. We focus on multiple issues in each of these areas.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

\n \n \n \n \n Sentencing<\/h3>\n \n \n In Illinois, long base sentences, penalty enhancements, and a lack of early release opportunities lead to extremely long prison terms. Restore Justice works to eliminate mandatory minimums, roll back firearm enhancements, and give judges more discretion. \n <\/p>\n \n \n\n Learn more about our sentencing work<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \n \n \n Prison conditions and practices<\/h3>\n \n \n The human, social, and economic costs of our current prison system are intolerable. We support efforts to move Illinois corrections towards a model that values rehabilitation over punishment.\n <\/p>\n \n \n\n Read how we do that<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n \n \n \n Pathways to release<\/h3>\n \n \n In the 1970s and 1990s, Illinois restricted early release opportunities for most incarcerated people. Today, many people who enter prison in Illinois have few meaningful ways to work toward their release. We are working to change that.\n <\/p>\n \n \n\n Read about our work in this area<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n
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\n Context\n <\/h3>\n \n
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\n Restore Justice education initiatives\n<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n \n
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Restore Justice works to educate people in Illinois about our state\u2019s criminal legal system policies and practices. This includes providing information about the reality of how our laws impact people\u2019s lives and speaking with state legislators about how we believe Illinois\u2019 criminal legal system needs to change.<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n

\n \n Learn about the issues\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
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Learn more<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n

Restore Justice conducts research on the laws that impact sentencing practices in Illinois. We use that research to publish a commentary series which provides straightforward explanations of some of the state\u2019s unique criminal legal policies and practices, and how these policies have converged to deprive children and young adults of their liberty, their chance for rehabilitation, and their possibility of release.<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n

\n \n\n Read about the criminal legal system<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Our legislative agenda<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n \n \n

We are focused on retroactively abolishing sentences of life without the possibility of parole for children and young adults. We are also working to make both firearm enhancements and mandatory minimums for young people discretionary, limit the scope of Illinois’ law of accountability, roll back \u201ctruth-in-sentencing\u201d laws, restrict the use of solitary confinement, and create resentencing opportunities for everyone incarcerated in Illinois state prisons.<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n

\n \n\n See Our agenda<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n
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Take political action with Restore Justice Illinois<\/b><\/p>\n<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n \n \n

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Our \u201csister\u201d organization, Restore Justice Illinois (RJI) is a 501(c)4, allowing it to take direct action in political races and campaigns. Check out RJI\u2019s political action agenda and learn more about opportunities to contribute.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n \n \n

\n \n \n Visit Restore Justice Illinois\n \n\n<\/svg> <\/a>\n \n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n
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\n Community\n <\/p>\n \n

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\n Join our advocacy team to fight for legislative change in Illinois.\n<\/h2>\n \n

Help Restore Justice build support for sentencing and prison reform during the legislative session in Illinois! Our advocacy team communicates with state lawmakers about our legislative agenda and builds on relationships to build our power and maximize our impact in Springfield.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n

\n \n\n Join us<\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-394","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHome - Restore Justice Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Home\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Restore Justice Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-27T19:42:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.restorejustice.org\/\",\"name\":\"Home - 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