New Year Greetings! We hope this finds you safe and well as we move into 2024. As we closed out the year, our teams took a look back at some of what was possible in 2023 with support from all those in our community, including you. Read on to reflect on some of what we were able to build together! As always, we welcome any thoughts you might like to share with us.
Peer Reentry Team Four years ago, a peer-led reentry program at CTJC was just a dream of mine. My dreams came true when I became the Center’s Director of the Holistic and Liberatory Peer Reentry Program in 2021. This program had never existed before, and I envisioned a reentry program that was by survivors for survivors. We don’t just provide services and resources to people coming home, we provide a sense of community and a place of belonging. We host monthly gatherings, like dinners, movie nights, and open mic nights, where we can talk, joke around, enjoy each other’s company and just be. For so many years, we did not have a space to be and just exist with each other. We are so proud to say that in our first few years, we have reached more than 1,700 people with reentry support. I am so thankful for the Reentry team, and the rest of the CTJC staff for making this dream of mine a reality. Most importantly, thank you for supporting the Center so that this work is possible.
La Tanya Jenifor-Sublett Director of Holistic and Liberatory Peer Reentry
Case Management Last winter, a mother whose son was killed by police came to us seeking assistance with finding housing. After losing her son, it became difficult to work, and eventually she was forced to sleep in her car. How shameful is it that we live in a system where a mother must choose between grief and survival? Make it make sense! Thankfully, after weeks of talking through options with her, I was able to help her secure stable housing where she felt safe. The Center was also able to assist her financially with funds from the Survivor Repair Fund. This is just one of the many stories I encounter as a case manager at the Chicago Torture Justice Center. I’m grateful that I get to help people in this way, because I remember how difficult it was to find housing and other resources when I came home from prison after 25 years.
Naji Ublies Case Manager
Clinical Team It takes a village of concern to create light in very dark places. Because the Chicago Torture Justice Center is the first and only center for survivors of domestic police torture in the U.S., in many ways, we are doing things that have never been done before. Our work is unique, and so is our approach. Different from traditional therapy models that focus on individual healing, we view therapy through a community counseling lens. We firmly believe that It is not a sole individual’s responsibility to heal on their own. It is the responsibility of society and communities to support one another in our healing. I want to share a story with you that made my spirit rejoice. A participant I’ve been working with for the past 6 years has recently decided to transition out of therapy. Throughout these 6 years, we’ve worked together to process the grief of losing a loved one to police violence. This participant has been a pillar of our community throughout the years they’ve been involved, and it’s been an honor and privilege to have walked alongside them on this journey. While grief never truly goes away, it brings me so much joy to know that our approach at the Center helps our community heal in radically transformative ways.
Nate Gilham
Clinical Director
Organizing Team In 2023 we released the IL Murder Registry Impact Report. It took months of researching, surveying and interviewing people on the registry, and collecting feedback from experts and community members. It’s the first report of its kind, yet the impact of public conviction registries on Black, brown, and system-impacted people in Illinois has been devastating, not only for the individuals on them, but their families and communities too. The IL Murder Registry and other public conviction registries do nothing to keep our communities safe. Instead, they keep our communities in a cycle of perpetual punishment. Please stay in touch in 2024 to see more about how you can support our campaign to end this cycle.
Mark Clements and Rebecca Wilson Bretz Senior Organizers
Chicago Torture Justice Center 6337 S. Woodlawn Chicago, IL 60637