Prisoncast!
Prisoncast! is a statewide radio show & journalism project made with & for people incarcerated in Illinois & their loved ones. We share relevant news, information, music & compelling audio. Check out the new Prisoncast! podcast, available on your phone & on Edovo for people in prison or jail.
The state has been extending a short-term emergency contract with Centurion Health since July 2025 after backing out of a 10-year, $4 billion contract with Wexford Health Sources. Since then, the transition from Wexford to Centurion has complicated people’s healthcare and left at least one subcontractor for Wexford unpaid.
The state has been extending a short-term emergency contract with Centurion Health since July 2025 after backing out of a 10-year, $4 billion contract with Wexford Health Sources. Since then, the transition from Wexford to Centurion has complicated people’s healthcare and left at least one subcontractor for Wexford unpaid.
The re-entry organization Bridge to Freedom held a Mother’s Day event for about 80 people incarcerated at the jail Friday.
“Education is liberation and your freedom is what I want to celebrate this morning,” said commencement speaker Bryan Stevenson.
Some people locked up in prison in Illinois say personal appearance takes on a whole new significance behind bars. It’s one thing they can control. WBEZ’s Somer Van Benton spoke with a group of formerly incarcerated women about how self-care and community helped reshape how they see themselves.
Piles of research have shown that education leads to better outcomes for people getting out of prison — and prevents them from going back. In Illinois, a small percentage of people in custody get to take college classes while they serve time. But when they do get out and want to continue their education, there’s another barrier to face.
You’ll hear how some incarcerated students say education has been transformative for them — and also why school behind bars is so hard to come by.
Fewer than 2% of incarcerated people in Illinois are enrolled in college-level programs, which lead to better outcomes for people once they’re out. But with only 12 programs in state prison facilities, getting in is impossible for most.
Coalition holds rally to push a state bill to increase housing and support services for people who have been incarcerated.
Brandon Johnson met with men incarcerated at Sheridan Correctional Center Sunday, during an extraordinary visit by a sitting Chicago mayor to an Illinois prison.
Illinois is examining Martinez Duncan’s death for potential criminal behavior by jail staff, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office, which recorded nine deaths at the jail in 2025.
At Cook County Jail, the singer-songwriter, who “never figured” he’d be back, had a message for about 100 men now incarcerated there.
Nestor Gomez, a Sun-Times Chicago’s Next Voices columnist, writes about the Resilience Arts Festival coming next month to Definition Theatre in Hyde Park.
Research shows getting educated in prison helps prevent people from going back. In Illinois, new state data shows higher education opportunities inside are sparse.
“I knew I had a dream to help people, but I never knew that this was where it would lead me,” says LaToya Baines, who works as a case manager at the Alliance of Local Service Organizations.
Gang tattoos. Scars. Branding marks from human trafficking. Tattoo artists cover all these and more for clients at the DuPage County jail.
Advocates and family members of people in prison hope their quilt humanizes and commemorates loved ones behind bars.
A new batch of complaints filed Tuesday include 107 new cases of alleged sexual abuse at Illinois Youth Centers and the Cook County juvenile jail.
The state is backing out of its 10-year, $4 billion contract with Wexford Health Sources, but the new contractor has its own troubling track record in other states.
Juan Hernandez was a teenager when he was sentenced to prison. He was 32 when he finally completed his high school education.
This Father’s Day, listen to Prisoncast! on WBEZ to hear stories of moms, dads and children working to love each other across prison walls.