Inmates to Individuals: Resources for the Formerly Incarcerated
Cook County Jail released over 2,000 inmates in December 2017. Over 90 percent of those returning citizens are African American, and roughly 20 percent are African-American women. Real Chi Youth Reporter Kwyn Townsend Riley sat down with Colette Payne, a returning citizen in South Shore, who works with the Chicago Legal Advocacy for Incarcerated Mothers (CLAIM), which is a part of Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA). Payne discussed the resources she used to get where she is today, referencing Grace House as the foundation that led her to her job with CLAIM. Today, Payne is a mother, activist and soon to be college graduate from Northeastern Illinois University.