Democracy on Both Sides of the Wall: A Conversation about Voting, Civic Engagement, and Incarceration

2026 is a pivotal election year — but for incarcerated and system-impacted people, democracy looks different. What does it mean to have a voice when you're locked out of the system that governs your life?

Join Illinois Prison Project (IPP) for an honest conversation with community leaders, advocates, and directly impacted people about power, participation, and what democracy really means on both sides of the wall.

Panelists include: Associate Professor and Pre-Law Advisor at DePaul University, Dr. Christina Rivers (moderator); IPP Director of Policy and Communications, Marshan Allen; Executive Director of Mud Theatre Project and Civic Education Instructor for the Civics Inside Program in IDOC, Brian Beals; and Executive Director of Chicago Votes, Stevie Valles.

There will be a reception at 6pm, followed by the program + Q&A which starts at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public.

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About IPP
In six years, IPP has freed 197 people from prison, successfully advocated for a new law in Illinois that allows for medical release and administrative policy changes that create more pathways for release from prison, and educated tens of thousands of community members about the harms of our racist and regressive criminal legal system. Through creative lawyering, innovative advocacy and a focus on the humanity of people harmed by the criminal legal system, IPP's work is transforming the way that Illinois treats incarcerated people.