Ford to Visit Stateville Correctional Center Sunday, Continue Push to Restore Voting Rights for Incarcerated

CREST HILL, Ill. – As part of continued efforts to reinstate incarcerated individuals’ right to vote, state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, will join advocates this Sunday, March 26 at 10 a.m. for a press conference and tour at the Stateville Correctional Center, located at 16830-IL 53 in Crest Hill.

“The right to vote is a fundamental right in our country,” Ford said. “Many people who are currently at Stateville, or other centers around the state, will return to their home communities and have a vested interest in the representation of those communities. Let’s encourage civic engagement, and ensure that everyone can have their voice properly heard.”

In Springfield, Ford is currently pushing House Bill 46 which would reverse current practice and allow for post-conviction voting by individuals who are incarcerated or still under sentence beginning with the 2024 General Election. A person’s last residence before confinement would serve as their voter registration location, unless the individual has established another residence. Ford’s proposal further provides that election authorities must collaborate with correctional institutions to facilitate an opportunity to vote by mail. Correctional centers would also be required to make voter registration application materials available.

Ford will also take time to highlight efforts from the General Assembly to increase economic opportunities and reduce recidivism. One such program is the Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program, created under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and administered through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to provide clean energy job training for individuals in the Illinois Department of Corrections custody.

For more information about Sunday’s visit or House Bill 46, please contact RepFord@LaShawnFord.com.