Update, 11/7/2025 – 5:00 p.m. CST:
Thank you to all who applied! We had a fantastic response.
Applications are now closed.
Do you have expertise in health justice, correctional healthcare, or social justice? Do you want to share your talent and your knowledge to make an impact?
The Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago (PHIMC) seeks workshop presenters and innovative, socially conscious artists for the 2026 Illinois Reentry Conference, which will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at Malcolm X College at 1900 West Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60612.
PHIMC’s annual Illinois Reentry Conference brings together people who are justice-impacted, their families, their advocates, and professionals from medical and non-medical community-based and healthcare settings for a day of honest dialogue to transform the way we advocate for and work with people who are justice-impacted. Promoting systems of health and healing for those impacted by the criminal justice system, through collaboration, education, and innovation, the 2026 Illinois Reentry Conference aims to advance equity in health justice for justice-impacted people.
This event is free and open to the public, offering a platform for collaboration, education and innovation.
PHIMC seeks submissions from workshop presenters and creative artists:
Workshop Presenters: PHIMC invites individuals with lived experience of incarceration, representatives from community-based organizations, and professionals from both clinical and non-clinical settings—as well as other allies and advocates—to lead workshops that offer valuable insights and practical tools to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and transform systems to support people who are justice-impacted. We encourage contributions that explore both the opportunities and barriers in the reentry process and in accessing services for people impacted by incarceration.
Download Call for Workshop Presenters
Workshop Presenters: APPLY HERE by November 7, 2025
Creative Artists: PHIMC invites creative artists with personal and/or professional lived experience to lead creative performances, showcases, or exhibits that explore the reentry experience and address dignity, healing, and comprehensive supports and opportunities around the reentry needs of people who are justice-impacted. Your work should aim to inspire, raise awareness, and provide insights into the reentry process.
Download Call for Creative Artists
Creative Artists: APPLY HERE by November 7, 2025
Join PHIMC in building a transformative path to healthy futures for people who are justice-impacted and their families. You can make a significant impact on the conversations surrounding reentry from incarceration.
Submissions must be received by November 7, 2025, and will be evaluated on a rolling basis.
For more information or if you have questions, contact us at reentry@phimc.org.
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PHIMC envisions systems that impact how we live, work, and play as compassionate, affirming, and racially equitable, supporting health and well‐being for all people. For 30 years, we have worked alongside partners throughout Illinois, including nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, cross-sector government agencies, and other institutions, to bridge gaps, leverage resources, and address oppressive policies that hurt people.
Learn more here about PHIMC’s Community Reentry Project.
I’m very interested in connecting with the PHIMC team about serving as a keynote speaker for the 2026 Illinois Reentry Conference. As someone who was sentenced to life in prison at 16 and later became the first formerly incarcerated person appointed to Minnesota’s State Board of Public Defense, I’ve spent my career leading reentry reform, public policy, and justice system transformation at both local and national levels.
I currently serve as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Freedom Fund and am an Obama Foundation USA Leader Fellow. My work centers on resilience, leadership, and systems change — helping agencies, institutions, and communities reimagine reentry through empowerment and equity.
Please reach out to me directly at eli.darris@darrisgroup.com
to explore this opportunity further. I’d love to bring a powerful keynote to Chicago that challenges and inspires everyone working to advance health and justice for our community.
— Elizer Darris
Thank you for reaching out. We replied by email. We truly appreciate your commitment to advancing health justice reentry work in Illinois.