THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

This newly established council will convene city departments, sister agencies and community partners with the shared goal of promoting positive re-entry outcomes for Chicago residents returning from incarceration and jail.

This past spring, Lightfoot convened a multi-sector Returning Residents Working Group—made up of community leaders, advocates and residents with lived experience—to shape the City's policy and programmatic agenda around healthcare, workforce development and housing access to better support returning residents.

"As the sister of a man who spent more than a decade of his life incarcerated, I have seen firsthand the incredible barriers and challenges faced by people seeking to rebuild and reshape their lives as they exit the criminal justice system," said Lightfoot. "When I became mayor, I knew that I owed it to my brother, and the millions of people facing those same challenges that he faced, to ensure that Chicago became a welcoming city for people who have paid their debt to society and are seeking to build productive and meaningful lives post-incarceration."

The council will convene no later than March 2022 and will publish annual reports on their progress.