Chicago Beyond Hosts National Justice Convening

On October 21-22, 2024, Chicago Beyond hosted its inaugural National Justice Convening, a Conversation on Holistic Safety in Corrections, in Chicago. State level leaders representing over 15% of the United States’ incarcerated population were present. The convening  explored the power of Chicago Beyond’s Holistic Safety Framework and collective action to shift how all people are impacted by incarceration. More than 30 states were represented as we heard from people closest to the carceral system, including administrators, formerly incarcerated individuals, union leaders, staff, advocates, family members, and funders.

Over two days, we experienced powerful moments, heard from incredible speakers, and felt the energy of a movement for Chicago Beyond’s Holistic Safety Framework growing stronger. The convening began with a keynote from New York Times Bestselling Author, Shaka Senghor, and continued with panels of people directly impacted who spoke from the heart and reminded us of our humanity – no matter your role behind correctional walls.

Thank you to our speakers:

Panel: Meet Holistic Safety

• Willette Benford, Senior Advisor, Office of MK Pritzker
• Andy Potter, Founder + Executive Director, One Voice United
• Stephen B. Walker, National Wellness Director, One Voice United

Panel: Holistic Safety in Action

• Dr. Jane Gubser, Executive Director, Cook County Department of Corrections
• Latoya Hughes, Acting Director, Illinois Department of Corrections
• William Mulligan, Deputy Commissioner of Operations & Rehabilitative Services, State of Connecticut Department of Corrections
• James Quanico, Chief, San Francisco Sheriff’s Office
• Dr. Ryan Thornell, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry

Gallery Walk: Experience Holistic Safety

• Emotional Wellness of Staff  – Jonathan Brown, State of Illinois
• Reducing Physical Isolation for People Incarcerated – Dr. Jane Gubser & Dr. Keyuana Muhammad, Cook County Department of Corrections
• Reducing Emotional Isolation for People Incarcerated – Alissa Riker & Lieutenant Sara O’Malley, San Francisco Sheriff’s Office
• Interpersonal Isolation Between Staff and People Incarcerated –
  Simon Greer & Andy Potter, One Voice United and Ronald Simpson-Bey, JustLeadership USA

Panel: Courageous Leadership

• Moderator: Ron Taylor, Chief of Prisons Division, National Institute of Corrections
• Nicholas Deml, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Corrections
• Mark Foxall, PH.D., CJM, Community Service Associate, University of Nebraska at Omaha-School of Criminology and Criminal Justice & Douglas County Department of Corrections, Director (retired)
• Rob Jeffreys, Director, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services

Many thanks to our Steering Committee:

• Willette Benford, Senior Advisor, Office of MK Pritzker
• Andy Potter, Founder + Executive Director, One Voice United
• Stephen B. Walker, National Wellness Director, One Voice United
• Rob Jeffreys, Director, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
• Dr. Ryan Thornell, Director, Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry
• Dr. Laura Bedard, Chief of Corrections, Seminole County Sherriff’s Office
• Sonya J. Gillespie, Chief of Employee Relations, Denver Colorado Sheriff Administration
• Simon Greer, Senior Advisor, One Voice United
• DeAnna Hoskins, President, JustLeadershipUSA
• Ronald Simpson-Bey, Executive Vice President, JustLeadershipUSA

Please share and learn more about Chicago beyond’s holistic Safety framework here