On June 15th, Illinois Reentry Conference: Health Equity and Social Justice kicked off two days of speakers, panels, and workshops with an opening reception and keynote address by Nneka Jones Tapia, Psy.D, executive director of Cook County Department of Corrections. Speaking at the opening reception at Chicago’s University Center, Dr. Jones Tapia presented on “Criminalization of the Mentally Ill.” According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately 1.3 million people with mental illness are incarcerated in America’s jails and prisons. In contrast, only about 70,000 individuals are treated in psychiatric hospitals. Dr. Jones Tapia articulated the innovative approaches that Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart and the Illinois Department of Corrections are taking to combat this crisis with outstanding results that benefit justice-involved individuals, their families, and the community at large. Conference workshops on Friday, June 16th, included panels on mental health and cultural competency in prisons and jails as well as breakout sessions on the principles and practice of trauma-informed care, tackling stigmas that affect health outcomes, access-to-care processes for HIV-positive individuals from incarceration to release, and expanding access to family planning care for incarcerated women.

PHIMC reports show that, in one year, CRP achieved a 100 percent engagement and retention rate in HIV primary care, connected 251 people with intensive case management, supported 1107 individuals to obtain state identification, and reduced the recidivism rate to 19 percent among clients served, compared to Illinois state’s 47 percent recidivism rate. Directors and representatives of CRP partner agencies who presented at the conference reflect the leaders in Illinois’ working to support formally-incarcerated people successfully return home: CeaseFire Illinois/Cure Violence, Cook County Health & Hospitals System’s Cermak Health Services and Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center, Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus, Cook County Sheriff’s Department of Corrections, Cook County Jail, Illinois Departments of Corrections, Illinois Department of Public Health, PHIMC, and Thresholds. Conference funding is provided by Illinois Department of Public Health. The next Illinois Reentry Conference is scheduled for October 18-19, 2017 in Springfield, IL.