Voting rights advocates cheered as the Illinois House of Representatives voted on Friday to approve SB 2116, a law that further strengthens civics education and voter access in Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) facilities. The law passed on a bipartisan basis by a vote of 110-0 and now heads to Governor Pritzker’s desk. The law amends the Reentering Citizens Civic Education Act, a law passed in 2019 with broad bipartisan support that provides re-entering citizens with a non-partisan civics peer education program within a year of their scheduled release from IDOC and IDJJ facilities. Incarcerated community members at Stateville Correctional Center worked with Dr. Rivers, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee, and Chicago Votes to draft and pass the 2019 law.  The groups then worked with IDJJ officials to negotiate an amendment bill, SB 2116, which expands voter access for incarcerated youth and allows youth to serve in a leadership role as a co-facilitator for civics curriculum.  Led by the efforts of Sen. Robert Peters, the Illinois Senate approved SB 2116 without opposition on April 22. The bill was sponsored in the House by Rep. Curtis Tarver, Rep. Carol Ammons, Rep. Kelly Cassidy, and Rep. Maurice West.