Prisoncast!: 2024 Election Special

Prisoncast! is a special audio project for people inside Illinois prisons and their loved ones on the outside. Everything we cover or discuss -- on the radio or in stories online -- starts with questions, requests or ideas from currently or formerly incarcerated people, their loved ones, or groups that serve this population directly. Produced by WBEZ and Illinois Public Radio, the show airs on public radio stations across Illinois. On this special: Illinois is one of 48 states that revokes the right to vote for people in prison convicted of a felony. But that hasn’t stopped some from learning – and teaching – about voting and political engagement to prepare for when they reenter society. Reset sits down with a Chicagoan who was wrongfully imprisoned for 35 years, and who taught civics education classes for incarcerated people. - The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization focused on inequities within the U.S. criminal justice system, surveyed incarcerated people across the country and asked for their thoughts on the November election. More than 54,000 people responded, including more than 1,000 in Illinois. Reset digs into what incarcerated people had to say about the issues that matter to them and who they plan to vote for in the presidential race. GUESTS: Nicole Lewis, engagement editor, The Marshall Project Jamiles Lartey, staff reporter, The Marshall Project - There’s a movement in the works to restore voting rights to incarcerated people in Illinois. Advocates say it’s a racial justice issue and could reduce recidivism. Reset talks to a panel of experts. GUESTS: Christina Rivers, associate professor of political science, DePaul University Jimmy Soto, formerly incarcerated person Frederique Desrosiers, policy manager, Chicago Votes