2027 Illinois Reentry Conference

The 2027 Illinois Reentry Conference is an annual community-reentry and health-justice gathering organized by the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago’s Community Reentry Project. It brings together justice-impacted people and families with advocates, healthcare and community-service professionals, and other partners to improve reentry systems through dialogue, education, and collaboration.

When and where

The conference is scheduled for Thursday, March 11, 2027, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago. It is free and open to the public, making participation accessible beyond professional or institutional audiences.

Focus

The central emphasis is equity in health justice for justice-impacted people, particularly the systems of health, healing, and support surrounding transition from incarceration into the community. PHIMC describes the conference as a place for collaboration, education, and innovation, with presentations, workshops, artistic expression, networking, and recognition through its Community Reentry Champion Award.

Who it brings together

A distinguishing feature is the combination of lived experience and professional expertise. Justice-impacted individuals and their families participate alongside advocates, public-health and healthcare professionals, social-service providers, and community partners; organizers expect roughly 200–250 participants based on previous attendance.

Part of a broader reentry effort

The conference sits within PHIMC’s larger Community Reentry Project, rather than functioning as a standalone annual event. That initiative also convenes statewide/community reentry meetings and provider training; for example, a statewide taskforce meeting is scheduled for January 2027 and a reentry-support training for February, leading into the March conference.