Visions of Justice is an eight-part video series created in partnership with VAM STUDIO that brings together the perspectives of more than 30 Illinoisans spread over seven towns and cities to examine the far-reaching impacts of mass incarceration in our local communities.

Each edition features interviews with organizers, scholars, artists, and other residents in different Illinois communities: Bloomington-Normal, Carbondale, Chicago, Decatur, East St. Louis, Galesburg, and Urbana-Champaign. View the full series to watch the conversation unfold across the state.

Illinois Humanities and our Envisioning Justice initiative extend our deepest gratitude to the many collaborators and community partners who made Visions of Justice: Galesburg possible:

• VAM Studio, filmmakers and producers
• Ellie Hall, editor
• Laura Chow Reeve, animator and visual artist of Radical Roadmaps
• Galesburg Civic Art Center, cohost

In her work on the Visions of Justice series, Envisioning Justice Fellow Meredith Nnoka corresponded with four men currently serving long-term sentences at Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg in order to tell their stories and share their perspectives on the carceral system. Out of these correspondences came the compelling testimonies by Brandon, Brian, Omar, and Cincere which became Visions of Justice: Galesburg.

Drawing on their own words, Meredith worked with all four contributors to create poems out of the messages and conversations they shared.

Read four poems by Meredith Nnoka and Brandon, Omar, Brian, and Cincere