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Illinois Humanities presents Visions of Justice: Galesburg, a program of our Envisioning Justice initiative produced in partnership with VAM Studio.

This edition of the Visions of Justice series features interviews with four men currently serving long-term sentences at Hill Correctional Center in Galesburg, Illinois: Brandon, Omar, Brian, and Cincere.

About the Series

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.

Acknowledgements

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:

Poetry of Witness: Dispatches from Hill Correctional Center

Illustration of a bird cage with four birds escaping into the lightIn 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