On April 13, Community Renewal launched Children of the Incarcerated, a public education, civic engagement and direct advocacy campaign designed to address the needs of children with parents in jail or prison. This effort fuses the impact and influence of the organization’s newsmagazines, Catalyst Chicago and The Chicago Reporter, with the activist congregations that make up our Civic Action Network. Over 230 elected and appointed officials, faith leaders, educators and activists joined us for the launch event. Among them, Illinois State Senate President Emil Jones, Jr., who called for hearings and continued discussions around issues of children with incarcerated parents. Civic Action is currently working with Jones’ office to coordinate the hearings.

Since the launch, the effort has garnered wide-spread support. Media coverage included a feature in the Washington Post and a Letter to the Editor in The Chicago Tribune. Staffers appeared on Chicago Public Radio and on talk radio stations in New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis to discuss this issue.