The Women's Justice Institute - WJI

05/29/2026

04/19/2026

Globally, nearly 60% of women intentionally killed are murdered by an intimate partner or family member. In some states, like Illinois, studies have shown as much as 98% of women in prison have a history of IPV, sexual assault or other forms if abuse - and many are there for doing what they had to do to survive an abuser.

It’s time to STOP criminalizing and incarcerating those that survive. It’s time to END the criminalization of survivors.

Thank you, Charlize Theron, for courageously telling your story… and calling out the failure of society to take survivors seriously. It can and will save lives. We are so grateful to you and encourage others to come forward.

Contact us for more information on joining the WJI’s growing Alliance for Criminalized Survivors. Together we can reclaim the narrative and ensure survivors know we see them, hear them, believe them and will fight to FREE them.

04/07/2026

WJI stands with Keshia Golden. We call upon SA Burke to drop all charges against her. Keshia was pregnant and defended her life - and that of her unborn child - against an abuser. It’s time for Keshia and her daughter, who is now three, to heal and move on with their lives. It’s time to end the criminalization of survival.
Moms United Against Violence and IncarcerationCook County Public Defender's Office

“Keshia Golden did what we tell victims to do: She called the police. Reports were made. Her voice was documented. Her fear was real. Her pleas were not hidden, they were recorded, witnessed and known. And yet, nothing changed,” said Dyanna Wi******er, an advocate with the Women’s Justice Institute.

“Now we stand here, not because the system worked, but because it failed. … A woman was left to protect herself when no one else would.”

Keshia Golden's attorneys say she acted in self-defense when she fatally stabbed her boyfriend, Calvin Sidney, on Oct. 22, 2022. Prosecutors offered Golden a plea deal — but Golden's attorneys want the case dropped altogether.

03/27/2026

Thank you to our partners at the Cook County Public Defender's Office and all the partners involved in this legislation. Not only should people receive credit for programming, but parents should never have to choose between completing DCFS service plans and their freedom. This bill provides important clarity to the existing law.

03/18/2026

Friends: We are hiring!

We are excited to share that the Women's Justice Institute (WJI) is hiring a Reclamation Specialist for Care Coordination to work in Chicago at the WJI Reclamation Center. Please send resume and cover letter by 5pm on March 27th to [email protected].

System-impacted women strongly encouraged to apply. This is a peer-led program offering mutual support services in a trauma-informed setting led by/for formerly incarcerated women, with a particular focus on impacted women needing support for substance use. We are accepting applications until 5pm CST on March 27, 2023.

The ideal position requirements include, but are not limited to:

Extensive, ideally firsthand, understanding of the impact of incarceration, probation and parole on women, children and families;
Extensive, ideally firsthand, understanding of women’s pathways to/through systems;
Community navigation, community outreach, case management and/or care coordination experience;
Clinical and/or social work experience is preferred (but not required);
Knowledge of the landscape providers and stakeholders serving women and gender expansive people in the Chicago area;
Experience with advocacy and efforts to free women from prison, as well as reduce harm to their children and families;
Knowledge of trauma-informed practices, as well as harm reduction and/or decarceration practices (or willingness to learn);
Relationships with community-based providers;
Ability to work in a dynamic and women-centered environment;
Strong communication and interpersonal skills; and
Writing, organizational and computer skills (Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Zoom)
Proficiency in Spanish encouraged, but not required

All candidates must share a desire to end women’s mass incarceration, and to collaborate with our team to reclaim the narrative on real justice with/for women through community-building.

Leading with love is a must! Again, we strongly encourage formerly incarcerated and/or system-impacted women to apply.

This is a full-time position and occasionally requires some nights and weekend hours. In-person work in Chicago is required. However, we are willing to interview folks interested in part-time work. The salary range is $47-52,000 (based on experience).

For more information and a full copy of the job description, please email us at: [email protected].

In solidarity,

The WJI Team

03/18/2026

All out for Erika Ray!

Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration

03/18/2026

All out for Erika Ray!

Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration

03/03/2026

Alexis Mansfield, director of policy and special projects at the Women’s Justice Institute, said incarcerated women maintain “decision-making power over their bodies.”

“And that includes, for someone who is pregnant, decision-making over what happens with their pregnancy and their body during the pregnancy,” she said.

Illinois has positioned itself as a national safeguard for reproductive rights. But a new case raises questions about how those principles are applied behind state prison walls.

03/02/2026

Today is the first day of Women’s History Month. There is no greater way to celebrate women than to fight for their freedom. Together, we can end the criminalization of survival.

Join us and our partners at the Mayor’s Office of Reentry and the Department of Family Suppory Services for a screening of the powerful film, “And So I Stayed.” The film will be followed by a panel of incredible women leaders and survivors. Refreshments will be served.