EXPO - EX-incarcerated People Organizing

06/19/2026

Today, EXPO of Wisconsin proudly honors our former Executive Director and Co-Founder, Jerome Dillard, on his appointment to Governor Tony Evers’ Commutation Advisory Board.

Jerome’s leadership has helped shape EXPO from the beginning. His life, work, and unwavering commitment to people impacted by incarceration have opened doors, shifted narratives, and reminded Wisconsin that transformation is possible when people are given opportunity, dignity, and support.

Governor Evers announced Jerome as one of eight new appointees to the Commutation Advisory Board, which will review applications and make recommendations to the governor as Wisconsin restores the commutations process for the first time in decades. The Governor’s office recognized Jerome’s experience as a formerly incarcerated leader, co-founder of EXPO, reentry practitioner, and longtime member of the Wisconsin Council on Offender Reentry.

This appointment matters.

It matters because people closest to the problem must be closest to the solutions. It matters because lived experience, accountability, redemption, public safety, and community healing all belong in the same conversation. It matters because commutation is not about forgetting harm; it is about recognizing growth, responsibility, transformation, and the possibility of a meaningful second chance.

Congratulations, Jerome. Your EXPO family is standing with you and celebrating this historic moment.

We Belong. We Thrive.

Press Release: Gov. Evers Announces Additional Appointments to Commutation Advisory Board State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 06/19/2026 12:00 PM CDT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: [email protected] Gov. Evers Announces Additional Appointments to Commutation Advisory Board Governor’s eight new a...

06/19/2026

Today, EXPO honors Juneteenth.

Juneteenth reminds us that freedom in this country has never been handed over easily. It was denied. It was delayed. It was obstructed. But it was never abandoned.

On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas finally received word that they were free. That delay was not an accident of history. It was a reminder that laws alone do not guarantee liberation. Freedom must be enforced, protected, and fought for.

Juneteenth is not only a celebration of emancipation. It is a civil rights reminder.

From slavery to Black Codes, from Jim Crow to mass incarceration, from voter suppression to housing discrimination, systems have continued to find new ways to limit freedom, dignity, and full participation. But so have people continued to resist, organize, vote, march, build, heal, and demand justice.

At EXPO, we know freedom is more than release from a cage. Freedom means the right to come home and stay home. Freedom means housing, employment, voting rights, family reunification, access to healing, and the ability to participate fully in community life. Freedom means recognizing the dignity and value of people who have been pushed to the margins and still refuse to be erased.

Today, we celebrate liberation. We honor the ancestors who never gave up on freedom. We recognize the civil rights leaders who carried that struggle forward. And we recommit ourselves to the work still unfinished.

Freedom was denied.
Freedom was obstructed.
But freedom was never abandoned.

And neither is our fight.

06/17/2026

📣 Western Wisconsin — it’s your turn!

EXPO wants to make sure families, friends, and loved ones on the western side of the state know about the upcoming DOC Friends and Family Forum in Eau Claire.

Monday, August 24
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Eau Claire, Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections recognizes the crucial role that family and community support play in rehabilitation, healing, and successful reentry. Secretary Jared Hoy and DOC leadership want to hear directly from the loved ones of people who are incarcerated, on supervision, or otherwise impacted by the DOC.

This is an important opportunity to raise your voice, share your experience, ask questions, and help shape a system that is more transparent, accountable, and connected to the people most impacted.

Families and friends know the truth: reentry does not begin at release. Support, dignity, communication, and connection matter every step of the way.

If you live in Eau Claire, La Crosse, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, Hudson, River Falls, Black River Falls, Superior, or anywhere in western Wisconsin please show up!

Your voice matters. Your loved one matters. Your experience matters.

Register now 👉 https://doc.wi.gov/Pages/AboutDOC/FriendsAndFamilyForums.aspx

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) recognizes the crucial role that support from family and friends plays in rehabilitation and successful reentry into the community. As part of our commitment to serving the people of Wisconsin with transparency and accountable decision-making, Secretary....

06/16/2026

EXPO Works! is officially underway!

Yesterday marked the very first session of the EXPO Works! Cohort, and we are still smiling. This is a major first for EXPO, and we are beyond proud of every participant who showed up ready to learn, grow, and take the next step toward opportunity.

We are also incredibly proud of our staff, who poured their hearts, planning, and skill into making this launch a success. From the energy in the room to the commitment of each participant, the day reminded us exactly why this work matters.

And let us say it loud: we pulled it off flawlessly!

EXPO Works! is more than a cohort. It is a pathway. It is preparation. It is confidence-building. It is workforce development rooted in dignity, community, and second chances.

To our first cohort: you are making history with us. We see you. We believe in you. And we cannot wait to watch you thrive.

Our second cohort begins in July.

We Belong. We Thrive.

06/14/2026

Are you satisfied with the status quo?

Are you willing to sit back and let others decide what the future of this country will look like — or are you ready to raise your voice?

We are headed to Washington, DC for an old-school rally rooted in power, purpose, and people. We are going because the next chapter of this country must be shaped by those who have been closest to the struggle, closest to the pain, and closest to the solutions.

EXPO is loading up the bus from Madison on June 26th, traveling together to DC, and returning to Madison after the rally. This is more than a trip. This is a call to action. This is history in motion.

If you believe our communities deserve justice, dignity, freedom, and a real voice in shaping the next 250 years — join us.

Seats are limited. Register today:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Y9_2GbiiGkeLZkQfG8BGuFYrz6WYQrFDnz785JemdXhUN0IyUlNaU0Y5Nlo2Slo4UFBZUjdTUjIwMS4u

Raise your voice. Take your seat. Be part of history.

06/11/2026

WISCONSIN — WE NEED YOU ON THE BUS!

EXPO is partnering with FICPFM to be part of history at The Next 250 Rally in Washington, DC on Saturday, June 27.

We are loading up the bus on Friday and heading to DC to stand loud, proud, and united as directly impacted people, families, advocates, organizers, and community members from Wisconsin.

This is more than a trip. This is a moment.

As our country prepares for the next 250 years, we are showing up to declare that formerly incarcerated people, impacted families, and our communities belong in the center of the conversation about freedom, justice, dignity, and democracy.

And we want to bring a crowd!

Travel is included.
Meals are included.
A cool NEXT 250 T-shirt is included.
Lifelong memories are included.

All we need is you.

Let’s make sure Wisconsin is represented — loud, proud, powerful, and impossible to ignore.

Register now and join EXPO on the road to Washington, DC!

Because history does not just happen.
We show up and make it.

Register by June 15th here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Y9_2GbiiGkeLZkQfG8BGuFYrz6WYQrFDnz785JemdXhUN0IyUlNaU0Y5Nlo2Slo4UFBZUjdTUjIwMS4u

06/09/2026

Madison has lost a tremendous leader.

Michael Johnson of the Boys & Girls Club will be deeply missed by the many people, families, and communities touched by his vision, service, and unwavering commitment. His leadership helped shape opportunities for youth across Madison, strengthened community partnerships, and reminded us all what it looks like to lead with purpose, heart, and a deep belief in people’s potential.

Michael’s impact reached far beyond one organization. He helped build bridges, open doors, and create spaces where everyone could feel seen, supported, and encouraged to dream bigger. Madison is better because of his work, his presence, and his commitment to community.

EXPO extends our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, the Boys & Girls Club family, and everyone grieving this tremendous loss. Our hearts are with all who knew and loved him.

06/08/2026

On Saturday, June 27, EXPO of Wisconsin will join FICPFM and the Next 250 National Mobilization in Washington, DC for a major national rally calling people together to help shape the next 250 years of American history.

As the country approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this mobilization centers a bold new vision: a people’s declaration of freedom, justice, dignity, and interdependence!

The Next250 mobilization is scheduled for Saturday, June 27, 2026, at 11:00 AM in Washington, DC.

EXPO believes formerly incarcerated people, impacted families, and our communities must be part of defining what freedom, democracy, and justice mean for the next generation.

We are organizing transportation to and from Washington, DC.

Bus ride, meals, a T-shirt with life-long memories provided to all who join us!

You must register by June 15 to reserve your spot. NO COST!!!

Register here:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Y9_2GbiiGkeLZkQfG8BGuFYrz6WYQrFDnz785JemdXhUN0IyUlNaU0Y5Nlo2Slo4UFBZUjdTUjIwMS4u&emci=229555c8-2b61-f111-8fcb-000d3a14b640&emdi=302a210d-4263-f111-8fcb-000d3a14b640&ceid=3131598

Let’s show up together.
Let’s declare that we belong.
Let’s help shape the next 250 years!!!

06/03/2026

Ms. Susan Burton is showing the world how freedom work is done.

Through A New Way of Life, she proved what formerly incarcerated women have always known: people need housing, healing, dignity, opportunity, and community…not more punishment.

Her brilliance and vision continue to shape EXPO’s work, through our S.A.F.E. House and our commitment to creating spaces where women coming home are supported, honored, and reminded they belong.

Ms. Susan Burton did not wait for permission. She built what our communities needed and helped turn reentry into a movement rooted in love, accountability, and liberation.

EXPO is proud to lift her legacy, leadership, and lasting contribution to this work.

Thank you, Ms. Susan Burton, for showing us what freedom, dignity, and sisterhood look like in action.

We belong. We thrive.