Uptown People's Law Center

Last night, UPLC's board met for the first time in our new home. After 20 years in our corner of Uptown, we took root just up the street in a space that finally matched the scale of this work. Staff joined the meeting to share what they are building for the year ahead. Annual goals and objectives were reviewed. A budget was passed. We even made modest updates to our bylaws. The board took important steps forward in its work to grow and strengthen itself for the future. It was a room full of people who believe deeply in this work, meeting in a space finally built for it. We are so grateful to everyone who made this important moment possible. #TakingRoot #HousingJustice #CivilRights #Chicago #PrisonersRights #NonprofitLeadership #LegalAid

Cook County's Just Housing Amendment prohibits landlords from turning someone away because of a criminal record. It is one of the strongest tenant protections of its kind in the country. And yet it still happens every day. The gap between the law and lived reality is exactly where Uptown People's Law Center does its work. We challenge housing discrimination in court, advocate for stronger enforcement, and work alongside partners who share our vision of a housing market where a person's record is not a life sentence. Because coming home should mean coming home. Support the Taking Root Campaign before June 30: uplcchicago.org/takingroot #HousingJustice #JustHousing #JustHousingAmendment #HousingDiscrimination #CriminalLegalSystem #CivilRights #Chicago #ReentryJustice #NonprofitLeadership #LegalAid #ChicagoNonprofit #TakingRoot

After 20 years in our corner of Uptown, Uptown People's Law Center is moving. On June 22nd we are heading just up the street to a fresh, accessible new home, joining a building with deep roots in community organizing right here in Uptown. OneNorthside, one of our key partners in the fight for housing justice on the northside, will be right down the hall. For nearly 50 years UPLC has fought for civil and human rights across Chicago and throughout Illinois. This new space gives us room to do that work more effectively, more accessibly, and more collaboratively than ever before. We are taking root. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. Support our Taking Root Campaign before June 30: uplcchicago.org/takingroot Want to help us set up our new home? Shop our wishlist: https://lnkd.in/gc8kNNXq #TakingRoot #HousingJustice #CivilRights #Chicago #Uptown #NonprofitLeadership #LegalAid #ChicagoNonprofit #CommunityOrganizing

When Trish faced an illegal retaliatory eviction, she knew where to turn. She has been part of our community for years. She called. Someone picked up. She stayed in her home of 14 years.  For nearly 50 years UPLC has fought for civil and human rights across Chicago and throughout Illinois. We fight illegal evictions, challenge housing discrimination against people with criminal records, and build coalitions so no one has to fight this alone. This spring we are Taking Root in a new way, deepening our presence in the community we serve alongside the partners we fight with. If Trish's words resonate with you, we hope you will support this campaign. uplcchicago.org/takingroot #HousingJustice #LegalAid #CivilRights #Chicago #NonprofitLeadership #EvictionPrevention #TakingRoot #HousingDiscrimination #ChicagoNonprofit

[Image description: Two graphics from Uptown People's Law Center's Taking Root Campaign. The first shows a community meeting in progress with the campaign name and a donate button. The second features photos of UPLC staff and community members with text describing how UPLC is taking root in Chicago.] The northside housing crisis is real and growing. Illegal evictions. Retaliatory landlords. People with criminal records being turned away from housing before they even have a chance. For nearly 50 years, Uptown People's Law Center has fought for civil and human rights across Chicago and throughout Illinois. Here is how we are taking root this spring: We answer the phone when a neighbor calls. We show up in housing court. We fight illegal evictions and retaliatory landlords. We stand up for people with criminal records who face housing discrimination every day. We convene advocates across Cook County working toward a housing market where a person's record is not a life sentence. We build coalitions so no one has to fight alone. This spring we are moving into a new space alongside one of those partners. Because the work is growing. And the need is growing faster. If you believe everyone deserves a fair shot at stable housing, we hope you will support this campaign. Please give today: uplcchicago.org/takingroot #TakingRoot #HousingJustice #CivilRights #Chicago #NonprofitChicago #LegalAid

Today at 12 PM CT, UPLC is hosting a virtual lunch and learn in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Our attorneys will share updates on our ongoing mass action on behalf of women who were sexually assaulted at Logan Correctional Center, along with insight into what it takes to pursue accountability in cases like these. We’re grateful to be joined by partners from The CAASE and Sidley Austin. If you’re interested in learning more, there’s still time to join us: bit.ly/3OF6NS7

Logan Correctional Center ranks 3rd among women's prisons nationwide for staff-on-prisoner sexual abuse, and survivors have been silenced for too long. Uptown People's Law Center, alongside The CAASE and pro bono counsel, is pursuing a civil rights mass action to support survivors, expose this abuse, and push for the structural change that is long overdue. We'd love for you to join us for a free litigation advocacy webinar where we'll be sharing more about this work. April 28 | 12pm CT | Free Online Webinar Register Today: bit.ly/3OF6NS7 #PrisonersRights #CivilRights #PREA #LoganCorrectionalCenter #UptownPeoplesLawCenter

The new Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) mail scanning policy has caused issues for some people trying to send or receive mail. Our partners at Restore Justice developed a survey to track what’s happening across facilities. If you’ve had problems, please take a moment to fill it out and share: https://lnkd.in/gMphKxWY *Responses will be kept confidential

Seven years after entering a court-enforceable consent decree, the Illinois Department of Corrections continues to fall short of providing constitutionally adequate medical and dental care to people in its custody. A new investigation from the Chicago Sun-Times details chronic understaffing, failure to implement electronic medical records, and preventable deaths-- despite clear court mandates for reform. As our attorney Alyssa Meurer shared: “People are sentenced to prison. They’re not sentenced to die from preventable diseases.” Meaningful compliance requires more than policy changes on paper. It requires staffing, systems, transparency, and sustained oversight. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eicW7tc9

In moments like this, when state violence is once again impossible to ignore, abolitionist leadership matters. We’re proud to celebrate our colleague and esteemed Prisoners’ Rights Advocate, Stanley Howard, on being named Death Penalty Focus’s 2026 Abolition Award Honoree. The Abolition Award is given each year to an individual or group whose work inspires us to understand that the ongoing struggle to abolish the death penalty, in the face of fierce and entrenched opposition, is a just, humane and urgent pursuit. Congratulations, Stanley, on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you for your extraordinary contributions to human rights, including your role in helping to end the death penalty in Illinois, and all that you continue to do on behalf of people in prison in Illinois and beyond.