“Journey to Justice” Bus Tour Stops in Chicago to Expose the Harms of Solitary Confinement
Chicago, IL — The Unlock the Box Campaign and Look2Justice have launched a first-of-its-kind national bus tour and grassroots mobilization effort to expose the brutal realities of solitary confinement in immigration detention as well as federal, state, and local prisons, jails, and juvenile detention centers. The “Journey to Justice” bus tour will travel through 17 cities over eight weeks, stopping in Chicago from October 7–10.
Modeled after historic civil and human rights campaigns, the tour serves as a mobile advocacy hub, blending human rights organizing with cultural activism to build public pressure to end solitary confinement. Attendees will engage with virtual reality experiences, a model solitary cell, and a powerful photo exhibit, “Windows into Solitary.”
The Chicago stop includes four events co-hosted by Restore Justice, Uptown People’s Law Center, MacArthur Justice Center, Access Living, and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. Event details below:
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- Haymarket House: 800 W Buena, Chicago, IL
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- Undercover Books: 1232 W. 103rd Street, Chicago, IL
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- DePaul University – Schmitt Academic Center: 2320 North Kenmore Avenue, Chicago, IL
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- Walls Turned Sideways: 2717 W Madison St., Chicago, IL
“Solitary confinement is designed to isolate and silence, but this tour does the opposite – instead it shines a light on what happens in the dark and invites communities to unite and end this inhumane practice once and for all,” said Brian Beals, Future Leaders Apprentice with Restore Justice and Co-Founder of Mud Theatre Project. “Illinois has a powerful movement to end this practice, and these events are a call to action for our communities to join us.”
“Solitary confinement is state-sanctioned torture, and it happens every day behind closed doors. This is not the time for silence—it’s the time to disrupt, to expose, and to organize. ‘Journey to Justice’ is not just a tour, it’s a wake-up call. We’re taking art and activism on the road to confront injustice head-on, igniting public outrage, and demanding an end to this inhumane practice,” said Jessica Sandoval, National Director of the Unlock the Box Campaign. “We’re not just telling the truth—we’re building power to end solitary confinement for good.”
The tour coincides with the release of Ending Isolation: The Case Against Solitary Confinement, co-authored by Christopher Blackwell, an incarcerated journalist and founder of Look2Justice.
“Solitary confinement steals lives, voices, and futures. In “Ending Isolation” we expose that reality, and now this tour brings the book to life. Even from behind bars, I’ve seen how stories can connect us, move us, and mobilize real change,” said Christopher Blackwell, Incarcerated Journalist, Author of Ending Isolation, and Founder of Look2Justice. “This journey is about building that power together.”
For media inquiries or to connect with campaign leaders, including survivors of torture, please contact Jasmine Razeghi at jasmine.razeghi@macarthurjustice.org
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