At Governors State University, the Social Justice Initiative (SJI) has grown into an important space for community engagement, advocacy, and education. Established in 2022, the initiative was created to bring together students, faculty, and community members to address social issues affecting the Southland region and beyond.
Under the leadership of Dr. Phyllis West, SJI focuses on issues such as immigration, domestic violence, housing insecurity, environmental justice, poverty, and mass incarceration. The initiative was designed to create partnerships between the university and surrounding communities so people could work together on real-world problems rather than addressing them in isolation.
One of SJI’s most impactful programs has been its free legal clinic, which opened in 2023. The clinic provides support for immigration cases, family law matters, housing concerns, expungements, and record sealing. It also gives Governors State students valuable hands-on experience by allowing them to intern alongside attorneys, assist with research, and help community members understand their legal rights.
In addition to legal advocacy, SJI regularly hosts community-centered events and discussions focused on social justice topics. These programs encourage students and local residents to engage in conversations about inequality, restorative justice, and community healing. Faculty members have described the initiative as a growing hub where education and activism come together.
Over the past few years, SJI also has expanded its focus on prison education and rehabilitation. Through collaborations among faculty, artists, activists, and formerly incarcerated individuals, the initiative began exploring ways to support incarcerated women through education and creative expression. Those conversations eventually led to the development of the Logan Initiative, a prison education and theater storytelling program based at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, Illinois.
Although SJI continues to face challenges related to funding and staffing, its impact continues to grow through partnerships across multiple academic departments and community organizations. The initiative has become an example of how universities can connect education with meaningful social change.
As part of the continuing work of the Social Justice Initiative at Governors State University, faculty members and community partners have launched the Logan Initiative, a prison education and arts-based program supporting incarcerated women at Logan Correctional Center, 30 miles north of Springfield.
The initiative developed through conversations among Dr. Phyllis West, Dr. Taylor Rogers, Prof. Quenna Barrett, Dr. Sayoni Bose, Prof. LaTanya Sublett, and formerly incarcerated activist Monica Cosby. Together, they began discussing how Governors State University could support women in prison through education, storytelling, and creative programming.
Unlike traditional prison education programs focused only on academic coursework, the Logan Initiative emphasizes creativity, healing, and community-building. Organizers recognized that incarcerated women often have fewer educational and rehabilitation opportunities than men in correctional facilities. As a result, they wanted to create programming specifically designed around women’s experiences and needs.
The program currently revolves around a theater storytelling workshop facilitated by Barrett alongside Cosby and other formerly incarcerated artists. The workshop creates a safe and supportive environment where participants can explore personal experiences, develop stories, and express themselves through performance. An event including a live-streamed performance by the current cohort of Logan Initiative students is taking place on May 31, 2026. Learn more about the event here.
Rogers explained that the initiative is still in its early stages and is being approached carefully so organizers can better understand what incarcerated women want from future programming. The goal is not simply to bring outside programs into the prison, but to build relationships and develop opportunities collaboratively with the participants themselves.
Cosby, who spent 20 years incarcerated in Illinois, has played an important role in shaping the program’s direction. Drawing from her own experiences with prison education and theater programs, she believes creative spaces inside prisons can help individuals think critically, gain confidence, and prepare for life after incarceration. She also emphasized that incarcerated people should not be defined only by prison, but recognized as students, artists, parents, and community members.
Barrett described the workshop as deeply rewarding. Participants have explored difficult but important topics such as trauma, domestic violence, police violence, family relationships, resilience, and survival. Through storytelling and performance, the women are able to share experiences that are often overlooked while building trust and emotional support within the group.
Alongside the theater program, Bose and her students have become involved in research connected to housing opportunities and support systems for survivors of domestic violence returning from incarceration. Their work reflects the broader mission of the Logan Initiative: combining education, advocacy, research, and creative expression to better support incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.
While the initiative is still developing, organizers hope it will continue growing into a long-term partnership that expands educational access, arts programming, and community support for incarcerated women.