“I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.”  (Isaiah 42:7)

In 2007 the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) brought together the individuals responsible for Prison Ministry in the six dioceses of Illinois, namely, dioceses of Chicago, Rockford, Peoria, Joliet, Springfield and Belleville. This discussion led to the formation in 2008 of the Illinois Prison & Jail Ministry Network which embraces all Church members and agencies whose ministries are related to all aspects of incarceration and returning citizens back into the community.

The purposes of the Illinois Prison & Jail Ministry Network are as follows:

• To link its members together for the sharing of information and resources.
• To coordinate the delivery of Catholic Pastoral Care and promote Justice Advocacy to prisoners and returning citizens and all those affected by the criminal justice system.
• To foster the recruitment and preparation of volunteer ministers in all areas of criminal justice.
• To speak with a unified Catholic voice to departments of correction on their policies and procedures that impact the performance of these ministries.
• To advise the bishops and their dioceses, the Catholic Conference of Illinois, government officials and the public at large, on important issues of criminal justice.

The Prison & Jail Ministry Network is made up of clergy and laity from each diocese who minister to detainees at jails, the incarcerated inmates of state and federal prisons and returning citizens coming back to their communities. Each of the six dioceses has a Coordinator of Prison Ministry appointed by their respective Bishop and meet frequently via conference calls, ZOOM and in-person sessions.

The six Diocesan Coordinators include the following:

• Dr. MaryClare Birmingham & Deacon Pablo Perez – Diocese of Chicago
• Mr. Louis Slapshak - Associate Coordinator – Diocese of Belleville
• Mr. Brian Hickey – Diocese of Joliet
• Deacon Joe LaHood – Diocese of Peoria
• Rev. Howard Barch – Diocese of Rockford
• Rev. Dan Willenborg – Diocese of Springfield