What is a legislator? Legislators are people elected to make laws. There are 177 legislators in Illinois, each representing a district. There are 59 senate districts and 118 house districts, with two house districts are contained in every senate district. Every home address is linked to one state rep and one state senator. Find yours below!
Find your State Representative.
Find your State Senator.
Phone Script
Hi, my name is [NAME], and I am a resident in [YOUR DISTRICT]. I’m calling to express my concern for our state’s investment in youth incarceration. There are only 130 young people locked up in Illinois Youth Centers in the state, but there are 5 fully functioning youth prisons in the state and the Governor is now promising the construction of a sixth in Lincoln, IL.
It’s unacceptable that so few young people are in these facilities, yet there are so many resources being poured into them. I believe young people should be home with their loved ones, and that they should have access to mental health, recreational, educational, and jobs resources in their neighborhoods. Please advocate to stop the construction of IYC-Lincoln, and for the closure of the other 5 youth prisons in the state. Young people are not disposable, and we need to be investing in real alternatives and their futures.
Email/Letter Scripts
Dear [LEGISLATOR],
My name is [NAME], and I am an Illinois resident in [YOUR DISTRICT]. Today, I am writing you about an issue that is deeply important to me: juvenile justice. I believe that young people in this state deserve more than being disappeared into a system of incarceration. The mental and physical health effects of incarceration are enormous and, at such a crucial developmental time, the impacts of incarceration on adolescents are even more significant.
Over the last 10 years, the number of incarcerated youth in Illinois has dropped from 1500 to about 130 today. Despite the enormous population declines, there are still 5 fully functioning youth prisons in the state, and the Governor is now promising the construction of a sixth in Lincoln, IL. It’s unacceptable that so few young people are in these facilities, yet there are so many resources being poured into their continuance.
Young people should be home with their loved ones and family, not in cages. Please advocate to stop the construction of IYC-Lincoln, and for the closure of the other 5 youth prisons in the state. We should be investing in mental health, recreational, educational, and jobs resources in their neighborhoods. Young people are not disposable, and we need leaders to show them that we care.
Sincerely,
[NAME]