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"WE ARE MORE"

2022 | ​Micro-Doc & Podcast Series
Illinois Prison Project

"We Are More" Series Trailer

The "We Are More" campaign centers the experiences of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, and pushes back against fear-mongering “tough on crime” rhetoric resurging in the 2022 election season. We need more pathways out of prison, not new ones into it. Through advocacy, public education, and direct representation, the Illinois Prison Project brings hope to and fight in community with incarcerated people and their loved ones for a brighter, more humane, more just system for us all.

Our Storytellers

The four gentlemen below sat down with SoapBox in spring 2022 to share their experiences with the carceral system, the impact the Illinois Prison Project has had on their lives, and how they now experience joy. Watch their micro-docs below as Michael, Kensley, Anthony, and Renaldo detail what "we are more" means to them. Select their names to watch extended interviews and special clips.
michael penny
kensley "sonny" hawkins
anthony jones
renaldo hudson

"We Are More" Campaign & Background

The Illinois General Assembly in 2021 passed a slate of sweeping criminal legal reforms through the SAFE-T Act. The passage of the legislative package was a major win for advocates who had long sought to end disastrous practices like cash bail, increase police accountability, and curb pernicious sentencing schemes.

Yet opponents in late 2021, early 2022 have attempted to link criminal legal reforms to a nationwide uptick in violent crime. In particular, some have directed their ire toward the Prisoner Review Board, arguing that the release of incarcerated people endangers public safety. Additionally, some have put forth a package of "tough-on-crime" proposals, though lacking any clear chance at passage.

The "We Are More" campaign seeks to counter harmful narratives about clemency and other forms of post-conviction release by centering the experiences of formerly incarcerated people.

Learn More about the Illinois Prison Project

Illinois Prison Project

Related Podcast Series

listen to bourbon 'n browntown wherever you find your podcasts
Interviewees:
Michael Penny, Kensley Hawkins, Anthony Jones, Renaldo Hudson
Picture
Written, Directed, & Produced by Caullen Hudson
Field Directed & Produced by David A. Moran
Interview Cinematography by James Murray & Dakota Sillyman
Additional Cinematography by James Murray & C'airra Cortez
Editing & Color by James Murray
Associate Produced by Shawn Mulcahy, Illinois Prison Project
Spanish Translation by David A. Moran & Cindy Lara
Page Photos & Set Still Photography by Karina Mireya

“The best thing I can say is that I'm free [...] I love that I can be an inspiration after so much pain, because I'm so much more than that pain.”
RENALDO HUDSON | Director of Education, Illinois Prison Project

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© 2023 SoapBox Productions and Organizing
501(c)3 | EIN: 82-4144067
Chicago, Illinois
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  • Home
  • Productions
    • Film >
      • "No Cop Doc"
      • "Chi DNA"
      • "Seguimos Aquí"
      • "Calvin's Story"
      • "What's Beef?"
      • "Blue Notes"
    • SoapBox Action Works
    • Commercial PSAs >
      • Save Antibiotics
      • First Wheels
  • Organizing
    • SoapBox Action Works >
      • Sh*t Talks: Studio Sessions
      • Coalition to Decarcerate IL
      • The Final 5 Campaign
      • "We Are More"
      • Defund CPD
      • Erase the Database
      • Obama CBA
      • 2020 Uprisings
      • COVID-19
      • Census 2020
      • Crossroads Fund
      • Judges Matter
      • #NoCopAcademy
      • Archives
    • Education & Workshops
    • Live Events >
      • Chi DNA Speaker Series
      • Fitness Against Fascism
  • Podcast
    • About
    • All Episodes
    • Patreon
    • Linktree
  • Editorial
  • About
    • Mission & Model
    • Team
    • Press
    • Newsletter
    • Contact
    • linktree
  • Support
    • Support SoapBox
    • Store