Uptown People's Law Center

08/19/2026

08/12/2026

Please join UPLC and the men at Lawrence in alerting the Governor about what is happening behind prison walls.

06/16/2026

In Cook County, the Just Housing Amendment says landlords cannot turn someone away because of a criminal record.
But it still happens every day.

That is why UPLC fights. In court, in policy, and alongside partners who share our vision of a housing market where a person's record is not a life sentence.

Support the Taking Root Campaign before June 30: uplcchicago.org/takingroot

06/02/2026

We are moving! 🎉

After 20 years in our corner of Uptown, UPLC is heading just up the street to a fresh, accessible new home on June 22nd. We cannot wait.

Support the Taking Root Campaign before June 30:
uplcchicago.org/takingroot

Want to help us set up our new home? Shop our wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/14B2MWHL33PY6/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex

05/27/2026

[Image description: A blue and gold square graphic with the Taking Root Campaign logo at the top. A quote from Trish, an Edgewater resident and UPLC housing client, reads: From the time of my first phone call to obtain help with my case, I was treated with respect. UPLC is such an asset to our community. I plan to continue to donate when possible. A Donate Today button appears at the bottom alongside the UPLC logo.]

This is what it means when someone picks up the phone.

Trish has been part of our community for years. When her landlord came after her with an illegal eviction, she knew where to turn. She stayed in her home of 14 years.

That is what your support makes possible. This spring we are moving into a new space alongside one of our partners in this work. Because the work is growing. And the need is growing faster.

Join the Taking Root Campaign today and help us be there for the next neighbor who calls.

uplcchicago.org/takingroot

01/27/2026

In moments like this, when state violence is once again impossible to ignore, abolitionist leadership matters.

We’re proud to celebrate our colleague and esteemed Prisoners’ Rights Advocate, Stanley Howard, on being named Death Penalty Focus’s 2026 Abolition Award Honoree.

The Abolition Award is given each year to an individual or group whose work inspires us to understand that the ongoing struggle to abolish the death penalty, in the face of fierce and entrenched opposition, is a just, humane and urgent pursuit.

Congratulations, Stanley, on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you for your extraordinary contributions to human rights, including your role in helping to end the death penalty in Illinois, and all that you continue to do on behalf of people in prison in Illinois and beyond.

01/22/2026

The Illinois Department of Corrections has made its mail-scanning policy permanent. We strongly condemn this decision.

Mail is not a privilege. It is a lifeline. For people incarcerated in IDOC, letters are often the primary way to stay connected to family, community, and critical support networks.

For legal aid organizations like Uptown People’s Law Center, this policy has serious consequences. We represent people incarcerated across Illinois and receive and respond to more than 2,000 letters from people in prison each year. Scanning and delaying mail does not just isolate people from their loved ones. It jeopardizes the confidentiality, sanctity, and timeliness of legal mail.

We will continue to speak out against policies that undermine access to counsel and human connection.

12/27/2025

Illinois law makes it a felony for prison staff to engage in sexual activity with people in custody. Yet despite these protections, abuse still happens, often in silence.

Federal and state standards meant to prevent and monitor sexual abuse in prisons are being weakened, leaving survivors with almost no one to turn to. This is why state action taken by UPLC and our partners matters the most. We can protect people on an individual level and stand up for survivors.

Thanks to a generous matching gift from UPLC board members, your donation will go twice as far to protect survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and fight for systemic change.

❣️Give today and help us stand with survivors: www.uplcchicago.org/2025