McLean County Reentry Council

03/14/2026

MCRC would like to wish our Secretary Heather Johnson a happy birthday.

03/10/2026

We acted... we applied for two grants. The R3: Restore, Reinvest, Renew, and the McLean County Behavioral Health Grant. The grants were soild and we are very hopeful. If we receive them, we will be able to streamline and solidify our Reentry Navigation and hope to introduce Reentry Backpacks. Stay tuned!

02/27/2026

March 3, 2:00 at the historic Normal Theater, join members of the McLean County Reentry Council to learn from Criminal Justice Sciences at Illinois State Associate Professor Dr. Charles Bell about the harms of school restraint and seclusion for not only children, but their parents as well. State Representative Sharon Chung will open the panel discussion, which will also include Jodi Cohen, who is a ProPublica Senior Reporter.

Seating is limited, tickets are available here: https://bit.ly/4cemZ6j

02/17/2026

We are thrilled that our monthly Supporting Reentry Zooms consistently have had near (or over) 20 participants representing numerous McLean County organizations.

Join us this Friday. This month, we will host Career Link and hear from Tony Jones about the resources and connections that they offer our community.

These online meetings are free for anyone to attend, hosted on Zoom.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87974576448?pwd=VVd0VFBLbE1YUXdFMmRxOHpjaWo2dz09

02/16/2026

Looking for a career with paid training?

Sign up now for Energy Workforce Training. This class runs from February 23, 206 - April 24-2026, and offers paid training and guaranteed placement.

Additionally, there is support with childcare and transportation.

Limited spots still available. Apply now at www.309career.org/Nicor

02/04/2026

The numbers don't lie. Investing in people saves money and rebuilds lives.

01/27/2026

These words are attributed to the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso). They speak directly to the work we do, and to the moment we are in.

Buddhism teaches action that is deliberate, ethical, and non-violent.

Thoughts and prayers alone are no longer enough. It’s time to come together, as one voice, and stand up for one another.

𝙋𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.
𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮.

𝙄𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛. 𝙒𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩.

There are many ways to get involved without joining the front line.

Message us, we’re happy to help to connect you with many local options.

01/26/2026

Warming centers!

Bloomington: Bloomington Public Library, Illinois and Walmat on Market, Connect Transit at McLean County Health Department (dependent on bus availability).
Normal: Normal Public Library, Uptown Normal (Uptown Station), and Meijer.

Full McLean County list here:
https://mcleancountyil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30 and Walmart on Market.-Warming-Center-PUBLIC-LIST

01/22/2026

Great news!

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law that will automatically seal a person's non-violent criminal record three years after completing a sentence. When a felony conviction is sealed it will not show up on a background check which would remove restrictions on getting certain loans, jobs and buying or renting...

01/22/2026

Friday, Jan. 23 - McLean County Reentry Council Supporting Reentry Zoom - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87974576448?pwd=VVd0VFBLbE1YUXdFMmRxOHpjaWo2dz09

01/17/2026

Warming centers this weekend!