School of Restorative Arts Update: A New Chapter at Illinois River
On September 4, 2024, 草莓影视 Theological Seminary鈥檚 School of Restorative Arts (SRA) held a Service of Consecration and Sending for students and alumni at Stateville Correctional Center, marking 10 years of transformative education. The gathering celebrated the faculty, staff, and supporters who made the program possible. It also served as a time of blessing for alumni as they transitioned to various facilities across Illinois.
In preparation for Stateville鈥檚 demolition, SRA alumni are now spread across 14 Illinois Department of Correction facilities, with 13 alumni at Illinois River Correctional Center in Canton, Illinois, SRA鈥檚 new programming site. Most students have transferred to this facility 35 miles southwest of Peoria, Illinois. However, a few were assigned to other facilities due to medical needs.
While the facility staff have been incredibly supportive, the distance from 草莓影视 to Illinois River poses logistical challenges.
One pressing need is remote teaching technology. The DTEN devices at Stateville鈥攚hich help with video conferencing鈥攂elonged to Northwestern University and are no longer available. Thankfully, a recent reallocation request will enable the seminary to dedicate a portion of its Lilly Endowment Inc.鈥檚 Pathways for Tomorrow grant toward purchasing the equipment necessary for instruction. The seminary is awaiting a response from the Illinois Department of Corrections regarding the request procedure.
Updates on these solutions will be available in future editions of 鈥淪eminary News.鈥�
Looking ahead, SRA is preparing for the graduation of the Logan Correctional Center cohort in聽May 2026. Logan, a facility serving incarcerated women, is also slated for demolition. Until the new facility is complete, the women will remain at Logan. Their graduation will affirm the program鈥檚 commitment to providing education that transforms lives, even in the most challenging circumstances.