All women deserve the opportunity to live fulfilling lives.
Women with a history of incarceration have the potential to change their lives for the better and stay out of the criminal justice system. WIND is here to help make that happen.
The Need
WIND was started to address the profound lack of support for women who are in prison or who have been released from incarceration in Chicagoland.
WIND provides the tools to help them build a different future for themselves – a direction and focus that keep them from returning to prison.
Who is helping the 1.9 million women released from prisons and jails each year?* WIND is and so can you! Please help create a new path and positive mindset for these women by donating today. We operate with an all-volunteer staff so your donation has the most impact.
*Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Corrections Reporting Program, 2013-2016.
Whether in a prison or jail or in court-mandated substance abuse programs, the number of incarcerated women has grown 875% since 1980 without a corresponding increase in funds allocated to programs that specifically address their needs.*
* Women’s Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, 2019
News & Events
“Sometimes you want your mother, and she’s not there. It hurts so bad.” Solomon H., son of a formerly incarcerated mother.
WIND co-sponsored an important discussion on March 3 entitled “Voices Across TIme: Sharing Women’s Experiences of Re-entry”. The panel featured current and past residents of Grace House, a Chicago residential recovery program where WIND runs its sessions. Sally Nuamah, Northwestern Professor, WIND facilitator, and WIND Senior Advisor, moderated the vent. Some of the takeaways were:
- The majority of women in prison are there for drug addiction, but don’t have access to treatment. They turn to drugs because they don’t receive therapy for physical and sexual abuse. The cycle continues when their mental health issues aren’t addressed.
- Formerly incarcerated women need support: they need help building self-esteem so that they know their self worth. They also need help crafting goals for their future – sometimes for the first time in their lives – and identifying who they want to be going forward. “I’ve got to start working on ME.”
- “WIND’s programs bring in professionals to meet with us. Certain groups speak to you – I feel like the WIND people are there for us personally too. I never had access to resources before. Now I know people to call who can answer questions I have. I don’t have to just google something and hope I can find the right information.” Former Resident
COVID UPDATE: WIND was running in-person workshops outside when possible and remotely when the weather does not permit outdoor gathering. We can’t wait to get back to in-person sessions. The upside is that we have been serving 40% more women each week remmotely than than we did pre-pandemic.