BUILD COMMUNITIES
NOT PRISONS
CONDITIONS OF
YOUR
EXISTENCE
WRITING CONTEST
Open Call for Personal Essays: Conditions of Your Existence Writing Contest ​
New deadline: June 15, 2026
All people currently incarcerated in Illinois are welcome to submit an essay. People with life sentences and who are serving more than 20 years are especially encouraged to submit.
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Winners will be notified by October 15, 2026. ​​​​
Build Communities Not Prisons was created in response to the tragic death of Michael Broadway at Stateville Correctional Center on June 19, 2024 due to the egregious, inhumane prison conditions, a reflection of the long-standing life-threatening circumstances of tens of thousands of Illinois residents caged behind bars.​
We are committed to expanding pathways for release for our loved ones still incarcerated.