On Friday, January 24th, elected officials joined over 60 organizations from across the state of Illinois at La Casa Resource Center in Pilsen for the launch of the Access to Justice Program (A2J). Illinois will become the first Midwestern state to invest in free legal services to defend communities impacted by draconian immigration policies and the profound widespread effects of mass incarceration. A2J is an Illinois statewide program that funds community-centered programs which mitigate the devastating consequences of incarceration and family separation by expanding effective and holistic community-based legal services to vulnerable populations; train Community Navigators to conduct mass know-your-rights education and outreach; share best practices among partner organizations to increase their local capacity to deliver effective services; and reintegrate the most vulnerable populations into their families, communities and workforce. For more information about The Resurrection Project, please visit www.resurrectionproject.org or visit, www.westsidejustice.org.