Idoc Jobs (NOW HIRING)

NOTE - Workshop facilitators are not compensated.

Application deadline is November 15, 2026 for workshops to be held in 2027.

Thank you for your interest in the Education Justice Project. EJP students have expressed appreciation for being able to take a range of workshops across disciplines.

Workshops can be offered on weekday mornings (between 8:00 and 12:00) and weekday afternoons (between 1:00 - 4:30).Workshops are conducted in person. Pleasenote that EJP students do not have access to the internet for educational purposes.

How You Can Participate

There are two ways of participating in EJP's Workshop program:

• offer a one-time workshop on a topic of your choice. One-time workshop facilitators are considered "guest speakers" and do not become official EJP members, although they are welcome at EJP events and activities;

• offer a multi-part workshop series on a topic of your choice. Multi-part workshop faciltators are considered regular EJP members and are responsible for fulfiling all member responsibiities, e.g. reading the EJP handbook each year. (dependent on clearance availability)

Whether you decide to offer a workshop that meets only once or multiple times, you are responsible for determing the content and scope of your workshop and selecting the instructional materials you wish to use. EJP will provide them to the students free of charge.
Minimum Requirements for Workshop Members are

• Passing the background security check and IDOC (Illinois Dept of Corrections) security clearance requirements. Typically, applicants to EJP do not gain clearance to enter the prison until at least 2 months after they apply. This is due to IDOC's clearance process and something EJP has no control over, unfortunately

• A schedule that allows enough time to facilitate workshops and engage with EJP - This includes attending orientations, and prison trainings. Optional but highly encouraged are the EJP Convocation and various community-wide events on the Urbana campus

• A commitment to social justice

EJP's Values
Applicants should be aware that EJP approaches this work from a prison-abolitionist ethic, which informs the pedagogical and organizational values that structure EJP, as well as Workshops. Regardless, we invite applicants who have varied perspectives on the prison system and the role of education and hope that this work will challenge and inspire you, and that your contributions will refine and develop EJP.
Applying
All applications are welcome. Because EJP aims to create a supportive learning environment for our incarcerated students, we especially encourage applications from individuals whose backgrounds align with those of our students. This includes members of racial minority groups, first-generation degree holders, and individuals from low socioeconomic status backgrounds. Please note that the educational offices are on the second floor of the prison and that there is no elevator.
According to Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) policy, if you are formerly incarcerated within Illinois or are actively visiting a friend or family who is incarcerated in IDOC, it is unlikely you will be able to receive IDOC clearance. Unfortunately, this is beyond our control.
Please complete the online application, which you can access by clicking the "Apply for this Job" button in the top right corner. We realize this language may be confusing. Workshops facilitators are not compensated. Unfortunately, our platform does not allow us to change the word "job."

After You Accept Our Offer

If you are selected to offer a workshop, we will ask you to send a title and 1-2 paragraph workshop description. This information is used to advertise the workshop to EJP students and should be written in accessible language that will generate student interest. We will also request a list of the instructional materials you wish to assign. All of these must be submitted at least two months prior to the start of the semester in which you plan to offer your workshop. That is so we have plenty of time to conduct registration, request clearance for the materials, and purchase copies for enrolled students.

The deadline for submitting your application is November 15, 2025 at 5:00. Please contact the academic team at dcc@educationjustice.net if you have any questions. Thank you for your interest!