Got a loved one in an Illinois prison? WBEZ’s Prisoncast! wants to hear from you.
Prisoncast! is a journalism and audio project from WBEZ to serve people in prison and their families on the outside. Your requests make it possible.
By Alex Keefe
Got a loved one in an Illinois prison? WBEZ’s Prisoncast! wants to hear from you.
Prisoncast! is a journalism and audio project from WBEZ to serve people in prison and their families on the outside. Your requests make it possible.
By Alex KeefeIf you’ve got a loved one locked up in Illinois — or you work with people in prison — we want to hear from you.
We’re currently taking submissions for Prisoncast!, a special journalism and audio project from WBEZ and Illinois Public Radio made with and for people inside Illinois prisons and their loved ones on the outside. Our goal is to use the radio to create an experience families can share together even when separated by miles of road, walls and razor wire. We broadcast music and audio requests, dedications from family members, and explore topics relevant to you.
This year our Prisoncast! broadcast airs Sunday, Sept. 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. CT on public radio stations across Illinois. We’re also planning a holiday special on Sunday, Dec. 17 (time TBD). Before that, WBEZ is hosting a family fun day at the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 9, especially for children & families of people in Illinois prisons. If you’d like more information or want to attend, email prisoncast@wbez.org!
Take the survey below to submit your requests to Prisoncast! And read more about this project.
What is Prisoncast!?
Prisoncast! is an audio and engaged journalism project organized by WBEZ in Chicago in partnership with Illinois Public Radio stations across the state. The project began in 2022 as a request show: We asked people inside and their families for music and audio requests, for dedications and for topics for our journalists to discuss.
The mission of Prisoncast! is threefold:
To create spaces and experiences to be shared between people incarcerated in Illinois and their loved ones on the outside. We use audio to create moments of connection for people who can’t be together physically.
To use our journalism and interviews to serve this community with practical, actionable information that they tell us they need or desire.
To foster understanding and empathy, more broadly, between the nearly 30,000 people in Illinois prisons and the state’s other residents.
How do I submit requests for the show?
People outside can make requests and record a voicemail dedication at 312-893-2931. You also can email a voice memo to prisoncast@wbez.org. People inside can fill out a paper survey and mail it back to: Alex Keefe, c/o WBEZ, 848 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL., 60611-3509. All mailed forms must be received no later than Aug. 4, 2023.
Are you playing all requests on the radio?
We will play as many requests as we can, but there is a chance we will not be able to play all the requests we receive during the two-hour broadcast.
Will I know ahead of time if my request will be aired during the broadcast?
We will make an effort to alert everyone outside of prison who is being included in the show via email or phone. For folks inside prison, we can’t guarantee that you will know if your submission is included ahead of time, due to the uncertainty of communication into prisons. But we will try to notify as many people as possible before the broadcast.
How can I listen or participate in Prisoncast! activities?
Listen on your local NPR public radio station! You can listen to old-school radio. People in prison may also listen on their GTL tablet’s FM radio app. Both programs will air on Illinois Public Radio all across Illinois.
On Sunday, Sept. 17 from 2-4 p.m. CT, we’ll air a selection of requested songs, sounds, dedications, interviews and stories. Your responses to our survey are what makes this show possible!
On Sunday, Dec. 17 (time TBD), we’ll air a holiday special featuring parents in prison reading stories to their children, in partnership with Companions Journeying Together and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. If you are interested in participating, write Alex Keefe at the address above or email prisoncast@wbez.org.
Separately, WBEZ is planning an in-person event for families and children of people in Illinois prisons. It’ll be Saturday, Sept. 9 at the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago. We are planning fun and games, an audio dedication recording booth, free professional family portraits and representatives from partner organizations that serve people and families impacted by incarceration in Illinois. We’ll update this site with more information as we plan the event. Email prisoncast@wbez.org to be put on our registration list!
Alex Keefe is the engagement editor at WBEZ.