Javier Reyes
Speaker, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF ILLINOIS, ISSUES BRIEFING 2022
Javier Reyes is a Neighborhood Outreach specialist for the city of Aurora. He bridges the gaps that exist between communities and City Hall. With the resources afforded by the city of Aurora, Javier assures that communities of color benefit from the resources that normally do not reach those communities. As an advocate for restorative and criminal justice reform, he works with officials and county prosecutors of Kane, DuPage, and Kendall County’s to assist with alternative programs that divert citizens of color away from incarceration.
Javier sits on the Governing Board of the Fully Free Campaign. Fully Free is a state-wide coalition set to dismantle the bbarriers in life after prison through legislative and narrative change. As a Civic Leader for Chicago Votes, he assisted in the drafting of the Civic Education curriculum and wrote the instructors manual for the said curriculum that is currently being taught throughout the Illinois Department of Corrections. Javier is a justice impacted individual whose 17 years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons influenced the creation of Challenge II Change, an organization that he founded while incarcerated. Challenge II Change is an organization that gives returning citizens a meaningful second chance by challenging them to change how they view and deal with their past trauma, therefore, changing their perspective of society.