Event
Topeka Outdoors
I hope you find as much inspiration exploring these events as I did being part of them, each one a step toward creating lasting impact. Hope to see you at the next one.
From May 6 to 8, 2025, the Women’s Justice Institute (WJI) hosted the Women’s Justice Commission Conference in Illinois, gathering justice reform leaders, policymakers, system-impacted women, and advocates from across the country. The event focused on designing and advancing innovative, trauma-informed, and gender-responsive solutions to address women’s incarceration in Illinois and beyond.
Hosted in collaboration with the Council on Criminal Justice, the conference featured strategic workshops, policy discussions, and powerful storytelling designed to drive systemic change. Attendees explored bold approaches to justice reform that center the needs, dignity, and lived experiences of women—especially those who have been criminalized for trauma, poverty, or survival.
As part of the programming, commission members participated in site visits to the Women’s Justice Institute and Cook County Jail, offering firsthand insight into existing conditions and the pressing need for structural reform. These immersive experiences grounded the conference’s vision in reality and emphasized the urgent call to action for safer, more equitable systems of justice.
Dr. Topeka K. Sam, Founder and CEO of The Ladies of Hope Ministries (The LOHM), was honored to participate as a member of the Women’s Justice Commission, a national body chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Dr. Sam brought her lived experience, thought leadership, and policy expertise to the table, contributing to national efforts aimed at decarcerating and restoring women, families, and communities.
Dr. Sam’s lifelong commitment to justice-impacted women is the foundation of her work. Having experienced incarceration herself, she intimately understands the harmful ripple effects of criminalization, particularly for women of color. Through LOHM and her leadership on national commissions, she continues to fight for comprehensive reintegration support, economic empowerment, and legislative reform—ensuring that women are not only released but truly free to thrive.
This year’s Women’s Justice Commission Conference affirmed a shared vision: one where incarceration is no longer the default response to women’s struggles, and where healing, housing, and opportunity lead the way forward.
