Illinois First Lady Joins Forces With Ex-Convict to Improve Lives of Women Leaving Prison

Illinois First Lady Joins Forces With Ex-Convict to Improve Lives of Women Leaving Prison

A pair of lives that diverged down different paths have now become unlikely partners, merged within a common cause.

60-year-old Willette Benford spent 24 years—nearly half her life—in an Illinois prison until a change in state laws expedited her release.

While behind bars though, Ms. Benford earned her GED and an associate’s degree, became an ordained minister, and provided much-needed counsel to support her fellow inmates.

When she was released, she entered a residential program called the Grace House, a nonprofit ministry that provides housing, counseling, and other critical support for women who are exiting the Illinois Prison System.

Stacking successes, she was soon hired as a legislative assistant for a Chicago alderman, Walter Burnett Jr.

“I am what it looks like to give someone a fair chance,” Benford told CBS News Chicago, WBBM-TV 2. “Not a handout, but a hand up.”

Benford became a powerful testimonial about what to do with a second chance. Others soon took notice.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who hoped to empower other people following prison sentences, appointed Benford the city’s first director of re-entry. Her work focused on providing support to those who were recently released from jail.

One of her initiatives was to orchestrate a reform of the city’s background checks so certain crimes would not automatically disqualify candidates from local jobs.

Benford’s efforts earned the attention of the state’s first lady, who was also becoming passionate about improving the lives of inmates after incarceration—especially women.

M.K. Pritzker, the wife of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, first met Benford when she was at the Grace House. She followed Benford’s work in the Windy City—and in 2023 offered her a job in the first lady’s office as the senior advisor on women’s issues.

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The duo from different paths are now collaborating, aiming to improve access to housing, employment, and mental health care, so every Illinois female can achieve their own ‘second-chance’ success.

“She brings an intelligence and a vigor to this work that I don’t think anybody else could do,” Pritzker said on CBS. “I believe in Willette and I think there’s good in every person, and there’s a whole lot of good in Willette.”

Soon, the pair will launch a pilot program that provides childcare, housing, and job training for 100 women recently released from prison.

Thanks to their work, there will soon be other stories like Benford’s, tales of women who exited prison and found their way to success on the other side.

“You know, the lesson is you just really shouldn’t judge people,” Pritzker said. “You need to give people grace and it’s really amazing what two women from two completely different backgrounds can do when they join forces.”

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WATCH the inspiring video from CBS News Chicago, WBBM-TV 2…