217 Today: Illinois prisons are confining the incarcerated to their cells more often than during the pandemic. Can peer education help?

Friday, November 21, 2025

Today’s headlines: 

• Newly released documents by Congress show deeper ties between convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and prominent civic figure Thomas Pritzker.
• Prisons in Illinois are going into lockdowns twice as often as they were in 2020.
• A Sudanese American comedian from the Quad Cities wants to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
• The Number 21 ranked Fighting Illini football team is heading into their final road game of the season as the team gears up to take on Wisconsin this Saturday.

In today’s deep dive, prison lockdowns cut incarcerated people off from educational opportunities, and they often occur due to staff shortages. Experts say peer mentorship could help fill the gap. 

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Orellana. Reporting today contributed by Mariah Woelfel, Emily Hays, Kulsoom Khan and Jonathan Mathew.