An Illinois Newsroom series uncovering some of the barriers formerly and currently incarcerated individuals when it comes to education has won a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Series.

The Illinois Department of Corrections continues to flounder in its efforts to care for inmates with mental illness, according to a new report by the court-appointed monitor on a 2016 lawsuit settlement. Some prison facilities main a "culture of abuse and retaliation" against mentally ill offenders, the report states.

The Ohio Reformatory for Women’s Achieving Baby Care Success program, or ABC, lets women who are pregnant when they’re incarcerated keep their babies in prison – giving them the opportunity to do things like breastfeed and bond with their newborn, which studies show improve children’s long-term health and well-being.

Simple, everyday tasks  – like ordering coffee, crossing the street, or getting gas – can be an obstacle, or an intimidating challenge for people recently released from prison. This is especially true for people who have spent many years behind bars.

Janice McClain climbed aboard the van at a stop in downtown Indianapolis and took a seat among a dozen or so other travelers on a recent September day. They were all women and were all on their way to visit children, spouses and fiancés in prison.