Laurie Reynolds

Laurie Reynolds is an Associate Professor in the Department of Art at the University of Illinois Chicago, specializing in the Human Rights Cluster. As a policy advocate and artist, she pioneers work at the intersection of criminal justice reform, decarceration, and social practice art through long-term collaborations with justice-impacted communities and state institutions.

Her educational foundation includes:

• Brown University: BA in Public Policy and American Institutions
• University of Iowa: MA in Communication Studies
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago: MFA in Film, Video and New Media

Reynolds' research confronts systemic demonization within the criminal legal system through restorative policy frameworks. She develops community-driven solutions that prevent victimization while rehabilitating rather than sabotaging individuals with criminal records. Her signature project Photo Requests from Solitary—co-led with Solitary Watch—uses participatory photography to humanize solitary confinement experiences, bridging artistic expression with tangible policy advocacy.

Reynolds' institutional impact spans multiple domains: serving on the Prison Policy Initiative board for data-driven decarceration strategies, contributing to Parole Illinois' legislative reforms, and leading Narrative Arts' storytelling initiatives. Her UIC courses—including Prison Aesthetics and Policy, Decarceration in Theory and Practice, and community museum development in North Lawndale—train students in art-as-advocacy methodologies while advancing real-world policy change through campaigns like YES APPLY ILLINOIS!.

Her Photo Requests from Solitary project operates as a dynamic research-practice nexus, directly engaging incarcerated individuals to challenge carceral narratives through visual storytelling while informing state-level policy interventions on solitary confinement and reentry barriers.