Marlon Chamberlain believes that all people should have an equal opportunity to succeed in life. Having over 20 years of lived and professional experience, he is committed to the movement to transform the criminal justice system. Marlon has advocated for the passage of several criminal justice reform bills in the Illinois legislature—including a law expanding eligibility for record sealing–and has organized and trained over 1,000 formerly incarcerated individuals to lead legislative campaigns.
Marlon has an established track record of creating effective coalitions. In 2021, he joined Heartland Alliance as the Campaign Manager for the Fully Free campaign to end permanent punishments in Illinois. Previously, he served as the Englewood Project Manager with the READI Chicago Program.
Marlon has received the Purdy Award from the Community Renewal Society in recognition of his outstanding leadership in organizing and policy work, and the Visionary Award from the Safer Foundation. When not working, Marlon spends his time with his family and reads. He believes faith is the ability to believe, but that ability must be used and acted upon for faith to come alive and work. He has dedicated his life to putting his faith in action by challenging systems of injustice.