Chapin Hall

Meredith Nnoka is a Project Associate at Chapin Hall, where they provide project management, create data visualizations, and coordinate stakeholder events. They have a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, both in Africana studies. With a background in secondary education and criminal justice, their work at Chapin Hall focuses on juvenile justice and re-conceptualizing the place of youth detention in Cook County, Illinois.

Outside of Chapin Hall, Meredith is a Chicago-based poet, teacher, and prison abolitionist. They teach poetry in carceral facilities in Illinois and have received fellowships from Illinois Humanities, Lambda Literary, and the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project. Meredith’s writing explores the intersections of criminal justice, feminism, and interpersonal harm. Their interviews and perspectives have been featured on NPR Illinois, WTTW, Outside the Loop Radio, and elsewhere.