Ahmadou Dramé is Illinois Justice Project director, a position he took on after serving as program director for two years. Throughout his career, Mr. Dramé has used his advocacy skills to empower communities impacted by mass incarceration, call attention to the injustices of the criminal legal system, and advance initiatives that eliminate permanent punishments and reduce society’s reliance on the criminal legal system as a response to socioeconomic and racial disparities. He was an instrumental member of the award-winning Just Housing Coalition, which eliminates barriers to housing for returning residents in Cook County by securing the passage of the Just Housing Ordinance. He directed a program that provided “Know Your Rights” training to people who are incarcerated in state prisons. Mr. Dramé was co-chair of the Chicago Mayor’s Reentry Working Group, which created the city’s first director of reentry position and secured more than $50 million for housing and services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he directed a reentry housing pilot program that served 120 households. Mr. Dramé is a 2023 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and master of public administration degree at DePaul University.