Mark Clements Recognized as a Leader for a New Chicago
Mark Clements is a community organizer with Chicago Torture Justice Center. He was recognized as a 2023 Leader for a New Chicago. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE FIELD FOUNDATION.
At the age of 16, Clements was taken to the Chicago Police Department's Area 3. He was tortured and ultimately, given four life sentences for an apartment fire, that he didn't commit. He won his freedom from prison after 28 years through the help of Bernadine Dohrn, who at the time was at Northwestern University Law School.
"I am going to fight these people until I can't fight these people anymore," he said. “It’s not about me anymore, but it is about the hundreds that sitting behind the prison walls, who need help.” Clements has been recognized by the Field Foundation, in partnership with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as a 2023 Leader for a New Chicago. In all, there were 10 individuals who were recognized for making impactful changes in the City of Chicago.
The Leaders for a New Chicago launched in 2019 with the goal of highlighting the accomplishments of individuals doing work to create a more inclusive Chicago. The individual receives $25,000, along with $25,000 for general operating costs for their organization.
“Our city thrives when its leaders serve its residents,” Field Foundation President Daniel O. Ash said in a release. “The 2023 Leaders for a New Chicago awardees are transformational in their leadership and bring a strong commitment to community, to racial and social justice, and to making a lasting impact for the benefit of the Chicagoans they serve. They make our city better.”
The Chicago Torture Justice Center provides services to individuals who have been impacted by police violence. Chicago Torture Justice Center also provides psychological services to individuals who have experienced mental health issues after being incarcerated for decades, as well as court and re-entry support services. The Chicago Torture Justice Center recently held a training with a group out of California that focused on how people could best protect themselves from abusive police officers.
Clements was honored for the recognition of his hard work with Chicago Torture Justice Center. He was surprised to learn he was part of the 2023 cohort of recipients. It made him a little emotional. Clements has honored mothers who have been impacted by the criminal justice system as a result of their children being incarcerated. Chicago Torture Justice Center is planning an event for them this summer.
Clements has not received clemency from the Governor, but he did receive compensation for his wrongful incarceration. Nearing almost 60 years old, Clements isn’t looking for clemency. “God has blessed me in ways where I have used it to get into many different doors,” he said, adding that he has interacted with a lot of elected officials since he gained his freedom. “I have given them a piece of my mind about how the profit over the people impacted the lives of so many Black and brown people.”
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