Heather Canuel is an activist, mother and stylist. She is often referred to as “the last woman to give birth cuffed to a bed” while incarcerated in the state of Illinois.
She is currently a member of the Envisioning Team at Illinois Humanities and is the founder of Art from the Heart, which creates a safe space for youth who have experienced the loss of a parent to incarceration. She has developed resources and advocated for policy change around the country in her roles at the Women’s Justice Institute (WJI), the Illinois Coalition for Higher Education in Prison (IL-CHEP), and the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.
Heather has recently accepted the position as Director of Community Affairs at The Win Resilience Resource Center and is dedicated to redefining the narrative around the carceral system and impacted individuals through the arts and healing.