Jessica Jackson
{{Short description|American human rights lawyer and advocate}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jessica Jackson
| image_upright =
| birth_name = Jessica Hurst
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|01|20}}
| birth_place = Alabama
| nationality = American
| other_names =
| citizenship = American
| education = Santa Clara University School of Law
| occupation = Human rights attorney
Activist
Politician
| years_active =
| era =
| employer =
| organization = REFORM Alliance
#cut50
| children = 2
}}
Jessica Jackson is an American human rights attorney{{Cite web|url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/284501|title=State Bar of CA :: Jessica Michele Jackson|last=California|first=The State Bar of|website=members.calbar.ca.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-25}} and Chief Executive Officer at REFORM Alliance. She is also the co-founder of Dream Corps JUSTICE, a national bipartisan effort aimed at reducing America's incarceration rate.{{Cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.com/changing-america/watch/localizing-justice-system-reform-548084291933|title=Going local is the solution for the justice system reform|work=MSNBC|access-date=2017-05-25}} She served as the youngest mayor of the city of Mill Valley.
Early life and education
Jackson was raised in Mill Valley, California. She attended Hyde School in Woodstock, CT where she was nominated to the school's inaugural Alumni Hall of Honor in 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hyde.edu/alumni/featured/hall-of-honor/|title=Hyde School {{!}} Hall of Honor|website=Hyde School|language=en|access-date=2017-05-25}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.hyde.edu/alumni/featured/hall-of-honor/#Jessica|title=Hyde School {{!}} Hall of Honor|website=Hyde School|language=en|access-date=2017-05-25}} At age 18, Jackson dropped out of high school and received her GED.
When Jackson was 22, her then-husband was sentenced to six years in prison for a nonviolent drug offense. Jackson had a newborn baby and no job, so she moved in with her mother. Her husband's prison sentence motivated her to go to college and law school so that she could become a lawyer and fight for families like her own.
Jackson received her bachelor's degree in Political Science and English from the Honors College of the University of South Florida. In 2011, she received her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law, where she received the Dean's Leadership Award.{{Cite web|url=http://law.scu.edu/news/three-members-of-graduating-class-have-received-special-recognition/|title=Three Members of Graduating Class Have Received Special Recognition {{!}} Santa Clara Law|website=law.scu.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-25}}{{Cite news|url=https://patch.com/california/millvalley/mill-valley-democratic-delegate-comes-full-circle-at-convention|title=Mill Valley Democratic Delegate Comes Full Circle at Convention|date=2012-08-16|work=Mill Valley, CA Patch|access-date=2017-05-25|language=en-US}}
Career
Jessica Jackson was elected to the Mill Valley City Council in November 2013, becoming the youngest ever elected official in Marin County.{{cite news|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/this-millennial-activist-believes-bipartisan-criminal-justice-reform-will-happen-even-under-trump-51377|title=This Millennial Activist Believes Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Will Happen, Even Under Trump|date=April 14, 2017|work=Bustle|last1=Hecht|first1=John|access-date=28 April 2017}} In 2015, she was elected to serve as Mayor of Mill Valley.{{cite web|url=http://www.marinij.com/general-news/20170418/mill-valley-council-promotes-respect-and-tolerance-to-quell-hate-episodes|title=Mill Valley council promotes respect and tolerance to quell hate episodes}} In addition to her duties on the Mill Valley City Council, Jackson served as Mill Valley's representative to the Association of Bay Area Governments.{{Cite journal|title=Association of Bay Area Governments Roster|url=http://www.abag.ca.gov/overview/ABAG_Roster.pdf|journal=Association of Bay Area Governments Roster}} She also served as a board member of the American Constitution Society Bay Area chapter.{{Cite news|url=https://www.acslaw.org/chapters/ca/bay-area-san-francisco-oakland-silicon-valley-lawyer-chapter/leadership|title=Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland & Silicon Valley) Lawyer Chapter {{!}} ACS|access-date=2017-05-25|language=en}}
Jackson began her career as a human rights attorney at the Habeas Corpus Resource Center in San Francisco, California, where she represented California death row inmates in their appeals.{{Cite news|url=https://patch.com/california/millvalley/mill-valley-democratic-delegate-comes-full-circle-at-convention|title=Mill Valley Democratic Delegate Comes Full Circle at Convention|date=2012-08-16|work=Mill Valley, CA Patch|access-date=2017-05-25|language=en-US}} Jackson met Van Jones during a chance meeting and began talking with him and a law school friend, Matt Haney, about criminal justice reform. Over breakfast they scribbled ideas on a napkin which later led to the formation of #cut50. In 2015, she joined with Jones to co-found #cut50, an organization focused on bipartisan solutions to criminal justice reform issues.{{Cite web|url=http://www.marinmagazine.com/June-2016/Jessica-Jackson-Sloan/|title=Jessica Jackson Sloan - Marin Magazine - June 2016 - Marin County, California|website=www.marinmagazine.com|language=en|access-date=2017-05-25}}{{cite news|title=Going local is the solution for the justice system reform|url=http://www.msnbc.com/changing-america/watch/localizing-justice-system-reform-548084291933|access-date=28 April 2017|work=MSNBC|date=October 20, 2015}}{{Cite news|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/121425/gop-governor-nathan-deal-leading-us-prison-reform|title=A Republican Governor Is Leading the Country's Most Successful Prison Reform|work=New Republic|access-date=2017-05-25|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/this-millennial-activist-believes-bipartisan-criminal-justice-reform-will-happen-even-under-trump-51377|title=This Millennial Activist Believes Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Will Happen, Even Under Trump|last=Hecht|first=Jon|work=Bustle|access-date=2017-05-25|language=en}} While leading her national initiative, #cut50, Jessica helped ban the shackling of jailed pregnant women in 14 states. Her “Dignity for Incarcerated Women” campaign enlisted formerly incarcerated women and dozens of celebrities to deepen the focus on women's issues.{{Cite web|title=Dream Corps: #cut50 - Dignity for Incarcerated Women|url=https://www.thedreamcorps.org/our-programs/cut50/campaigns/dignity-for-incarcerated-women/|access-date=2020-10-01|website=Dream Corps|language=en-US}} At the helm of #cut50, Jessica built the biggest national grassroots network for bipartisan reform, #cut50's Empathy Network.{{Cite web|title=Dream Corps: #cut50 - Join the Empathy Network, a national community|url=https://www.thedreamcorps.org/our-programs/cut50/campaigns/empathy-network/|access-date=2020-10-01|website=Dream Corps|language=en-US}} She also produced the first-ever Bipartisan Criminal Justice Summit, attracting leaders as diverse as Newt Gingrich and then Attorney General Eric Holder.{{Cite web|title=Dream Corps: #cut50 - 2015 Bipartisan Criminal Justice Summit|url=https://www.thedreamcorps.org/our-programs/cut50/campaigns/past-campaigns/2015-bipartisan-criminal-justice-summit/|access-date=2020-10-01|website=Dream Corps|language=en-US}} Jackson handed over her leadership role at #cut50 to focus on her job at Reform Alliance, but currently serves in a supportive role at #cut50.
Jackson worked with #cut50, members of Congress, and the Trump Administration to develop and pass the First Step Act of 2018.
In 2019 she stepped down from the Mill Valley Council and moved to Alexandria, Virginia to become the Chief Advocacy Officer at Reform Alliance, an organization committed to reforming supervision laws across the country. {{cite news|title= Mill Valley Councilwoman Jessica Jackson stepping down |author=Matthew Pera|newspaper=Marin County Journal|date=September 14, 2019|url=https://www.marinij.com/2019/09/14/mill-valley-councilwoman-jessica-jackson-stepping-down/}} She is tutoring Kim Kardashian in law.{{cite news |last1=Canon |first1=Gabrielle |title=Jessica Jackson, a single mom from California, took on the prison system — and changed her life |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/11/29/single-mom-took-prison-system-changing-narrative-cut-50-kim-kardashian/4002583002/ |access-date=30 January 2021 |publisher=USA Today |date=November 29, 2019}}
Jackson currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of REFORM Alliance.
Recognition
Jackson has received several awards and accolades. She is the recipient of the 2017 John Kable, QC, Memorial Young Justice Professional Award, the 2018 ACLU Benjamin Dreyfus Civil Liberties Award, the 2019 Alexander Law Prize from Santa Clara University{{cite web |title=2019 Alexander Law Prize Award Ceremony |url=https://law.scu.edu/event/2019-alexander-law-prize-award-ceremony/#:~:text=The%202019%20Katharine%20%26%20George%20Alexander,inmates%20in%20post%2Dconviction%20appeals. |access-date=30 January 2021}} and the 2019 American Constitution Society Fearless Advocate Award.{{cite web |title=ACS Bay Area: Tenth Annual Gala: Truth in the Trump Era |url=http://getinvolved.acslaw.org/component/events/event/300 |website=American Constitution Society |access-date=30 January 2021}} She is a 2021 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.{{Cite news|last=Waters|first=Michelle|date=March 17, 2021|title=Santa Clara University School of Law Journal|work=Alumni News Journal|url=https://law.scu.edu/news/jessica-jackson-jd-11-named-to-the-2021-class-of-young-global-leaders-sponsored-by-the-world-economic-forum/#:~:text=Santa%20Clara%20University%20School%20of,Class%20of%20Young%20Global%20Leaders.|access-date=June 9, 2021}}