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Jessica Jones

Met at: Breakfast meeting in Washington, DC Met date: 2025-05-14 Role(s): Criminal Justice Reform Advocate, First Step Act Implementation Leader Last interaction: 2025-05-14 (DC breakfast)

Contact Information​

  • Email: [Update if available]
  • Phone: [Update if available]

Professional Background​

  • Worked on the First Step Act in 2018, a major federal criminal justice reform bill
  • Currently involved in implementation of the First Step Act
  • Has a scheduled meeting with Bill Marshall, the new director overseeing implementation
  • Focuses on both legislation and implementation
  • Has connections to prison education initiatives
  • Has worked with Erin (California) on criminal justice reform

Key Insights & Working Style​

  • Focuses on practical implementation, not just passing legislation
  • Understands systemic challenges in prison education (mentioned prisons without classrooms)
  • Builds coalitions between different stakeholders (mentioned working with religious groups, non-profits, universities)
  • Action-oriented (scheduled to meet with Bill Marshall at 2PM on the day of meeting)
  • Maintains relationships with key implementers in the criminal justice system

Current Projects & Initiatives​

  • Implementing the First Step Act which has resulted in "about 70,000 people coming home"
  • Working on risk and needs assessment systems for prisoners
  • Developing educational pathways for incarcerated individuals
  • Exploring technology solutions for prison education (mentioned SpaceX helping with calculations)
  • Identifying barriers to implementation of prison education programs

Strategic Value​

  • Potential partner for implementing Alpha's educational technology in prison settings
  • Connected to Bill Marshall, the new director of First Step Act implementation
  • Understands criminal justice reform and re-entry challenges
  • Could provide access to a significant market (federal prison system) for educational technology
  • May help navigate regulatory and security requirements for prison technology deployment

Potential Collaboration Areas​

  • Tablet-based education systems for prisons
  • Digital curriculum development for risk and needs-based education
  • Technology solutions for "good time credits" tracking and calculation
  • Alternative pathways to home confinement through education completion
  • Development of specialized vocational training for incarcerated populations

Notable Quotes​

"Back in 2018, Aaron and I worked on the first step... A huge federal criminal justice bill that's resulted in about 70,000 people coming home."

"Once it was passed, and we got through the flurry of legislation...we started realizing that there were enhanced prisons that don't have classrooms."

"Bill Marshall is in... He's the new director. We just went to a scoring in like a week and a half ago, so he's hitting the ground running. He's doing things like he's brought in SpaceX to recalculate everybody's good time credits."

"Karen and I put a heavy emphasis on implementation as well as passing legislation, which sounds like it would be basic, but a lot of people don't actually have to follow through."

Notes​

Jessica is deeply involved in criminal justice reform, with a particular focus on education and re-entry programs for incarcerated individuals. Her work spans both the legislative process and practical implementation, giving her valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the prison system.

She appears to have significant connections within the current administration's criminal justice reform efforts, particularly with Bill Marshall, the new director overseeing First Step Act implementation. Her scheduled meeting with him suggests she has regular access to key decision-makers.

Jessica seems open to technological solutions for prison education challenges, as evidenced by her mention of SpaceX's involvement and her positive response to Gary's offer of engineering support. This openness, combined with her understanding of the security and practical constraints of prison environments, makes her a potentially valuable partner for Alpha's educational technology initiatives in the criminal justice space.

Transcripts​

Transcript IDDateSummary
2025-05-14-dc-breakfast-mccarroll-strategic-connections2025-05-14DC Strategic Breakfast with James McCarroll