JESSICA YOUNTS, JD, PH.D
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jessica Younts is the Executive Director of Florida Justice Center, having previously served as its Operations Manager. Jessica is a professional consultant for nonprofits and other organizations, assisting with strategic planning, organizational infrastructure, and project management. Jessica also served on the policy team for the National Executive Council (NEC) at Columbia University’s Center for Justice. She is co-founder of Justice Impact Alliance (JIA), an organization led by individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. Through the research, programs, and policy collaborations of justice-impacted leadership, JIA has introduced several initiatives targeting inequities within legal, education, housing, and employment systems including the Justice Impact Network, a digital platform providing resources for people who have been impacted by the criminal legal system.
Jessica served as Vice President of Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) from incorporation in 2011 until 2021 and served as the Fines & Fees Program Director from 2019- 2021. She was involved with the drafting and ultimate passage of Amendment 4 in Florida, which eliminated the lifetime ban on voting for people with felony convictions and instantly re-enfranchised over 1.45 million people with past felony convictions. After legislation was passed that attempted to limit the reach of Amendment 4, Jessica developed and implemented FRRC’s Fines & Fees Program which paid close to $30 million towards people’s fines and fees.
Jessica holds both a JD and Ph.D in Criminal Justice from Nova Southeastern University, and a BS from St. John’s University.
