Jessica Younts

Jessica Younts currently serves as Executive Director of Florida Justice Center, a legal aid organization that helps serve individuals who have been impacted by the criminal legal system with legal needs that assist with access to employment, housing, and civil rights.

Jessica also serves as a consultant for nonprofits assisting with strategic planning and organizational infrastructure and management. 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 VP of 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