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Jackie Reed introduces herself confidently and uncompromisingly: “I was a crack addict and a felon. I spent three years in prison for attempted murder – but I knew God had a plan for me. Know that: my crime does not define me. “
Back on her feet, Reed is now helping other women who had previously been imprisoned to get back on board and make an independent contribution to society.
Reed is the director of the Urban League of San Diego County’s Women Reentry Program and the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Women Initiating Success Envisioned (WISE) along with her partner Dr. Bridget Burden from ARI Works (Advance Re-entry Initiative). Together with their team, they advise, train and support 15 to 20 women every month. Together they teach women how to get their lives back.
Raised in the Imperial Valley, Reed, who is six feet tall, played basketball at Imperial Valley College. But when the scholarship for a four-year school failed, her life was immersed in a fog of alcohol, partying and drugs.
Sentenced to three years in prison, she found inspiration from her ordeal. “One day God gave me a vision. This vision was to help women like me to re-engage positively with society. ”
She likes to say that she was not arrested, but rescued.
She participated in a drug rehabilitation program in Imperial Valley and moved to Freedom House in San Diego, where she successfully completed the program. She has been drug-free and sober for 14 years. With the help of Ray King, President and CEO of the Urban League of San Diego County, Reed was able to get an apartment of his own.
“Sleeping on the floor that first night away from all the negative people was the best night I’ve ever had. The Urban League saved my life. “
In collaboration with the Urban League, she fulfilled her vision of becoming a positive force in society. As the director of the Women’s Re-entry Program, she has helped hundreds of women re-establish themselves in San Diego.
“The biggest obstacle I face is convincing these women that they are more than their crime. Some are fixed and paralyzed by their past, and we have to move them beyond it. “
For Jackie, the most important step is to listen and understand each individual’s needs. Some need help looking for an apartment. Others need help with child protection to maneuver the court system to get their children back. Some just need help getting a bus card for probation, court appointments, or an interview. She stands up for them and identifies companies that are ready to give these women a job.
In addition to job preparation and placement, Reed and Burden and their employees develop additional practical skills such as financial knowledge, psychosocial services and filling out online applications.
“I worry about how television and the media portray women with crime as terrible people. Some of these media accounts are not true – they are just ratings. These ladies don’t need a hand out; they need help, ”said Reed.
“First, Jackie changed her own life,” said King, director of the San Diego County’s Urban League. “Now she is helping formerly incarcerated women change their lives. Her positive spirit and caring personality are magnetic. It is a pleasure to have Jackie as a friend and colleague. I know that she has a lot more to do to help others lead fruitful lives. “
Reed hopes that in the future, WISE and ARI Works can evolve into a one-stop shop to help women return to society. The organizations would help with housing, transportation and education under one roof.
Reed is not on parole now. She has received her release and her rehabilitation certificate and is awaiting a pardon from the governor. She serves on the Advisory Board of the County Chief, the San Diego Reentry Round Table, the community, action, resource, engagement team of the DA and with scholars of the San Diego City College City. She also serves as an instructor at the Las Colinas Reentry Facility and was nominated for Women in Leadership and Woman of the Year awards from a number of organizations and government agencies in 2018-2019.
“These women need compassion, understanding and forgiveness from everyone – their neighbors, their employees and their families,” Reed said. And it is the success story that you can follow: “If I can do it, so can you.”
More information is available at www.nationalwise.org/
About this series
Michael Kurima is a member of the Union-Tribune’s Community Advisory Board. He is President of the Board of Directors of the San Diego Japanese American Citizens. He works as a management consultant in the healthcare sector.
Someone San Diego Should Know is a weekly column written by members of the UT’s Community Advisory Board about local people who are interesting and noteworthy because of their experience, accomplishments, creativity, or references.
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