Prosecutors wield extraordinary influence over how justice is carried out—from decisions about charging and diversion to how victims are supported and public safety is defined. Yet too often, their on-the-ground expertise is missing from legislative conversations about criminal justice reform.

“A Voice for the People” brings San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and formerly incarcerated community members into that conversation. This timely program elevates the role of modern prosecutors as essential leaders in building a smarter, more equitable, and community-centered justice system. Sitting at the intersection of law, public safety, and community trust, prosecutors are uniquely positioned to translate reform ideals into policies that work in practice.

Together, the speakers will discuss what meaningful reform looks like on the ground, how accountability and compassion can coexist, and why inclusive leadership is critical to restoring trust and improving outcomes.

About the Speakers

Brooke Jenkins is the 31st district attorney of San Francisco, first appointed in 2022 and elected by voters in 2022 and again in 2024. She leads the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office with a focus on public safety, victim advocacy, and the responsible implementation of criminal justice reform.

District Attorney Jenkins has been actively engaging with incarcerated people at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center as part of her work on criminal justice reform. She launched the Healing, Reform and Reentry Partnership, which brings her and staff from the San Francisco DA’s office into the prison to listen to men who are incarcerated about what supports and programs could help reduce future crime and improve rehabilitation outcomes. This includes regular symposia and forums where San Quentin residents share their experiences and ideas directly with prosecutors, and Jenkins has even organized events that bring district attorneys from across California to learn about rehabilitation-focused approaches firsthand. Her visits aim not only to inform policy in her office but also to emphasize that understanding the perspectives of incarcerated individuals can contribute to more effective crime prevention strategies and fairer approaches to accountability and reentry.

A Bay Area native and a Black and Latina woman, Jenkins brings lived experience to her work, having seen the justice system’s impacts from multiple perspectives. She began her career as a prosecutor in the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office in 2014, serving in the Misdemeanor, Felonies, Hate Crimes, Sexual Assault, Homicide, and Major Crimes units, and prosecuting more than 25 jury trials. Jenkins is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and earned her undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley, where she competed on the track and field team.

Vincent O’Bannon is a justice-impacted advocate and reentry professional whose work centers on prosecutor-led criminal justice reform, community safety, and pathways to accountability. Following his release from incarceration in 2025, Vincent committed himself to rebuilding his life through consistent employment, civic engagement, and collaboration with justice system stakeholders. He has worked with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), where he gained firsthand experience with evidence-based reentry practices that reduce recidivism and strengthen public safety through employment, structure and accountability. His perspective is shaped by lived experience and reinforced by professional discipline, allowing him to bridge the gap between impacted communities and institutional leadership.

Vincent advocates for district attorney–initiated reforms because he understands that prosecutors are uniquely positioned to influence outcomes at scale—through charging decisions, diversion programs, victim-centered approaches, and data-driven policy. He believes reform is most effective when it is led from within the system and informed by those directly affected by it. He regularly engages with prosecutors, policymakers and community organizations to advance reforms grounded in fairness, dignity and public trust. Vincent brings a grounded, credible voice to conversations on public safety—one that emphasizes responsibility, opportunity and the long-term strength of communities.

Dante D. Jones is a 43 year old Black man from South Central Los Angeles who was just released from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. After serving 17 years of a 39-years-to-life sentence, he was released by way of P.C. 1170(d)—the resentencing law. While incarcerated, he used his time wisely by taking full advantage of the programs available to him. Specifically, while serving nearly three of his 17 years at San Quentin, he found his purpose as an advocate for the incarcerated. He exercised that advocacy through the power of video, photo and written journalism while working for the award-winning San Quentin News. As a staff writer and head of its video department, he created over 35 videos, photographed more than 20 events and wrote more than 20 articles that focused on challenging the status quo and changing the narrative of who incarcerated citizens are and can be. He also produced, directed and edited a documentary (Unhoused and Unseen) that was nominated top three in the “Documentary Short” section of the 2024 San Quentin Film Festival and was also shown during a special screening at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

He also organized transformative events inside the prison, working with correctional staff and state officials to foster dialogue and build solutions around systemic issues. Now free, Dante is dedicated to amplifying the voices of incarcerated/formerly incarcerated people and continuing the work of justice and humanization through media and advocacy.