San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced the launch of the “Voice of the People” Statewide Speaking Tour. The “Voice of The People” speaking tour will highlight the unique role of prosecutors and those with lived experience in advancing smart prison reform efforts aimed at improving public safety, reducing recidivism and supporting victims of crime.
“Since launching a partnership with San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, I have been focused on exploring and developing meaningful opportunities to collaborate with incarcerated people and formerly incarcerated people to leverage the power of the prosecutor’s office to improve public safety for our communities and outcomes for the incarcerated,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “I am excited to publicly share some of my learnings and introduce some of my key collaborators in this work, Vincent O’Bannon and Dante Jones. Working with them has been illuminating and deeply rewarding.”
District Attorney Jenkins will be joined by formerly incarcerated community members and advocates to discuss their lived experience, re-entry, and how modern prosecution can be both principled and community centered. The tour will begin in San Francisco with an event at the Commonwealth Club on February 3, 2026, followed by events in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, Oakland, and Berkeley with additional events to be announced in the future.
“Justice is not passive—it demands commitment, diligence, and decisive action to improve the lives of trauma- and justice-impacted individuals,” said Vincent O’Bannon, Criminal Justice Reform Advocate. “District Attorney-initiated reforms confront the root causes of victimization, holding space for both victims and those who cause harm—strengthening communities as a whole and redefining public safety. Please join us at the Commonwealth and around the state for impactful discussions on what truly forward-thinking DA-initiated reforms, that prioritize rehabilitation over punishment, might look like.”
“I’ll be honest—I came into this work skeptical, especially when it came to Brooke Jenkins, shaped by headlines and assumptions, but sitting across the table and having real conversations changed my perspective,” said Dante D. Jones, That Liberated Storyteller, Advocate for the Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated. “Real change doesn’t happen by yelling from opposite sides; it happens when we sit at the same table, take accountability seriously, and commit to doing what’s fair for everyone involved.”
Pre-registration is required for the Commonwealth Club event and can be completed directly through the Commonwealth Club: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2026-02-03/voice-people-featuring-san-francisco-district-attorney-brooke-jenkins
The “Voice of the People” Statewide Speaking Tour is part of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office’s Access to Hope Initiative. The Access to Hope Initiative is a prevention and intervention strategy designed to build trust and create hope in those individuals and communities most deeply impacted by crime and violence to prevent and deter crime. Access to Hope Initiative programs and projects play a critical role in the District Attorney’s Office’s ongoing commitment to centering victims and those impacted by crime and violence, in our pursuit of justice, and work to advance smart criminal justice reforms.
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