Sonoma State University is thrilled to have hosted Candice C. Jones, President and CEO of Public Welfare Foundation (PWF), the country’s only endowment fund dedicated exclusively to investing in transformative approaches to youth and adult criminal justice, as its a featured speaker for its “Conversations with Black and Brown in Blue” speakers series.
Candice C. Jones was on campus April 17 for a one-on-one conversation with Nader Oweis, Chief of Police for Sonoma State University. The fireside chat is part of Sonoma State’s commitment to hosting dynamic and important conversations that foster understanding. Students and the surrounding community are were invited to attend. Read Press Democrat coverage of the event.
Candice has led Public Welfare Foundation as its President and CEO since 2017. In that role, she has focused her efforts on catalyzing a transformative approach to justice that is community-led, restorative, and racially just through investments in criminal justice and youth justice reform.
Prior to joining PWF, Candice served as Senior Advisor at Chicago CRED, an organization that focuses on gun violence in Chicago, as well as the Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, a cabinet-level state agency, where she instituted significant reforms that reduced the number of youth in state custody. She is recognized as the youngest black woman to oversee a youth prison system.
Candice also served as a White House Fellow, managing a portfolio within the U.S. Department of Education, and as a program officer with the MacArthur Foundation, where she handled a grant portfolio focused on decreasing racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile justice system and on improving the quality of defense for indigent youth.
Candice C. Jones received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
"Conversations with Black and Brown in Blue" is a lecture series that builds a bridge between the community and law enforcement for a more inclusive community environment. The program was designed to encourage open and honest dialogue to reduce barriers and misperceptions. For more information on this lecture series please contact Chief Oweis at oweisn@sonoma.edu or visit the website.