Courageous, Bold Leadership

Dawn Davison, MS, was the first prison official to join Just Detention International (JDI)’s Board. As former Warden of the California Institution for Women, she placed herself within the vanguard of reform-minded corrections managers by allowing JDI and the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center to bring counselors into the prison to speak confidentially with sexual abuse survivors. As Warden, she instituted many rehabilitative programs and worked with volunteer groups, emphasizing education, life and workplace skills, the maintenance of family and community relationships, successful reintegration into society, and breaking the intergenerational cycle of incarceration. Since her retirement in 2009, Dawn has remained an active consultant and activist for incarcerated people’s rights, through her work with JDI and the USC Gould School of Law Post-Conviction Justice Project. She is a member of two other non-profit boards.

Jessica Serrano Seipel, MPH, is a Senior Program Director at Just Detention International (JDI). As part of the domestic programs team, Jessica provides training, technical assistance, and coaching to rape crisis centers and corrections agencies to ensure incarcerated survivors get the help they need. Before joining JDI, she worked as an advocate and educator at rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs, and sexual health agencies across California. She is a trained rape crisis counselor and a certified PREA auditor.