Jennifer Toon is a co-founder and the Executive Director of Lioness Justice Impacted Women’s Alliance. Her involvement with the criminal legal system began at age 15, when she was adjudicated under Texas determinate sentencing laws, leading to 27 years of system involvement.
She previously worked at the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities as a Policy Analyst, where she engaged in legislative and state agency policy work addressing the intersection of disability and incarceration. She later worked at the After Violence Project as the Community Advocacy Manager, supporting narrative change work, and organizing efforts centered on survivors of state violence.
Jennifer has been published in The Texas Observer, The Marshall Project, The Guardian and is also the co-host of On the Rec Yard: Women’s Prison Podcast. She is also a JustLeadershipUSA Leading with Conviction™ (LwC) graduate.
As Executive Director, Jennifer draws on her lived experience to elevate the voices of system impacted individuals, with a focus on LGBTQIA+ people, youth, and people with disabilities. She lives in Austin, Texas with her cat Taylor, who embodies the mischievous energy of Taylor Swift.