Jessica Perez
Jessica Perez
SHE/HER/HERS
Policy Analyst
Former employee
As a woman of color and a daughter of immigrants, I have always been passionate about advocating for myself and others with marginalized backgrounds who are too often left behind by our current institutions and government. I have always deeply admired Urban’s core mission to put out honest and data-driven work. After working on justice issues on the county level, I see a lot of areas for improvement and I admire Urban’s work to unpack systems and offer thoughtful research and policy action to improve lives, promote equity, and strengthen communities.

Jessica Perez is a policy analyst in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute. Before Urban, Perez worked as a justice associate at a nonprofit that helps America’s 3,069 counties, parishes, and boroughs advance best practices and programs at the intersection of local justice and behavioral health. Her background includes local government, justice, behavioral health, and data integration at the county level.

Perez holds a BA in political science with a concentration on race, gender, and politics from American University.

Research Areas
Crime, justice, and safety
Economic mobility and inequality
Housing
Race and equity
Tags
Alternatives to incarceration
Behavioral health and justice
Housing stability