Jason Garcia is the reentry program manager for the Los Angeles City Mayor’s Office of Community Safety. In this role, he draws on his extensive lived experience and professional expertise to develop and manage vital reentry programs. Prior to this, Jason served as the Director of Workforce Development at Project Return Peer Support Network, where he leveraged his background to provide peer-centered mental health and reentry services to underserved communities. He also played a key role in training peers with lived experience to deliver direct services, contributing to the creation of the curriculum used in the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist training program.
Jason’s second position following his release from prison was as a job placement coordinator, where he worked to assist individuals with developmental disabilities in securing meaningful employment. Under his leadership, the program experienced its highest levels of success. This role was especially significant for Jason, as it came after nearly a year of facing employment barriers himself due to his convictions—an irony that deepened his understanding of the systemic challenges justice-involved individuals encounter.
Having served 27 years of a life sentence starting at the age of 16, Jason has firsthand knowledge of the challenges faced by individuals reentering society without adequate support. His personal journey fuels his commitment to empowering peers and advocating for systemic reforms in service delivery.
Jason is actively involved in community and mental health initiatives. He is a member of the Reentry Health Advisory Collaborative and serves on the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Peer Advisory Council.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose State University, an Associate of Arts in General Education from Hartnell Community College, and a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist Certificate from the Jump Start Fellowship program at Mental Health America of Los Angeles.
