Clementine Jacoby facts for kids

Clementine Jacoby is an American software engineer. She is also an activist who works to improve the criminal justice system. She founded and leads an organization called Recidiviz. In 2021, she was recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30. She was also named a TED fellow in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Clementine Jacoby went to Stanford University. There, she studied something called symbolic systems. This field combines computer science, psychology, and philosophy. During her studies, she spent a year in Brazil. She joined a circus and taught acrobatics to young people. This experience made her think deeply about how the justice system works.

Before joining Google, Jacoby worked at OPower. This company used smart ideas to help people save energy. It showed them how their choices affected their energy use. This work helped her understand how small changes can make a big difference.

Working to Improve Justice

Jacoby later joined Google. She helped create exciting augmented reality games for phones. But she became very concerned about the large number of people in prison in the United States. She wanted to find simple and affordable ways to help.

Many people in prison do not pose a risk to public safety. Sometimes, people are sent back to prison for breaking rules, not for new crimes. The information needed to help these people is often hard to find. It is spread across many different government offices. Jacoby's goal is to make this information easy to access. This helps justice agencies make better decisions. It also helps reduce the number of people who return to prison.

Founding Recidiviz

Clementine Jacoby started a nonprofit organization called Recidiviz. She is its founder and executive director. Recidiviz helps states gather and organize important data. This data comes from prisons, probation, and parole offices. Recidiviz uses special computer programs, or algorithms. These programs help identify people who can be released early. This process is sometimes called "smart decarceration."

In just two years, Recidiviz helped release over 40,000 people from prison. This shows how powerful data can be.

Helping During COVID-19

When COVID-19 spread, prisons faced a big challenge. North Dakota used Recidiviz to help. They quickly found inmates who could be safely released. In just one month, North Dakota's prison population dropped by 25%. This helped keep people safer during the pandemic. Jacoby also worked with the Charles Koch Institute. Together, they expanded Recidiviz to 15 different states.

Awards and Honors

Clementine Jacoby has received several important awards for her work:

• 2020: Named one of Fast Company's Most Creative People.
• 2021: Included in TIME100 NEXT, a list of rising leaders.
• 2021: Listed in Forbes 30 Under 30.
• 2022: Appointed a TED fellow.