Jasmine Harris

Jasmine L. Harris is the director of public policy and advocacy at RISE. She received her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2010 with an emphasis in Community Health Education and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2005.

Her community involvement began with prevention and policy efforts to reduce the usage of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in greater Omaha. It didn’t take long before she realized that her expertise in policy and prevention could be used alongside her personal experience with the criminal justice system to advocate on behalf of others who have been justice-involved.

Jasmine became more involved in promoting change in the community for criminal and juvenile justice reform, social justice issues, and women’s rights. Her advocacy and civic engagement efforts included being a founding member and chair of the Nebraska Unity Political Action Committee (NE Unity PAC) and establishing Black & Brown Legislative Day as the former Civic Engagement Committee Chair for the Urban League of Nebraska Young Professionals.

With RISE, Jasmine has worked to increase policy advocacy engagement around criminal justice issues and increase efforts through Dream.org’s National Day of Empathy, which is Nebraska’s only lobby day dedicated to increasing awareness about the impacts legislation has on people who have experienced the criminal justice system, their families, and communities. These efforts saw the passage of one of Nebraska’s major criminal justice reform legislative packages in 2023 with the passing of LB50 – The Nebraska Justice Reinvestment Initiative. In 2024, Jasmine worked with coalitions to ensure the passage of LB20 to remove the 2-year waiting period to restore voting rights to over 7,000 individuals who have completed their felony sentences, and LB16 to increase fair chance licensing by removing barriers from the Occupational Board Reform Act to increase pathways for meaningful career trajectories for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system. She was also a mayoral candidate placing third in Omaha’s 2021 Municipal primary election. Jasmine also continues to serve through various board positions for organizations in Nebraska, which currently includes Chair of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Nebraska (2021 to current).

Jasmine is a lifelong North Omaha resident where she and her family continue to live and love calling home.