Yaacov Delaney

Yaacov Delaney is a social justice advocate and restorative justice practitioner, with lived experience inside of the criminal legal system. While incarcerated, he observed countless men being released back into their communities only to return, some in disturbingly short periods of time. He vowed not to fall victim to that cycle, utilizing his 22 ½ years in the prison system to tutor other men with their educational needs, provide mentorship, and advocate for prisoner/human rights. He worked as a prison law clerk for 14 years and strategically researched solutions to remove systemic collateral barriers that hinder people with criminal records from living fully-free and productive lives. 

Following his release, Yaacov spent nearly four years as a paralegal advocate with the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, assisting people with criminal records to remove legal barriers that restricted employment and state-issued licensing. In 2019 he provided compelling testimony to the Illinois House and Senate Judiciary-Civil Committees that helped pass an amendment to the Illinois Human Rights statute to protect people with records from discrimination when seeking housing in the state of Illinois.

Yaacov is a founder of People’s Liberty Project (PLP), a holistic trauma-informed support group. PLP is a community-based, peer-led group which utilizes restorative justice practices to help resolve trauma, provide reintegration support/resources, develop healthy advocates for systemic change and build collective power for people impacted by the criminal legal system. 

Yaacov is a 2022 Restory-ing Justice Jam alumni and currently serves as the Director of the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity (JEO) Initiative, within the Office of Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.