Our Mission: To ignite purpose and empower foster youth, Better Days builds a world of opportunity through advocacy, education, and career readiness—fueled by inspiring collaborations and strategic partnerships.
ABOUT JARRETT HARPER
Jarrett Harper believes that no one should be defined by their darkest moments. As the Founder and Executive Director of Better Days, he dedicates his life to foster care and criminal justice reform, working tirelessly to ensure that our systems see children as children, not statistics.
Jarrett’s journey is one of radical resilience. After enduring unimaginable trauma within the LA County foster care system, he acted at age 16 to protect himself and his younger brother from their abuser. The system responded by sentencing him to life without parole plus ten years. Locked away with no legal hope of release, Jarrett chose an unexpected path: he found forgiveness, anchored himself in hope, and began transforming his environment from the inside out by designing rehabilitation programs for his peers.
After 20 years of systemic locked doors, a dedicated community of legal advocates and public figures fought for his freedom. His sentence was commuted by Governor Jerry Brown, and on June 18, 2019, he was officially released by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Today, Jarrett translates two decades of survival into massive social impact. From serving as a key ambassador for Represent Justice’s Just Mercy campaign to addressing diverse audiences at organizations like Verizon, Google, MENTOR, YouTube, Jordan Park, the National Urban League, Princeton University, Muhlenberg College, Hillside, New Earth, USC, Silver Lining Mentoring, and the Boston Celtics, Jarrett uses his voice to challenge systems, shift mindsets, and advocate for a more just society.
A Note of Gratitude Jarrett’s freedom and subsequent work are a testament to the power of community and relentless advocacy. He remains profoundly grateful to the champions who believed in his redemption and fought tirelessly for his release—including Bryan Stevenson, John Legend, Ty Stiklorius, Elizabeth Calvin and the team at Human Rights Watch, Scott Budnick, and the Loyola Law School.
