Our Guest: Jessica Hicklin’s Journey from Darkness to Advocacy
Sometimes the strongest voices for change come from those who’ve walked through hell and chose to turn back and light the way for others.
I’ve had the privilege of sitting across from many guests who’ve transformed their pain into purpose, but Jessica Hicklin’s story hit me in a way that I’m still processing days later. Her journey from the darkness of incarceration to becoming a fierce advocate for justice reform isn’t just inspiring – it’s a masterclass in what human resilience actually looks like.
”I Never Thought I Could Make It Through That”
When Jessica first opened up about her lowest moments behind bars, I could hear the weight of those memories in her voice. The system didn’t just confine her body – it tried to break her spirit. But here’s what struck me most: she refused to let it.
“I never thought I could make it through that,” she told me, and the raw honesty in those words reminded me why I do this podcast. “But somehow, I found the strength to keep going.” That strength didn’t come from some Hollywood moment of inspiration. It came from making the choice, day after day, to believe her story wasn’t over.
Finding Strength in the Impossible
What Jessica shared next changed how I think about human capacity entirely. The conditions she faced would have crushed most people. The isolation, the dehumanization, the constant message that she was worthless – all of it was designed to destroy hope. But Jessica discovered something the system never counted on.
She found power in helping others, even when she had almost nothing herself. She started mentoring younger women, sharing what little wisdom she’d gained, creating pockets of humanity in an inhumane place. It wasn’t grand or dramatic – it was small acts of kindness that slowly rebuilt her sense of purpose.
The Lesson That Changes Everything
Toward the end of our conversation, Jessica said something that’s been replaying in my head ever since. “The most important thing I learned is that we’re all stronger than we think we are.”
But she wasn’t talking about some abstract inner strength. She was talking about the strength that comes from community, from choosing to see other people’s humanity even when yours has been denied. She learned that survival isn’t just about making it through – it’s about making it through in a way that still allows you to love, to hope, to fight for something better.
Building Bridges, Not Walls
Today, Jessica uses her voice to advocate for justice reform, speaking truth to power in rooms where formerly incarcerated people are rarely heard. She’s not just telling her story – she’s actively working to change the systems that tried to throw her away.
What moves me most is how she refuses to let bitterness define her. She could have emerged angry at the world, focused only on what was taken from her. Instead, she channels that pain into advocacy that’s changing real lives. She’s building bridges back to society for people who’ve been told they don’t deserve a second chance.
Her work isn’t just about policy changes or statistics. It’s about helping people understand that the person sitting in that cell could be anyone’s daughter, sister, mother. That redemption is possible. That justice means more than punishment.
Listening to Jessica, I’m reminded that the most powerful stories aren’t always the loudest ones. Sometimes they’re the quiet testimonies of people who chose hope when despair seemed easier. Who chose to see light when everything around them was dark.