William Cobb

William Cobb, resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the Founder of Redeemed a non-government organization that employs the three-prongs of education, advocacy, and activism to eliminate systemic discrimination practices aimed at people who have been in conflict with the criminal justice system. In this role Bill educates people of their rights; he advocates for the creation of improved legislation, policies, practices that equal the playing field; and he activates by creating and initiating activities that galvanizes people living with arrest and/or convictions to collectively fight for the elimination of collateral consequences.

Over the course of the past 16 years Bill has served in numerous leadership capacities as an advocate for people with criminal histories. Bill served as the Vice President of the Ex-Offenders Association of Pennsylvania, the “Voice of Redemption” for the Philadelphia’s District Attorney’s Office Focused Deterrent Program, and a Presenter and Panelist for the U.S. States Attorney Office Project Safe Neighborhood Call-in Program.

Bill currently organizes and leads voter education and GOTV efforts aimed at increasing civic engagement among the formerly incarcerated. He currently serves on the Board of Community Legal Services an organization that provides free legal services, in civil matters, to low-income Philadelphians, many of which have criminal histories. Bill also serves on the Board of Philadelphia Legal Assistance, and Ardella’s House, a transitional home for women returning home from prison. Bill was recently appointed to the City of Philadelphia’s City Council Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform.

Bill is a JustLeadershipUSA 2015 Leading with Conviction Fellow and works with other formerly incarcerated leaders to reduce our nation’s prison population and reform the criminal justice system.