What I Do #4: Jolynn Rice
Cold Case Advocacy founder Jolynn Rice tells us about what she does.
I'm Aaron Jacklin, and this is Explaining Crime, an independent newsletter that helps you explain crime to your audience.
What I Do is a weekly Explaining Crime series that features a single person in the crime content space and their answers to a set series of questions about what they do. The “crime content space” includes crime news, narrative nonfiction, investigative journalism, academia, advocacy, and, of course, true crime. Accordingly, What I Do will feature a wide variety of people, including academics, journalists, podcasters, authors, advocates, YouTubers, and more.
This week, I’m featuring Jolynn Rice of Cold Case Advocacy.
What I Do #4: Jolynn Rice
What do you do?
I support homicide victims' families in their advocacy for the resolution of their loved ones' unsolved homicide. This can take several different forms based on the family's need. We often provide digital advocacy support- writing online petitions or building a media campaign and planning to get more visibility to the unsolved homicides. We also build advocacy tools and resources to help families pursue justice- we know there is not enough support for families like this, so we aim to bridge that gap and elevate their voices and experiences. I also work with a victim's family in NY to propose cold case legislation in NY similar to what Georgia has implemented, and Florida is proposing.
Who is your audience?
Homicide victim's families in the US broadly.
What are the most useful tools in your work?
I rely heavily on research on the issue of unsolved homicides, criminology, and of course, the families I work with. To that end, I have two surveys that I use to gather information on the major impacts/frustrations on families with unresolved homicides and on what resources or tools these families need to self-advocate.
Who or what are the most useful sources of information in your work?
I tend to see my family as my #1 source of information, but statistics from the murder accountability project help frame the critical issue of unsolved homicides in the US.
How do you distribute or otherwise share your work?
Via my blog, case update newsletter, and social media. Also working on producing a podcast to share these family's' stories to a wider audience
What’s something you wish people understood about crime, justice, or another related topic?
Local law enforcement agencies do not have the budget to adequately address the more than 250K unsolved homicide cases in the US, and this represents a huge crisis that needs to be addressed. There are no central resources/services for homicide victims'' families to ask for help, a case review/updates and we need each state to pass cold case legislation to give these rights to families.
Why do you do this work?
I was inspired by the family of Kristin O’Connell who needed help to get action and resources applied to the 38-year-old cold case. It became clear through my work with her family that there was a need for support and resources for other families who felt alone and had no guidebook for how to get action and answers.
What was your path to doing this?
I started out being molded by my parents to volunteer and help those less fortunate. We volunteered for years at a soup kitchen and I always remember those families, and their hope, strength, and pain. I went on to study sociology and psychology and worked as a case manager and counselor with at-risk youth, families, and survivors of domestic violence for many years before moving into marketing. So, I come to this work with experience, and a desire to help and support families of homicide victims.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out who wants to do what you do?
Find an organization that works in this space and volunteer your time, you will get a good idea about the need and if this is something you care about supporting and pursuing. You can use those connections to find other organizations offering an internship. Working with victims requires empathy and education on victims' rights and advocacy, so I would also look for learning opportunities. At minimum. if you are on social media, follow me @thecaseadvocate and reshare my posts, we need platforms to share these stories, petitions, etc.
What book, podcast, documentary, or anything else would you recommend to people reading this?
I think to understand what families endure you should read Dr. Jan Canty’s Amazon e-book “What Now: Navigating the Aftermath of Homicide and Suicide.” I highly recommend Method and Madness and Unforgotten podcasts.
Who would you like to see answer these questions?
Reach out to Keri Orso who runs Alabama Cold Case Advocacy. She is an amazing advocate for families in Alabama.
What do you do in your off-time to decompress from such heavy subject matter?
I have a lovely hubby and 2 dogs. We love to garden, cook, and travel and I try to always take time to be grateful. You have to take care of yourself when you do this work, so self-care is important.
What haven’t I asked you about that you’d like to add?
I love what I do and hope to continue this work and build something that will provide the support, tools and information families need.
And that’s What I Do for this week! Do you have any suggestions for who else you’d like me ask these questions of? Let me know, and I’ll see if I can get them!