Biography

Jessica Oppenheim, Esq. retired as the Director of the Criminal Justice Advocacy Program of The Arc of NJ, in June, 2021, a NJ statewide program providing advocacy for people with IDD involved in the criminal justice system. Prior to joining The Arc of NJ in 2010, she was an Assistant Prosecutor in the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and a Deputy Attorney General in the NJ Division of Criminal Justice from 1985 – 2010, including overseeing the County Prosecutor’s Offices and 600 law enforcement agencies on behalf of the Attorney General. She prosecuted Megan’s Law and domestic violence cases and provided policies and protocols for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors throughout the State on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, Megan’s Law and dealing with diverse populations. She is now a consultant on issues related to criminal justice and developmental disabilities, working with The Arc of the US in that capacity. She is board vice president for Women Aware, Middlesex County’s domestic violence agency and board president for Legal Reform for Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled people (LRIDD). She has provided training for law enforcement, attorneys, courts and support providers about people with developmental disabilities and the criminal justice system.