About Us / Our Story

The Challenge We Face:

Oklahoma continues to rank among the highest states in the nation for women’s incarceration rates. Most participants are mothers, with the vast majority carrying the weight of trauma, addiction, or abuse. Without intervention, these struggles repeat across generations, devastating families and communities.

Discover Our Purpose

Who We Are

Our Mission:

Empowering justice-involved women to break cycles while promoting health equity and strengthening our community.

Our Response:
Founded in 2009 by Jenice Jones, JTB was born from a vision that women deserve more than a second chance—they deserve full restoration. With faith at the core and the H.E.A.L. model (Spirit, Mind/Emotions, Relationships, and Self-Sufficiency) guiding our work, we walk with women through every season of their journey.

Our Vision:
To see women restored, families reunited, and communities strengthened by empowered women who are thriving, not just surviving.

Our Promise:
We don’t offer quick fixes. We commit to life-long restoration, walking hand-in-hand so no woman has to face the journey alone.

Our story began with Dr. Jenice Jones

Jenice Jones, PhD is a CMII mental health specialist, minister, mentor, transformational coach, and social scientist. Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she attended private school and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1983. After 13 years of marriage to her high school sweetheart, she became a single mother of two daughters while navigating the challenges of her ex-husband’s addiction to crack cocaine. Those years left her with trauma, depression, and low self-esteem, yet she chose to rise and pursue her calling.

With support and weekly treatment, Jenice returned to school and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Organizational Operations and a minor in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma–Tulsa. She went on to obtain a Master in Human Relations with a focus on Social Justice and Change from the same university and later a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, specializing in law, from Walden University.

In 2009, Jenice founded and became President & CEO of Just The Beginning Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving system-impacted women in Oklahoma. The organization supports women facing prison through diversion and assists those reentering society after incarceration. Its holistic model emphasizes evidence-based treatment for mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional healing, with the goal of helping women build self-esteem and positively impact their families and communities.

Dr. Jones’s work focuses on the intersections of policy, justice, and the needs of system-impacted individuals. She is committed to advancing fair policies that foster rehabilitation, empowerment, and opportunities for success. She has been active with Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform and is a member of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice.