James L. DeBacco, MSW, DSW(c)
Advisor, Mentorship & Veteran Services
James L. DeBacco is a transformative social services leader, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and justice‑impacted advocate whose work bridges policy, practice, and lived experience to improve outcomes for vulnerable and justice‑involved populations. Paroled in 2019 after serving 28 years of a 17‑to‑life sentence, DeBacco has become a nationally recognized voice in veteran support, reentry innovation, and trauma‑informed care.
DeBacco serves as a Veterans Services Officer and Veterans Treatment Court Liaison for the Los Angeles County Department of Military & Veterans Affairs, coordinating care for justice‑involved veterans across four Superior Court locations. His work sits at the intersection of behavioral health, probation, housing, law enforcement, and community reentry — navigating the fragmented multi‑agency systems that shape veteran outcomes.
A scholar‑practitioner, DeBacco earned his Master of Social Work, Summa Cum Laude, from the USC Suzanne Dworak‑Peck School of Social Work, where he is now completing his Doctor of Social Work (DSW). His doctoral research focuses on AI governance in cross‑agency human‑services systems, informed by his frontline experience coordinating care across more than a dozen public departments.
DeBacco is the founder of Bridges2Freedom, an organization dedicated to justice‑impacted veterans, reentry support, and evidence‑based transformation frameworks. He is the author of Bridges to Freedom, Positive Interventions, and The Transformational Accountability Ecosystem, a systems model credited with reducing recidivism by 32% and improving Veterans Treatment Court completion rates to 72%.
His leadership extends nationally through his role on the U.S. Department of Education’s Secretary’s Innovation Committee on Corrections, his service as a United Nations International Youth Conference delegate, and his work as President of USC’s Unchained Scholars, a support network for formerly incarcerated students. He has received Congressional Recognition for his contributions to justice‑involved veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness.
As Advisor for Mentorship & Veteran Services at Ben Free, DeBacco brings his expertise in trauma‑informed mentorship, veteran advocacy, and systems‑level reform to help shape programs that empower justice‑impacted individuals. His guidance ensures that Ben Free’s mentorship and veteran initiatives remain grounded in dignity, accountability, and the belief that transformation is possible at every stage of life.