Jamala has earned a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from CSU-Fullerton and is currently pursuing a Master's in Public Administration (MPA) with a concentration in nonprofit management and leadership from the University of Southern California's Sol Price School of Public Policy. As the Senior Reentry Manager for the Insight Garden Program (IGP), Jamala leads the organization's reentry arm, which provides comprehensive reentry services to participants upon their release from prison.

Jamala's journey into the nonprofit sector began during his 31-year incarceration, including 15 years in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State Prison/S.H.U. After his release to the general population, he joined IGP as a participant in 2015 and earned his release in 2020. Jamala is also a certified life coach, having completed the 9-month Coaching for Healing, Justice, and Liberation certification program (CHJL). He is a staunch advocate for political causes supporting incarcerated individuals, focusing on the reentry needs of women of color, ending solitary confinement, and abolishing prison labor. An experienced public speaker and facilitator, Jamala has presented at numerous universities, including USC, UCLA, UVA, and DOJ, as well as other organizations.