Our Founders
Founders of The Sunny Center: A Legacy of Resilience
The Sunny Center was built on the lived-experience blueprint of its founders, Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle. Together, they endured a combined 32 years of wrongful imprisonment, both experiencing time on death row and in solitary confinement, for crimes they did not commit. Their journeys from injustice to advocacy formed the DNA of the world’s first sanctuary model based in healing and compassion for exonerees.
Sunny Jacobs: Co-Founder and Visionary of Holistic Healing
Sunny Jacobs spent 17 years wrongfully incarcerated, including 5 years held in strict isolation on death row. Faced with a system designed to strip away her identity, Sunny turned toward daily somatic practices, utilizing yoga and meditation as essential tools for survival. These mindfulness practices allowed her to maintain her spirit, transforming her experience into a journey of healing and forgiveness.
Upon her release, Sunny realized that traditional, compliance-based halfway houses often re-traumatize survivors through institutional control. She dedicated her life to global human rights advocacy, engineering a unique therapeutic approach that prioritizes autonomy and peer connection. Her legacy lives on through the sanctuary values at the Sunny Living Center in Tampa, Florida. There survivors are empowered to direct their own healing journeys in individual homes designed for peace and dignity.
Peter Pringle: Co-Founder and Champion of Survival
Peter Pringle was wrongfully convicted and spent 15 years fighting for his life within the courts, including time on death row. As a survivor of long-term solitary confinement, Peter understood firsthand the devastating structural gap that leaves innocent people without state ID, healthcare, or transition planning upon their release.
Peter’s experience fighting for his own freedom fueled his passion for ensuring no survivor would have to navigate the complex digital and social landscape alone. Together with Sunny, they established the Sunny Center Foundation to provide practical navigation into a new world with a focus on healing and peace. His life was a testament to the power of resilience and the belief that healing and forgiveness is the only true antidote to the wounds of the system.
Our Commitment to their Legacy
With the recent passing of Sunny and Peter, our most important mission is ensuring their lived-experience blueprint continues without interruption
Your support directly funds the day-to-day healing of our residents
