Jailson is black, northeastern, migrants' son, born and raised in the peripheries in Rio de Janeiro and a public school student as well. He graduated in Geography from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (1984). He has also a master's degree and a PhD degree in Education from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro and a post-doctoral degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice - City University of New York.
A retired professor at the Universidade Federal Fluminense, Jailson founded the Observatório de Favelas in Rio de Janeiro. He was Secretary of Education of Nova Iguaçu, Executive Under-Secretary of the State Secretary of Social Assistance and Human Rights of Rio de Janeiro, founder and current general director of the International University of Peripheries - UNIperiferias / IMJA. He has experience, studies and multiple publications and books on topics such as Education, Public Security, Representations, Social Practices and Urban Territories.