MEMBER FOCUS: Jesse Crosson

Common House Charlottesville member Jesse Crosson is leading the way for prison reform in our community, and beyond. After receiving his own second chance, he has dedicated his career to advocating for better systems and resources to help individuals returning from periods of incarceration, as well as providing support for their families. He sat down with us to tell us a bit about his non-profit and share his journey, passions, and current goals. 

Tell us a bit about your journey and how you found yourself becoming an advocate for prison reform.

I grew up in Charlottesville, and was just like a lot of the other kids who ended up on the wrong side of the system—I had some challenges, and I made a lot of really bad decisions, and ultimately I ended up in prison.

Almost everyone who ended up in the same situation as me had a similar story, but very few people had the support, opportunities, and resources that enabled me to get an education. This experience highlighted the inequity in the system.

Although I had been sentenced to a long period of time, I was able to get a college degree, network, build a community and start working even while I was inside. This gave me the platform to then apply for clemency and be released before my sentence was completed. I believe that most people don’t have the resources to experience these same opportunities, and that is why I want to focus on providing support for others to help give them the tools to succeed as well.

What is your biggest goal when it comes to seeing change within the system?

I started Second Chancer Foundation to provide re-entry services that are not currently being provided by the state or by localities — so my biggest goal is trying to fill those gaps until we can get enough attention on this issue that would enable us to change the system. On a long-term scale, I would like to encourage people to become more willing to lend attention to the human stories of individuals that the incarceration system had previously written off, and by doing so, encourage the community to be willing to invest in a system that actually makes sense, gives people a second chance, supports rehabilitation and also, therefore, keeps society safer. Charlottesville is unique in that the members of the community have the willingness to engage in such challenges, but I would say this is a rarity.

How did you decide you wanted to study psychology?

The choice to study psychology came along with my personal journey to find meaning and understanding. I can recollect the series of choices that I made, but how did I—with a decent upbringing and lots of opportunities—land in prison? And most importantly, was there any redemption from that? Was there an opportunity to become a better person and no longer be defined by the worst things I had ever done in my life? My major was in existential psychology, because I was most interested in these existential questions: “How do we lose our way?”, “Can we find it again?” and “Can we actually find redemption in this life?”.

What are some ways we can support your cause?

Our non-profit is Second Chancer Foundation, and there are also a ton of community organizations that are wonderful to support, such as Fountain Fund and Network to Work. They are doing so much for this community that I think is often unseen, and those are the groups I want to see getting support.

What have you enjoyed most about being a member of Common House?

The Common Ground Membership has given me an opportunity to have a place to work closer to town, it’s provided me with a central hub to work during the day, to interact with people, and network with people who I never would have met. I really didn't know what to expect, and it's been an amazing experience. The club brings together a diverse group of people and allows for organic and social growth that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. 

What’s something about you that other people might not know?

I’m a huge fan of motorcycles, martial arts, hiking, and spending time outdoors. That’s one of the things I love about Virginia—you have such a wide variety of geography and you get to enjoy all four seasons.