For the majority of his adult life, Jesse was caught in a cycle of incarceration, separated from the people who mattered most. When you are behind bars, fatherhood becomes a game of catch-up played through broken connections. For Jesse, the scariest part of coming home wasn’t the reentry process itself—it was the fear that his children wouldn't truly know who he was.
His daughter was just a child when he went away, and his son, now 27 and serving in the military, was old enough to understand exactly what was happening.
"You come home and your kids may not know who you really are," Jesse reflects.
But while Jesse was away, he made a promise to himself. He wanted to be a better person. He knew that to change his life, he had to change his environment, which meant leaving the wrong crowds behind. When he connected with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) in Los Angeles, that promise began to take shape. His kids immediately noticed the shift.
Jesse didn't embark on this journey alone. Behind his success is his fiancée, his partner of five years, who has stood by him through thick and thin. When the opportunity for a new beginning arrived, she was the one pushing him forward, even making sure he wore a tie to his interview. Her support gave him what he needed to climb out of the cycle.
Today, Jesse’s life looks entirely different. He is currently working in maintenance with Caltrans and is enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship program with SLA, focusing on landscaping and working his way toward joining a labor union.
For Jesse, these jobs are about so much more than a paycheck. They are the foundation of his new life—a way to provide for his girlfriend and his family, and a vehicle to earn a better living wage.
When he told his children he landed the job, the excitement was mutual. But Jesse's motivation runs even deeper. Having been raised by his grandmother and not having seen his mother since he was four, with his father completely absent, Jesse knows intimately what it feels like to grow up without parents. He is determined to ensure his children and grandchildren never experience that same void. More than anything, he wants his grandmother to see him do well, and he hopes his daughter will attend his upcoming graduation ceremony.
Rebuilding family bonds after years apart takes time and consistency. Trust isn't restored overnight, but the results of Jesse's hard work are showing up in the quietest, most profound everyday moments.
One day after an exhausting shift at work, Jesse pulled into the driveway and fell asleep right there in his car. He woke up to his daughter tapping on the window. She had come outside out of concern, asking him if he was okay, if he was hungry, or if he wanted to come inside the house and get a blanket.
For a father who once worried his daughter wouldn't know him, that moment of pure, protective care from his child was everything.
Meanwhile, his son has made him a grandfather. Jesse is now surrounded by his grandkids every single day—a daily reminder of the legacy he is working so hard to protect. His kids no longer see a father caught up in the justice system; they see a father who wakes up, puts on his work uniform, and builds a stable life.
A Different Kind of Father’s Day
To understand how far Jesse has come, you only have to look back at last year.
"Last year, they didn’t acknowledge me," Jesse shares candidly. "I didn’t have my life together as I do now."
This Father’s Day will be different. Jesse has established himself. He is working, learning, and refusing to give up on his role as a provider and a dad.
When asked what he wants other justice-impacted fathers to take away from his story, Jesse’s message is simple but profound:
"Don’t give up on your kids. You come home and your kids may not know who you really are. But they are your kids no matter what. Just do good, and they will come around. They want to see their parents established. I'm trying as a father, learning to be a good father, and not giving up."
This Father’s Day, we celebrate Jesse for doing the hard work, breaking the cycle, and showing his family what true redemption looks like.
