Angel DeJesus

Angel DeJesus is 1 of 1,000. At 17 years old, he was condemned to die in prison. After serving 27 years in Virginia, Angel is one of the 1,000 individuals sentenced to juvenile life without parole who are now FREE! And of the 1,000 released, Angel is one of only 8 whose sentence was commuted, receiving a pardon from Governor Northrup in January 2022. Since coming home, Angel feels called to give back to the men still serving time in prison, by creating meaningful and impactful programming options, such as those that helped in his own personal growth. He developed a program called Creating a Safer Environment (CASE) – for men who are incarcerated in Virginia and struggling with mental health issues, based on peer mentoring and informal counseling. He is a skilled networker and connector of people, and is working with policy makers and reentry pioneers to make this program widely available. He says, “I want to be a part of something that makes me feel like I matter. I want children to feel appreciated and like they matter… that’s the message I hope to promote.” Angel enjoys exercising, fishing, and being in wide open spaces. He loves to drive and see new places.