Jason is Executive Director and Co-Founder of CROP, a nationally recognized justice reform organization advancing reentry solutions, leadership, and economic mobility for formerly incarcerated people. With over 15 years of experience designing and leading personal leadership development and workforce programs for justice-impacted people, Jason’s work has shaped pathways to healing, accountability, and long-term success for countless people. 

Jason spent 20 years in prison, and it was behind those walls he found inner transformation, purpose, and the seedlings of what would later become CROP. He began with earning advanced certification as an Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Counselor and dedicated his time to counseling, coaching, and facilitating courageous conversations that helped people reimagine their futures. He rose to become a lead counselor and began developing what would become a highly successful personal leadership initiative that continues to operate today - an enduring testament to the systems and culture he helped build while incarcerated.

In 2020, Jason's leadership inside prison reached national recognition. His transformative work in Soledad prison was featured by journalist Lisa Ling in her CNN docuseries, This is Life, bringing public attention to a groundbreaking approach to rehabilitation and community connection. This recognition, along with a senatorial commendation for his remarkable contributions and program innovations, ultimately led to Governor Gavin Newsom's decision to commute his sentence and order his immediate release—an extraordinary affirmation of his growing impact and character.

Jason brings a rare moral authority, strategic vision, and firsthand lived experience that helped him successfully launch innovative reentry and in-prison programs. Following his release, Jason co-founded CROP and led the design and launch of its flagship Ready 4 Life fellowship, a 12-month comprehensive reentry and leadership development program. He also expanded the program he began in Soledad to prisons across California, providing thousands of incarcerated people with personal freedom through inner-transformation.

Jason holds a BA from Adams State University, an MA in Philosophy from California State University, and an MS in Psychology from California Coast University. His master’s thesis focused on the existential value of incarcerated people choosing to live in alignment with their higher commitments to freedom, family, and community - themes that serve as the foundation of his leadership and vision for CROP’s future.

Outside of CROP, Jason spends his time fulfilling his greatest purpose - parenting his two brilliant boys.

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