Ex-Convict Shares Last Day in Prison After Surprise Pardon: ‘Unreal’

An ex-convict who spent 19 years behind bars has revealed how he spent his last day in prison after being unexpectedly pardoned.

Jesse Crosson was just 18 when he was sentenced to 32 years in jail for a robbery and separate shooting. Growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia, a rough patch after graduating high school led the college-bound teen to develop a cocaine problem.

“I didn’t know how to cope with normal and extreme stresses,” Crosson, 38, told Newsweek.

“I was constantly searching for something that I felt like I was missing. Using cocaine for the first time felt like finding that answer I had long sought.”

Anxious and depressed, Crosson’s behavior escalated along with his addiction. He and three others broke into a house they believed to be empty, only to find someone inside—taking it from a robbery to a home invasion.

In a separate incident, Crosson became embroiled in a drugs dispute with two men. The men chased Crosson as he attempted to leave, so he shot them both. The two men survived, but Crosson was sentenced to 32 years in prison—double the recommended sentence of 16 years.

“The judge said he thought I had tried to kill two people and was glad I hadn’t,” Crosson said.

“He also implied that I hadn’t changed and had no remorse. I was the only one who didn’t give a statement or agree to testify against the others, which may have made him believe I was a hardened criminal.”

However, prison was a turning point for Crosson. He found people who believed in him, giving him the motivation to change his life.

“They lifted me up, they helped me see myself in a new way,” he said. “I found my potential to be effective, to be of service and to do good. It was the most intoxicating thing I had ever found.”

During his time in prison, Crosson earned a bachelor’s degree and trained as an electrician, along with mentoring other inmates. In 2018, after serving 16 years of his sentence, he began putting together a petition for a pardon.

“My mother reached out to everyone she knew and got dozens of letters of support,” Crosson said. “We submitted a more-than-300-page petition.”

For Crosson, the morning of August 16 was just like any other. He woke up early and made himself a cup of coffee, meditated, then headed down to use the phones at 6:00 am. After breakfast, he went to do his job in medical, before eating lunch and working out.

“I was just in the daily routine that most of us wake up in, never knowing if the day will be mundane or extraordinary,” he said.

While attempting to telephone his then-girlfriend Courteney Stuart, the prison counselor called Crosson into her office.

“I was scared and confused,” he said. “I wasn’t sure if it was bad news.”

A woman was on speakerphone. They asked if he was sitting down, as she had some important news for him. Crosson’s pardon has been granted, conditional on his continued good behavior and payment of court costs, fines and restitution.

“I didn’t believe it,” he said. “I thought they had made a mistake or would change their mind or somehow it would mess up.

“But deep down I felt a flash of hope and validation, that this might really be true.”

However, Crosson didn’t have much time to absorb the information. He was immediately asked to gather his things and prepare to leave. Instead of taking his belongings with him, Crosson decided to give them away to a young man he’d become close with, and who he knew didn’t have any support from family and friends.

“A 13-inch clear TV means nothing to someone on the outside but means a full evening and routine for someone inside,” Crosson said.

“My life was changing and giving those things away was a part of recognizing that things were about to be very different.”

Next, they handed him “ridiculous” prison release clothes, which included a khaki shirt and pants that were way too long. Still, it was another two hours before Crosson was able to leave the building. There was an issue with one of the documents needed for his release, leaving him a bundle of nerves.

Eventually, an escort arrived to guide Crosson from the prison. As he was led through the building, his fellow inmates cheered for him, clapping, shaking his hand and giving him hugs.

“It felt amazing,” he said. “It was one of those uniting, rather than dividing, experiences there.”

When he reached the exit, his mom Nancy Kern, 71, was waiting for him. After picking her up and giving her a hug, Crosson finally got to walk outside. At this point, he hadn’t left prison for almost 20 years, with the exception of a bus transfer from one jail to another in October 2020.

“None of it seemed very real,” he said. “It was almost like watching a movie through my eyes.”

Once in the car, Crosson called Stuart. The couple had been together for two years, but had never actually met in person. While waiting for Stuart to arrive, Kern pulled up next to a nearby farm, where Crosson sat and looked at the sky and took in his surroundings.

After 45 minutes, she arrived. Crosson describes their first meeting as “electric” but also “overwhelming.” The couple went to Costco to buy items for their new life, but the pressure was suddenly too much, causing him to break down.

However, his mom had posted to Facebook about her son’s release. When he returned to the car, her phone was inundated with messages from well-wishers offering him a place to stay or other resources to get back on track.

“It felt incredible,” he said. “What I think we want the end of incarceration to feel like—that I was being welcomed back, that I actually had a chance.”

Nevertheless, transitioning to life post-prison wasn’t easy. For the first few months, he struggled with panic attacks, but sharing his story and helping other former inmates to adapt has given him a new sense of purpose.

On 8 August, almost two years on from his release, Crosson posted a summary of his last day in prison to his TikTok account @second_chancer. Starting from the moment he woke up to his first meal at his mom’s house, the video struck a chord and quickly went viral, receiving almost 22 million views and more than 2 million likes.

“Between all the adventures, the most meaningful things are when I’m able to help someone—find housing, find a job, connect them with services,” Crosson said.

“All of the settings and situations are different, but the core is wanting to be helpful and useful and live a full life.”

Newsweek’s “What Should I Do?” offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.