7JESSE DE LA CRUZ was raised in the barrios of California and at the age of twelve, began a journey that led him to become a convict, heroin drug addict, and gang member who served approximately thirty years of his life at California prisons like Folsom and San Quentin. After his final release from prison, Mr. De La Cruz enrolled in college, graduat-ing with a Baccalaureate Degree in Sociology in 2001 and a Masters of Social Work Degree from California State University, Stanislaus in 2003. He is currently working on his Ed.D. He is the founder of The Jonah Foundation, a sober living house which provides housing to ex-offenders transitioning from prison to the outside. He lives with his daughter in California.