The New Leaf Initiative Fund

The New Leaf Initiative Fund (TNLIF) is a Delaware-based nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing criminal justice reform, supporting long-term incarcerated individuals, and building pathways for successful reentry into society. Founded by Jesse Simmons, a former juvenile lifer who served 18 years of a life sentence before his release, TNLIF is built on the belief that redemption is not only possible but vital to healthy, safe, and equitable communities.

TNLIF works at the intersection of advocacy, direct support, and community reintegration. The organization’s programs are designed to amplify the voices of those most impacted by incarceration while providing the tools and networks necessary for returning citizens to rebuild their lives. Its mission extends beyond traditional reentry services—it seeks to transform the narrative around incarceration by centering lived experience, dignity, and second chances.

Through initiatives like The Rising and collaborative partnerships with advocacy groups, educators, and correctional institutions, TNLIF helps connect incarcerated organizers to lawmakers, journalists, and community leaders, ensuring that their voices remain part of the public dialogue on justice reform. These efforts have helped shine a light on issues such as parole inequity, youth sentencing, and the long-term effects of incarceration on individuals and families.

At the local level, TNLIF supports returning citizens with wrap-around reentry services, including housing coordination, workforce readiness training, and peer mentorship. Many of its staff and volunteers are returned citizens themselves—people who understand firsthand the challenges of starting over after incarceration and who embody the organization’s message that everyone deserves the opportunity to turn over a new leaf.

TNLIF also partners with community-based organizations, social enterprises, and businesses founded by returned citizens, such as Transit Trucking Company, to create meaningful employment opportunities that strengthen families and communities. By bridging advocacy with action, TNLIF demonstrates how systemic change and individual transformation can coexist.

Every initiative undertaken by TNLIF is guided by a commitment to service, justice, and humanity. The organization envisions a future where those who have paid their debt to society are met not with lifelong punishment but with possibility—and where communities thrive through empathy, equity, and inclusion.