Albert Pernsley III spent more than ten years in prison after he was convicted of third-degree murder in 2009.

Since his release, he has been asking himself the same question: “What would you do if you were defined by the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

To answer that question, Pernsley and fiancée Demi Moore, a criminal justice professor at Neumann, produced a short film, “Success Beyond Prison Walls.” A free screening of the film and a Q&A with the Chichester couple is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, at 7 p.m. in the Meagher Theatre on Neumann’s campus in Aston.

Their story is one of resilience and commitment.

While incarcerated, Pernsley decided that he would not become just another lost statistic in the history of criminal justice. He lost 105 pounds, developed a passion for fitness, and built his dream of becoming a personal trainer and owner of a fitness center.

From the moment he regained his freedom, however, Pernsley’s record has haunted his attempts to reintegrate into society and build a productive life. For two years, he applied for jobs, secured interviews, and made positive impressions with employers, only to have his background checks produce a string of denials.

As his job applications were being denied, he applied for loans and grants to fund his dream, but his conviction for a violent felony blocked every attempt he made to succeed.

In 2021, frustrated by a system that made a second chance improbable, the couple launched Crown Me Fit, a Brookhaven gym that specializes in personal fitness and nutritional health. They built it from the ground up, investing countless hours in person-to-person marketing.

It was an appropriate project for the couple because physical fitness brought them together. On April 24, 2019, Moore was a Delaware State Trooper with eight years of experience. She was violently attacked by a prisoner who was being extradited to Pennsylvania and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Moore met Pernsley on her road to recovery and fitness.

At the same time, they began advocating for reform in the system for those faced with reentering society after they have served their time.

“We’re pushing to expand the Clean Slate Bill,” says Pernsley, “not to give blanket clean slates but to establish criteria. Look at the person’s conduct before prison and in prison. Look at the circumstances and community references.”

Moore, after ten years as a trooper, took the lead in lobbying efforts. The couple has visited 34 legislators in Pennsylvania and Delaware.

“The circumstances of a conviction can be very different but, on paper, individuals look the same,” she explains. “At what point do we look at people who had violent felonies and give them a chance to show who they really are?”

Moore has two degrees from Neumann and a master’s degree and doctorate from Wilmington University. Now a criminal justice professor at Neumann, she teaches a course on re-entry.

“I created a course at Neumann, which includes a re-entry simulation. Students are assigned roles: someone who was recently released from prison, an employer, a parole agent, or a representative of an apartment complex, healthcare benefits, or life insurance. The formerly incarcerated have to make the rounds to others to see if they qualify, and the results are eye-opening for students.”

They hope to show the film and make their case for reform to as many people as possible.

“I want employers to see what life is like every day for applicants with a record,” Moore states. “Our visit to Neumann is the first public screening of the film, but we have reached out to the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, and other universities, too.”

Pernsley is now the CEO and owner of Crown Me Fit, LLC, which has adopted a fitting motto: Where limits don’t exist.