Participant Stories

Charles Brown began his prison sentence when he was 17. By the time he returned home to Philadelphia he was a 53 year old whose entire adult life had been shaped by the criminal justice system. All of Charles’ accomplishments — from earning his GED to enrolling in college classes to becoming a mentor — were inseparable from his incarceration.

“I did two years in prison, and when I came out I didn’t have the basics … a job, or clothes, or anywhere to stay. My parole officer sent me to CEO and they helped me right away. CEO got me earning money to support myself, and provided me with opportunities to get trained in different skills and get experience in the field. It’s really boosting my resume ... I’ve been working with CEO for three months now, and all these experiences are teaching me how to carry myself and grow and adapt. CEO has really helped me reenter society.”

"[Those] were the first paychecks I'd received in seven years..."