Participant Stories

When Alberto completed the program at the Center for Employment Opportunities in Denver, he wanted to give something back to the people he had been working alongside for months. He knew they needed clothes to get through the coming winter, so he started a clothing drive.

My name is John, and this is a glimpse into my first day out of prison. It began as I got off the prison van and boarded the Bustang bus to Denver. This first step was bittersweet. Even though I was free, I did not feel that way. Wearing DOC-provided clothes and stepping onto that bus with all my property, I felt like I was in a long-range extension of the prison system. I felt a melancholic indifference to my newly gained situation, and more than that, I felt pressure. The pressure of responsibility.

In June 2025, Jamar was released from prison. Today, he has two jobs, a savings account, and plans for the future, but he says one of his favorite things about his new life is getting to drive again.

Today, Jesse spends his days supporting others through reentry and mental health challenges, leading programs, and helping build pathways for people with lived experience to succeed. He is a Program Manager and HR Talent Acquisition Specialist at Project Return Peer Support Network and a full time student at Cal State LA.

Growing up between Colorado and California, Corey was one of 13 siblings raised by a single father. Life wasn’t easy, but his childhood was filled with lessons about resilience and responsibility. “My dad taught me how to be a father and I’ll always be grateful for that,” Corey says. “My dad showed me the right things to do through his actions and he was always there.”

Tracy wakes up every morning and goes to work as the assistant manager at a fast-food restaurant in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Every time she walks through the doors, she remembers just how much work she and her coworkers put into getting it up and running.

Change is never easy. For many of the 600,000 justice-impacted Americans who leave jail and prison every year, the mountain of past mistakes, broken dreams, and lost opportunities can feel impossible to scale; each step up is a reminder of our failures until we reach the top.

Sinead was five years old when she sat in the back of a police car for the first time. A neighbor had called the cops because her parents were arguing in the front yard again, and they wanted to know if the little girl was alright. It was the first of many moments that would define Sinead’s early life – growing up in San Diego with limited means.

When Jesse talks about home, his story begins in Detroit, in neighborhoods where dreams were fragile and survival was essential. “I grew up mostly on the east side, around Highland Park. I moved through foster care and sometimes stayed with family, but I was always moving from place to place,” he shares. “It was a poor urban community, but that’s where I’m from.”

The last time Terry worked on a TV show set, he says he blew the director away by drawing on his life experiences to lend depth and authenticity to his character. "I try to put everything I've experienced in life onto the screen, and directors have told me they really feel that," he said. He always dreamed of being an entertainer. Now that dream is finally coming true. It took courage, discipline, recovery, and the support of a community that believed in him to make it a reality.

Jody's hard work and discipline led to her promotion to crew chief, overseeing a team of six to eight people and training them on proper safety procedures. At the same time, she earned certifications in everything from food handling to forklift operations. During her breaks, she would follow up on job leads and apply anywhere that was open to hiring someone with her background. She completed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, finished her probation, and joined CEO’s Emerging Leadership Program.

Every November, New York State Apprenticeship Month honors the tradespeople who build our cities, power our homes, and shape the state’s future. For many, apprenticeship isn’t just a career pathway — it’s a fair chance to start again with purpose and pride.