Darren’s Redemption: It’s Never Too Late to Change Your Life

When Darren walked out of prison five years ago, he carried little more than some paperwork and the will to survive. At 50 years old, he had spent most of his adult life in and out of the criminal justice system, but this time was different. Released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Darren was sober, focused, and ready to rebuild from the ground up.

Born and raised in southern California, Darren had nothing when he was released: no food, no home, no money, no job. He moved into a sober-living house in sunny San Jose and began searching for work. That’s when his probation officer referred him to the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), the largest reentry employer in the country and the future cornerstone of his transition home.

“I moved into a sober house and applied for a job at CEO because I was tired of failing and needed a new path,” says Darren. “At that time I was willing to do anything to keep my sobriety.”

Darren grew up the only child in a loving home. He had a great childhood and was a gifted athlete, excelling in soccer, track, and baseball, and earning an athletic scholarship. But after just one year of college, Darren dropped out and spiraled into addiction as he morphed from a recreational drug user into a full-blown addict.

Darren says that his life became unmanageable after leaving college, and that turning point marked decades of incarceration, relapse, and lost potential. He became a new father around that time, but using hard drugs prevented him from having a relationship with his girlfriend and infant son.

For decades, Darren continued to struggle with a substance use disorder; however, during his most recent time behind bars, he found hope through a 12-step recovery program. “For the first time, I felt like I had a way to face my problem,” says Darren. “It was like finding a cure for a disease.”

Moving into the sober-living house after his release allowed Darren to cohabitate with men working towards one goal – to stay clean. Starting a new job at CEO allowed him the financial freedom to restart his life, which is equally important in reentry.

In his first week at CEO, Darren completed three days of safety training before joining a transitional work crew that partnered with the California Transportation Department to maintain highways and beautify local streets. The organization paid daily wages; however, employment was meant to be a temporary stepping stone to a quality job.

One day a week, Darren would go to CEO’s San Jose office and meet with a job coach to build his resume and apply for open positions on Indeed. Additionally, the nonprofit paid for Darren to earn his forklift and OSHA certifications. But the support didn’t stop there. CEO helped with bus passes, PPE, food stamp assistance, and even clothing. For Darren, the wraparound support made all the difference.

For four months, Darren worked hard and wanted to learn more. “The site supervisor of my transition work crew encouraged me to stay at CEO as a crew leader,” Darren recalls. “I appreciated the confidence they had in me, but I was looking for something different.”

Soon after, Darren was offered a full-time warehouse job as a materials handler, and from there transitioned into a delivery driver role in San Jose. He’s been driving for over three years now and receives a work retention check through CEO, a monetary incentive to keep a job long-term.

Darren has been living in the sober-living house for five years. Many of his housemates also work with CEO and benefit from the same mental health, wellness, and vocational support he received.

“I’ve built many relationships with CEO staff that will last twenty years,” Darren says. “I see other guys that I worked with early on at CEO who are now managers at the San Jose office and going up the chain of command. It inspires me to do well.”

From prison gates to steady employment, Darren’s story is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when recovery meets opportunity. Thanks to CEO—and his own grit—Darren has reclaimed his future.

“The most important thing to me since coming home was reconnecting with my son and his mother,” Darren says. “I didn’t know if that would happen. Now that it has, I couldn’t be happier.”

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