Journey from the Bottom: Josh’s Determined Path to Success
At 47, Joshua Posey—known to most as “Josh” or “Country”—had to grow up faster than many of his peers. Raised in a trailer park in Atlanta, Georgia, he dropped out of high school at age 16, went to work full-time with his father as a roofer, and had a baby. Josh has seen the desperation of street crime, the toll of incarceration, and years of systemic racism and failure in the criminal justice system.
But today, just eleven months after his release from prison, he’s succeeding by sheer determination. He has a full-time job, is enrolled in school with a 4.0 GPA, is sober, and is on a path to helping others. But Josh’s journey has not been easy. “I’ve been working since I was a kid, but when I got out, no one would hire me because of my criminal background, and that made things tough because I didn’t have any family left,” says Josh.
With a history of substance use disorder beginning in his teens, Josh spent years in and out of jail, eventually serving sentences in three states. “I used to think the life of a drug dealer was all there was,” Josh says. “We thought we were big shots, but really, we were lost.”
During his most recent incarceration, Josh had an epiphany: He could live any life he wanted. It was such a profound idea that all he had to do was make good decisions to change his position in life.
Josh joined an 18-month Therapeutic Community inside; it was there that he dug into the roots of his past behavior and addiction. It was the first time he was totally honest with himself, and it felt freeing. He became a student again, earned his GED, and joined a 12-step program.
After serving nearly four years, Josh was released and moved into a transitional halfway house in Colorado Springs, and then into a sober living home, where he remained for almost a year. Over 600,000 people are released from incarceration every year, and many of them—just like Josh— have nowhere to live.
Josh began to search for any job he could get; however, his parole officer recommended an organization that employs formerly incarcerated people and supports training that leads to quality jobs. He enrolled with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) in Colorado Springs and started working immediately.
“CEO pays daily so that people in reentry mode can survive. CEO didn't just give me a job though,” Josh says. “They gave me a chance.”
Through CEO, Josh worked on a transitional crew cleaning parks and highways, but more importantly, he got help navigating the real-world challenges of reentry: regaining his driver’s license, clearing fines, getting work clothes, and reconnecting with his children.
Josh explains one of the transitions when he got out. “I hadn’t paid child support in years—not because I didn’t want to, but because I didn’t know how to fix it. CEO helped me make things right.”
He’s also enrolled in Columbia Southern University online, pursuing an Occupational Safety and Health degree. Josh has a 4.0 GPA and plans to become an OSHA instructor—and ultimately help others coming out of incarceration rebuild like he did.
Today, Josh has been sober for 4 years and works full-time for a tree company as a pesticide applicator and ground man, treating trees against the mountain pine beetle and grinding stumps. He works six days a week, has a company truck, and doesn’t take a single day for granted. His dream job is to help others in reentry.
“Every morning I wake up and ask, ‘How bad do you want this life?’” He recently bought himself a Harley motorcycle—more than a symbol of freedom, it’s a reminder of how far he’s come.
Stay connected—sign up for our newsletter to learn how CEO supports justice-impacted individuals through career building, advocacy, and policy change. Check out more stories on our blog or donate to support economic mobility.
