Blog

Oscar missed several pivotal years of his sons’ lives, serving two prison terms that totaled nearly a decade. Coming home was not easy. He faced near-homelessness and struggled to put gas in his car. In fact, he often relied on bus passes from the probation office to travel to job interviews. He simply couldn’t afford the fuel to navigate LA traffic.

Micah was born in California and raised on a ten‑acre ranch in Fresno. He grew up surrounded by cattle, wooden fences, and the open sky. During his childhood, his family instilled in him values and proper work ethics. Nevertheless, he found himself aimless, having dropped out of high school. As a result, he bounced between fast‑food and gas station jobs without purpose or motivation.

When Essence returned home to Oklahoma, she did not lack credentials. She holds an associate’s degree in nursing, holds a Peer Recovery Support Specialist certification, and boasts a history of steady employment, during which she could secure a new role within a single week. She was highly qualified and motivated to work, but navigating life as a justice-impacted mother introduced an entirely new, agonizing roadblock: the false start.

When Alex returned home from prison, he wasn't returning to the same family he had left behind. The years had passed, and the child he had once worried about from behind prison walls was now an adult and a father himself, with daughters of his own. Alex was determined to be present for this next chapter of his family's life, showing up not just as a father, but as a grandfather.

Today, Henry is back behind the wheel, supporting his family and working toward his dream of one day owning his own truck. Just a few years ago, however, he was preparing to leave prison after spending six years incarcerated. The difference between those two versions of himself, he says, wasn't luck—it was faith, accountability, and a decision to change.

When Tamilla returned to Oklahoma in 2017, she held a master’s degree in psychology. She had no trouble landing a high-paying position, and she was earning more than three times the income required for an apartment. She was qualified, financially secure, and deeply committed to her career, but she immediately ran into a barrier that she could not outwork: Oklahoma's rental market.

When Devanae came home to Oklahoma City, she faced an invisible barrier common to out-of-state arrivals: she simply did not know where to start. Because she carries a heavy charge on her past criminal record, finding an employer or a landlord willing to look past a background check and get to know her felt nearly impossible. The immediate transition was marked by isolated survival, lacking any real structural support until she connected with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO).

When Sherry came home to Oklahoma, she had a solid work history and a strong desire to provide for her family. Employers and supervisors had always loved her work ethic. Yet, despite doing everything right, she immediately ran into an invisible wall that blocked her from securing both a stable job and a safe place to live.

By Simone Price, Director of Organizing, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)

When Imani returned home to Tulsa, her heaviest hurdles were not just physical—they were internal. She came home carrying intense anxiety about navigating public spaces and building relationships with family members who now saw her in a different light. Beneath it all was a persistent doubt about whether she was even capable of functioning in society.

For the majority of his adult life, Jesse was caught in a cycle of incarceration, separated from the people who mattered most. When you are behind bars, fatherhood becomes a game of catch-up played through broken connections. For Jesse, the scariest part of coming home wasn’t the reentry process itself—it was the fear that his children wouldn't truly know who he was.

Ontario still remembers the moment something didn’t sit right. He was taking an OSHA safety training course earlier this year for the Union Pre-apprenticeship Program offered through a partnership with the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) in Buffalo. Ontario was scanning through the standard personal protective equipment (PPE) required on construction sites – hard hats, gloves, and harnesses. Everything had a purpose. Everything had a design.