Cash assistance may curb recidivism among people leaving prison, study says

Now, a new independent evaluation of the initiative suggests that short-term aid may have positive long-term effects. The study comes as some states are considering whether direct financial support is an effective — or appropriate — tool for reducing recidivism.

Bill would allow SNAP recipients to seek paid job training without losing benefits

A new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives could make it easier for people to get job training while they're receiving federal food assistance.

Good News: Local nonprofit helps recently incarcerated people find jobs

A nonprofit is helping people coming out of the criminal justice system find jobs. John Green is on a transitional work crew with the Center for Employment Opportunities in Tulsa. John was recently incarcerated and when he got out, he found changing his life would not be easy. “You know how it is, a lot of people are judgmental,” Green said. While Green was struggling to find work, he came across the Center for Employment Opportunities or CEO Tulsa.

Center for Employment Opportunities helps people find jobs after prison release

One of the biggest challenges for formerly incarcerated individuals is finding a job. Not all businesses want to hire people with past convictions. That’s where the Center for Employment Opportunities can help. This non-profit is working to make the process easier by offering immediate paid employment and skills training.

Center for employment opportunities helps formerly incarcerated find jobs

Inside this recycling plant is a room full of second chances. “We help people who’ve been convicted of crimes get second chance opportunities to get into the workforce,” Center for Employment Opportunities social manager Ryan Marshall said. Formerly incarcerated people work recycling styrofoam, but for many its more than just a job. It’s a step toward a new life.

Oakland County’s 40 Under 40 Announced

Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter, with a team of previous honorees, announced today the Oakland Together 40 Under 40 Class of 2025. They are a diverse and dynamic group of changemakers shaping the future of Oakland County. Now in its 13th year, the program highlights young professionals under 40 who are making a meaningful impact in their communities through innovation, leadership and service.

Open | Center for Employment Opportunities

Jonathan Calixto is joined by Samra Haider, the President of the Center For Employment Opportunities, to address the employment barriers facing individuals after their release from incarceration.

Second chances at work: Reentry crews tackle roadside cleanup

One of the most challenging barriers to stability for the formerly incarcerated can be finding stable employment, said Courtney Daniels, director of CEO Cincinnati.

I Returned Home From Prison With Nothing; Here’s What Helped Me Rebuild

Programs like the Returning Citizens Stimulus don’t just improve lives—they reduce unnecessary incarceration and save public funds.

Program gives those formerly incarcerated a job, a chance

It can be tough for individuals to transition back into society after being in prison, but Columbus’ Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) is working to make that process easier by providing immediate paid employment to those recently released from prison. “Thanks to CEO, I’m a better man today, and I look forward to more positive stuff in my life, and I just love waking up now,” participant Ronald Grier said.

Columbus conference makes way for second chances

Hundreds of Ohioans are getting a fresh start thanks to the National Returning Citizen Conference that gets underway in Columbus on Thursday. It’s an opportunity for people who used to be incarcerated to share their stories and find support as they reenter society. The Center for Employment Opportunities in Columbus is among those programs taking part in the conference. The organization helps former inmates not only find employment but also give back through city cleanup projects.

Opinion: Direct cash assistance can help drive down our state's prison population

Providing direct support to people returning from incarceration can provide them with greater economic stability and job security, helping to break the cycle of recidivism.

CEO San Diego Mixer with San Diego Homeless Court

Center for Employment Opportunities and the San Diego Homeless Court come together to acknowledge and celebrate the achievement of helping justice-impacted individuals turn their lives around.

Center for Employment Opportunities helps formerly incarcerated find jobs, reduce recidivism

Center for Employment Opportunities helps formerly incarcerated individuals find work and transition back into society after release. Participants earn $10.50 an hour picking up litter along the highway or at Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority properties.

Editorial: Marin highway cleanup program a benefit to many

Caltrans and a San Rafael-based nonprofit, the Center for Employment Opportunities, have struck a partnership that regularly sends out cleanup crews whose time alongside our freeways provides members with income while they are receiving job training and counseling.

Facing a budget deficit, LA County slashes funds for program that gets unhoused people jobs

The Los Angeles County homelessness budget approved last week included tens of millions in cuts to established services, including a 78% reduction in funding for the region’s main homeless workforce development program.

Mississippi urged to invest in jobs, not jails, to cut prison costs

This week, the Center for Employment Opportunities launched "At What Cost?" The campaign says redirecting funds from incarceration to job training could save taxpayers billions and reduce repeat offenses.

Funding Frenzy

More than 30 organizations sent a letter to state lawmakers this morning voicing concern over the lack of funding for reentry programs in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal, as the prison population is expected to increase following the passage of a tough-on-crime ballot measure last year known as Proposition 36.

Marin highway cleanup crews find road to success

Giving Atlantans a Second Chance at Opportunity

Organizations like CEO Atlanta are crucial to the work JPMorganChase does to help drive impact in the communities it serves and support access to more career opportunities to justice-impacted individuals.

11 creative campaigns to know about today

In time for Fair Chance Month, the Center for Employment Opportunities’ latest campaign questions society’s current funding priorities by comparing the cost of incarcerating people in the U.S. versus investing in re-entry services that provide housing, employment and support for individuals returning from prison. “At What Cost?” features conversations with formerly incarcerated people asking them what it would be like for them to have the amount of money it took to incarcerate them. The spot was created in-house.

Kentucky re-entry services programs struggle to secure funding

Ray Mansfield, site director at the center, said those who have paid their debts to society often do a lot of internal work to rehabilitate but opportunities to change their lives and project growth outward are limited.

Louisville non-profit helps those recently released from prison find employment

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - For those starting over after being incarcerated, having a fresh start begins with getting a job. That’s where the Center for Employment Opportunities, or CEO, steps in. The organization helps to reduce recidivism rates in Kentucky by helping those who have recently been released from prison find full-time employment.

Advocates push for passage of Reentry Assistance Bill to help formerly incarcerated people afford to rebuild

Advocates in New York for the formerly incarcerated are pushing for the passage of the Reentry Assistance Bill, which aims to provide more monetary support to people reentering society after being in prison.

This New York Bill Aims to Give Monthly Payments to People Getting Out of Prison

Advocates say New York’s Reentry Assistance Bill will help lower recidivism among formerly incarcerated people and offer genuine aid