In the News

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected]

Apr 15, 2022   |  By Dympna Ugwu-Oju (via The Fresno Bee)

Broken Ladders: 15 years in prison taught Fresno man lessons about life and redemption

Programs like the Center for Employment Opportunities make all the difference in the lives of formerly incarcerated people, like Christopher Williams, 37, who now works as an assistant at the CEO office in Fresno, doing office work and filling in wherever he is needed.

Read More
Apr 13, 2022   |  By Dympna Ugwu-Oju (via The Fresno Bee)

Broken Ladders: How a new Fresno program is helping 68-year-old parolee restart life

Timothy Rodriguez was serving a 20 years to life jail term when Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted his sentence in March 2021 because of his age (68) and vulnerability to COVID.

Read More
Apr 10, 2022   |  By The Fresno Bee

Broken Ladders: New program gives formerly incarcerated people chance to work, restart life

When 37-year-old Christopher Williams was released from the Corcoran State Prison after serving 15 years for second-degree murder, he found his trials were far from over.

Read More
Mar 08, 2022   |  By The Fresno Bee

Broken Ladders: Climbing the economic ladder in Fresno can be tough. Here's why

Americans love rags-to-riches stories. But Fresno, like many cities in the U.S., has not shown itself to be a city of opportunities, especially for certain populations. Social and economic mobility are limited — a lingering product of Fresno’s history of racism, segregation and redlining.

Read More
Feb 24, 2022   |  By The Guardian

California gives people leaving prison just $200 to start over. After 50 years, that could change

A California lawmaker wants to increase the allowance that people released from prison receive to cover basic needs for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Read More
Jul 07, 2021   |  By SiliconValley.com

Opinion: Addressing biases and barriers can help solve worker shortage

Employers across California are asking, “Where can we find workers?” The truth is that many hundreds of thousands of Californians are locked out of opportunity. And it doesn’t have to be that way. Many of our state’s most pressing economic challenges are the consequence of inaction. In this case, more ...

Read More