Analysis from Colorado Evaluation & Action Lab at University of Denver Reports Significant Leaps in Economic Mobility for People Enrolled in CEO’s Reentry Program
CEO Media Contact:
Claire Gross, Sr. Manager Public Relations
cgross@ceoworks.org | (646) 370-8292
Denver, CO–July 29,2025–A new report evaluating the Center for Employment Opportunities' (CEO) participants' earnings pre- and post-enrollment shows dramatic income growth. CEO’s innovative model includes immediate, paid transitional jobs alongside wrap-around job coaching. Over 6,000 people return from incarceration annually in Colorado and the state’s 3 year recidivism rate stands at 28%. With more than 600,000 people returning from incarceration per year in the United States CEO’s program, operating on a national scale in addition to sites in Denver and Colorado Springs, seeks to ensure a fair chance at stable employment and economic mobility.
The report, using data on CEO participants’ income progression sourced from Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, found:
“These findings reinforce what we see every day: when given access to meaningful support, justice-impacted individuals thrive,” said Sam Schaeffer, CEO of the Center for Employment Opportunities. “We’re proud to contribute to a growing body of evidence showing that investing in reentry programs yields measurable and significant results—not just for individuals, but for communities and local economies.”
"We’re thrilled to see the 2025 earnings outcomes released for CEO and fellow members of the Colorado Wage Outcomes Results Coalition (Colorado WORC). The upward earnings trajectory is encouraging—and validated data like this helps programs like CEO strengthen how they serve participants,” said Roger Low, Founder and CEO of Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative. “CEO is leading by example, and we hope this momentum encourages every workforce, training, and postsecondary program in Colorado to report on these meaningful earnings outcomes. Additionally, we hope this promotes a healthy data-sharing culture, so more providers can get access to validated administrative data."
Employment is one of the most challenging barriers to successful reentry. According to a 2021 report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), roughly 60% of people were unemployed a year after being released from incarceration, and 40% were still unemployed four years post-incarceration. And although employers have expressed a willingness to hire people with criminal records, evidence shows that having a record reduces employer callback rates by 50%.
Providing clear pathways to economic mobility for people returning home from incarceration benefits the economy, and in turn communities. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, connecting 100 justice-impacted people to jobs would yield $1.9 million in additional wage tax contributions and $800,000 in additional sales tax revenue over the employee’s lifetime.
This report was conducted and compiled by the Colorado Wage Outcomes Results Coalition of Colorado Evaluation & Action Lab at the University of Denver and supported by Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative.
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The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to people recently released from incarceration. CEO currently operates in 30 cities in 12 states and is dedicated to ensuring justice-impacted people have opportunities to achieve socioeconomic mobility. For more information, visit ceoworks.org.