Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people with recent criminal convictions. Across the United States, over 5,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 25,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996. In 2016, CEO embarked on a 5-year strategic plan to grow to serve 10,000 participants annually.