From Survival to Success: Isaac’s Journey After Incarceration

Growing up in Del Paso Heights, Sacramento, Isaac faced many challenges. With two parents who struggled with addiction and were often incarcerated, he was in and out of foster care and soon started getting into trouble in his early teens for fighting.

“Growing up the way I did was physically, emotionally, and mentally traumatizing,” said Isaac.

“So, I developed a really big chip on my shoulder.”

He was first imprisoned when he was 13 years old in the California Youth Authority, a system of correctional facilities for justice-involved youth, and, in total, served seven and a half years in multiple juvenile facilities. When he got out, he tried to stay out of trouble, but, like most young men with his experiences, as well as a lack of resources and support, he fell back on old habits.

On December 19, 2014, just before his 21st birthday and only three months after his release from juvenile detention, Isaac was on trial fighting an alleged violent offense when the District Attorney in charge of the case approached him with a deal: take a five-year sentence or his brother, who was being prosecuted in a separate case, would face 18 years in prison.

“They told me to my face that my brother, who had a kid on the way, was going to lose his case unless I took the deal,” said Isaac.

A 2023 report by the American Bar Association found that these types of arrangements, also called plea bargaining, occur regularly and are often unjust, coercive, unfair, and lacking transparency. In fact, threatening to indict a defendant’s family members in order to exert plea leverage is a widespread practice that has been specifically authorized by American courts.

As a result of this practice, nearly 98% of convictions in criminal cases nationwide currently come from plea bargains, and Isaac was sent to prison.

“I took the five years so my brother could go home and be with his family,” said Isaac.

“His daughter was born a week later.”

But things only got worse for Isaac in prison: he found it difficult to follow the rules inside, was regularly penalized, and was even forced to defend himself against other more violent prisoners. As a result, he ended up serving nearly ten years instead of the initial five. In July 2024, he was finally released at the age of 30.

When he got out, his parole officer referred him to the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) in Sacramento, the same employment reentry program that helped his mother rebuild her life after her own time in prison.

“She completed the program and now she’s clean, works three jobs, and is doing amazing,” said Isaac.

“I felt like that experience was worth taking heed of.”

CEO, and their team of formerly incarcerated mentors, gave Isaac moral support, a paid transitional job while they helped him with filling out applications, one-on-one job coaching, and finding long-term employment. Thanks to their help, he secured his first job as a behavior interventionist for a California-based organization specializing in autism treatment and support.

“I have a niece who's on the spectrum,” Said Isaac.

“I was going through job applications at CEO and it stuck out because of her, so I just went for it.”

CEO also awarded Isaac a $1500 grant distributed through their partner, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. He says that money afforded him the real key to not only keeping his new job, but also to continuing his success elsewhere.

“I was able to buy a car,” said Isaac.

Lack of access to reliable transportation is considered a significant obstacle for individuals reentering society after incarceration. One survey found that more than one-third of people released from incarceration have difficulty obtaining a car for work or emergencies. Another found that nearly a quarter of people reported having trouble accessing public transportation.

Coming out of prison, Isaac was barely able to afford essentials, and once he landed his first job, he became dependent on his family for transportation. But, given their own hectic work schedules, he says the situation was unsustainable.

“Relying on my family to give me rides everywhere was getting in the way of them going to work and of all of us making our rent,” said Isaac.

“Now, instead of having to depend on everyone else, I'm going to be able to get myself from A to B.”

Thanks to the new car, Isaac landed a second job providing reentry coaching and mentorship to justice-involved youth and young adults just like him.

Eventually, he hopes to buy a home of his own and fulfill his plans of starting two successful businesses.

“In five years, I want to have my own tattoo shop, and then, ultimately, I want to buy and sell houses,” said Isaac.

“That’s the dream, and CEO provided the stepping stones to get there.”

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