How Reentry Cash Changed Shamar’s Path

Shamar was raised by good women—from his great-grandma, the family matriarch, to his own mother—and he knows how important it is to respect and honor the women in his life.

“When my mom passed away, I had to take care of my baby sister for a while,” said Stallworth. “I knew how to care for her because my old girls had raised me to be responsible and loving.”

Shamar grew up in Queens, New York, and played high school sports before attending the City University of New York to earn his associate's degree. Then, in a short period of time, he lost all the women in his life and turned to hanging out with friends who were a bad influence. In time, he also lost his freedom.

“When I got out, I knew I had to change my life, but I needed direction to do that,” said Shamar.

In 2021, Shamar was living in a transition house and needed a job. A friend told him about the Center for Employment Opportunities in downtown NYC, and he went there to apply for the program. He started on a transitional work crew doing sanitation for a public housing unit and worked with a job coach to create a resume and cover letter. After two months, Shamar took a different job with higher pay.

“The second job that CEO helped me find was as a cook,” Shamar said. “I want to own a restaurant or a food truck someday, but I know I need to build a work history, and that was a good opportunity.”

Shortly after Shamar became a CEO participant, he was awarded $2,500 from a philanthropic family to use towards his reentry goals. He bought a car and used it as an Uber to transport people in Queens. Shamar was interviewed on camera about how the money changed his circumstances and why he thought it was important to have that buffer when transitioning out of prison.

“I’d been getting work incentive checks from CEO and my regular paycheck, but it wasn’t enough. The $2,500 helped me get a car and make money from driving,” Shamar said. “I wouldn’t have anything without CEO helping me push myself and become disciplined. I had to get up for work and be there on time…that was a challenge for me in the past.”

Shamar has been home for five years and has taken a position as a direct support personnel working with people with disabilities. He describes the company and his position as a “quality job,” a term he learned as a member of the CEO Policy Committee, a group of justice-impacted people who advocate for reform.

“The committee meets twice a week on Zoom to discuss flaws in the system and talk about solutions to the problems,” Shamar said. “We focused on the reentry cash programs that allow people leaving prison a better chance to succeed by giving them money before they leave.”

Shamar said everyone’s opinion on the committee matters, and the goal is to be a group of advocates with connections to other people and places who can share lived experiences.

“When you get a sense of how laws work in other states, you realize how different they are everywhere,” said Shamar. “The quality jobs campaign directly impacts my life because we are trying to secure employment with companies that treat you right and pay fairly. But there isn’t a lot of oversight from politicians when it comes to quality jobs.”

To learn more about access to cash+ and benefits so that each person returning has immediate support that promotes safety, health, and access to job opportunities and establishes pathways to quality jobs providing mobility, sign up for the monthly newsletter or call your local state representatives to get information about reform topics in your district.