How Training and Opportunity Helped Clyde Build a New Life

In 2023, Clyde was released from Solidad State prison in California after serving 28 years of a 30 years-to-life sentence. He walked out of prison looking for the best way to get back on his feet: a job. But, after nearly three decades of living behind bars, Dudley was on his own and lacked the skills and knowledge most people on the outside take for granted.

"The technology, the conversations, this world was all new," said Clyde.

"And I had no job training."

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only one-third (33%) of people in state prisons report ever having participated in job training, and due to criminal records being a major barrier to employment, approximately 60 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals experience extreme rates of unemployment for up to four years after their release. To make matters worse, roughly two-fifths of the people entering prison do not have a high school degree or General Educational Development (GED) credential, a rate three times higher than for adults in the U.S.

Clyde's past is an example of that cycle.

Despite growing up in a middle-class family, he struggled with discipline, often prioritizing time with friends and substance use over his education. As his addiction deepened, his choices led him down a path that resulted in his first prison sentence, where he served two and a half years of a five-year term.

Upon his release, he faced the harsh reality that many returning citizens encounter—limited access to education, employment barriers due to his record, and no structured support to help him break free from addiction. With no clear path forward and few opportunities to rebuild his life, he soon found himself back in the system. This time, however, California's three-strikes law imposed a much harsher sentence, a consequence not just of his past mistakes but of a system that offered little in the way of a true fair chance.

"This time, I didn't think I was ever going to get out."

However, after 28 years, Clyde finally managed to make parole. And while he could have very easily wound up as just another statistic in one of the world's highest recidivism rates, today, he has a well-paying job, a place to live, two cars, and a savings account. He says that the Los Angeles Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) gave him the chance and skills he needed to achieve that success.

"I could never have made it like this if it hadn't been for CEO," said Clyde.

As part of their reentry program, Clyde began a paid transitional job with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), one of CEO's employer partners, working to beautify freeways. CEO provided all the necessary equipment, helped him to craft an effective resume and offered job coaching to support his search for full-time employment.

"I was able to get money in my pocket, start my life off, and reintegrate into society," said Clyde.

Through their advanced training program, CEO provided $350 per week to attend night school classes and earn his Commercial Driver License (CDL). Recognizing his hard work, they later promoted him to site supervisor, responsible for transporting the crew to job sites and overseeing daily operations. This experience helped him secure a full-time Equipment Operator 2 position with Caltrans, a $63,000-per-year job he has held for over a year.

"CEO gave me responsibility, they gave me self-worth, and they gave me a chance," said Clyde.

"Now I'm respectable. I have credit cards, I have insurance, I have savings, and I can take care of my family."

And because CEO's wrap-around support continues for up to a year after a client finds full-time employment, Clyde says they also helped him get a forklift license, a CPR certificate, and a flagger certification. His experience and training have allowed him to contribute as a first responder during the recent California fires, helping with cleanup and renewal.

Clyde now serves as an example for the younger, formerly incarcerated people he works with daily.

"A lot of these youngsters getting out of prison are still trying to be gangbangers, still doing drugs, still thinking they're slick and that it's cool to slack off, but I tell them that attitude is just going to land them back in prison," said Clyde.

"But if they apply themselves to this program, go above and beyond, and give CEO 100%, then CEO will give them 100% back."