CEO | Colorado Springs

Want to become a participant?

ceocosprings@ceoworks.org

Partnership Contact

Eric Abraham

Program Manager

eabraham@ceoworks.org

Trolley

Bus

Car (from South)

Car (from North)

Join CEO

Colorado Springs

Email List!

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) launched its’ Colorado Springs site in 2018. CEO Colorado Springs has offered immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to individuals who have recently returned home from incarceration. CEO’s program supports participants in gaining the workplace skills and confidence needed for successful transitions to stable, productive lives.

‍

Get Involved

Donate to Support our Local Initiatives!

V.A.N.S Initiative (click for more information)

Donate

No items found.

CEO Updates:

Read the story

February 25, 2026

Colorado Radio for Justice (CJR)

Hotlines with Colorado Radio for Justice

Colorado Springs Program Manager Eric Abraham and Denver Program Manager Josh Ehrlich joined CRJ host Seth Ready and Remerg Executive Director Carol Peeples for a conversation about the Center for Employment Opportunities reentry program.

November 17, 2025

Peter Choi, KOAA News 5

'It's life-changing': Colorado Springs program helps people with convictions turn their lives around

One local organization is helping people with convictions to rebuild their lives. The Center for Employment Opportunities, located nationwide, offers programs that can help prepare individuals for a second chance at finding jobs.

April 24, 2024

KOAA News 5 Southern Colorado

Beyond Bars? ⏤ Forum will consider challenges after release from prison

COLORADO SPRINGS — Close to 600,000 people a year are released from state and federal prisons according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. “The objective once you come back is to get out and to do the right thing moving forward,” said Darrius Taylor who spent 22 years in a Colorado prison. Only there are many barriers to the transition.

February 7, 2024

Colorado Newsline

Bill in Colorado to provide cash assistance to people leaving prison dies

Colorado lawmakers killed a bill that would have provided direct cash assistance for daily expenses to support people recently released from incarceration.

January 31, 2024

Colorado Newsline

Pilot program would provide cash assistance to people leaving prison

A Colorado bill aims to provide direct cash assistance for daily expenses to support people recently released from incarceration, with the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism.

January 22, 2024

CBS News Colorado

LOCAL NEWS Proposed bill in Colorado would give people leaving prison $3,000 to restart life, could save state money

Colorado state Sen. James Coleman knows times are tough for a lot of Coloradans. Especially if they have been convicted of a crime and served their sentence.

January 17, 2024

Newsweek

Democrats Propose Giving $3,000 to People Leaving Prison

Colorado Democrats are proposing a new cash assistance plan that would give people leaving prison up to $3,000 for "basic life expenses."

January 12, 2024

Bolts Magazine

A New Plan to Lower Recidivism: Stimulus Payments to Formerly Incarcerated People

A bill filed in Colorado aims to break the cycle of incarceration by giving people up to $3,000 upon release from prison.

January 11, 2023

The Gazette

Portable vacuums to 'make a big difference' in litter cleanup across Colorado Springs

Three new portable outdoor vacuums are helping Colorado Springs Public Works crews clean up the city more efficiently and effectively, part of an ongoing initiative to clear trash bags, aluminum soda cans, cardboard and other litter from medians and gutters.

May 5, 2022

KOAA

Colorado Springs woman calls stimulus funds 'blessing' for formerly incarcerated Coloradans

A new program is helping formerly incarcerated people across the country.

May 4, 2022

The Colorado Sun

Nonprofit gives $1.5M cash to more than 600 formerly incarcerated Coloradans transitioning back to community

Heather Fitzsimmons was working on getting her life back together and staying clean while on probation in Aurora when she noticed what seemed to be an extra deposit in the account where she gets paid.

December 20, 2021

FOX21 News

Indy Give! 2021: Center for Employment Opportunities

COLORADO SPRINGS — FOX21 News is once again working with the Colorado Springs Independent for this year’s Indy Give! campaign. Recently, the Center for Employment Opportunities joined FOX21’s morning crew to talk about its work and what help it needs from the community.

November 23, 2021

Colorado Springs Business Journal

CEO Provides Second Chance Through Work

(A free email subscription on Colorado Springs Business Journal is required to view) - For those newly released from prison, especially those who have served extended sentences, reacclimating to society can seem like an insurmountable task. Industries have been shuttered, technology has marched on without them, and old contacts and networks may have moved on as well.

October 28, 2020

KRDO News

Wind, unsecured trash bring more litter along Interstate 25 in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A common perception is that much of the litter that accumulates along I-25 in Colorado Springs comes from people who toss it from their vehicles as they drive by. But that's hardly the case.

December 10, 2019

KRDO News

Weather slows some trash pickup along I-25 in Colorado Springs

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the frequency of snowstorms this fall is delaying some trash removal. The private agency [Center for Employment Opportunities] former prison inmates who do the work as part of their parole -- replacing Keep Colorado Springs Beautiful, which employed volunteers who working off community service time.

February 26, 2026

Isidoro Rodriguez

What Stability Looks Like for Alex

Alex always loved working on cars. As a young man in Colorado Springs, he worked as a mechanic right after high school. He became so good at the job that he was soon working for several major dealerships around the city.

December 12, 2025

Ryan M. Moser

How Corey Drove Through Adversity & Never Gave Up

Growing up between Colorado and California, Corey was one of 13 siblings raised by a single father. Life wasn’t easy, but his childhood was filled with lessons about resilience and responsibility. “My dad taught me how to be a father and I’ll always be grateful for that,” Corey says. “My dad showed me the right things to do through his actions and he was always there.”

December 2, 2025

Isidoro Rodriguez

Tracy Leading the Way: Opening Doors and Building Teams

Tracy wakes up every morning and goes to work as the assistant manager at a fast-food restaurant in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Every time she walks through the doors, she remembers just how much work she and her coworkers put into getting it up and running.

July 8, 2025

Ryan M. Moser

Journey from the Bottom: Josh’s Determined Path to Success

Just eleven months after his release from prison, Josh is succeeding by sheer determination. He has a full-time job, is enrolled in school with a 4.0 GPA, is sober, and is on a path to helping others. But Josh’s journey has not been easy. “I’ve been working since I was a kid, but when I got out, no one would hire me because of my criminal background, and that made things tough because I didn’t have any family left,” says Josh.

March 31, 2024

A [background check] company that has never met me made the decision on my employment

CEO's Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) equipped Criss with vital skills post-incarceration, including navigating discussions about his past conviction. However, despite his preparedness, outdated discriminatory hiring practices overshadowed his potential

January 9, 2024

Jason Kahler

“A Diamond in the Rough” – How CEO is Helping Demetrius Uncover His True Potential

Like many people reentering their communities after incarceration, Demetrius faced roadblocks to obtaining employment once he got home. Prospective employers struggled to look beyond his record, and Demetrius found he needed to improve some professional skills to help him stand out as a job candidate.

May 30, 2023

Fiona Denton and Emily Montgomery

CompTIA training reunites Brian with his passion for IT

Brian is proud of everything that he has accomplished in the short time since he was released. He says that CEO and the CompTIA training have given him the support to help him get back on his feet and on a path toward a career.

March 8, 2023

Emily Montgomery

Returning Strong: Darrius comes full circle by joining CEO staff that first inspired him

Today, Darrius is an eloquent and reflective leader who pours his heart into the work of helping individuals returning home from incarceration. But it wasn’t long ago Darrius was on the other side, unsure what his life would look like after prison.

September 13, 2022

Emily Montgomery

From participant to supervisor, George “passes the baton” of success

George calls his full-time job at Center for Employment Opportunities “an answered prayer.” “Not just the job, but to be able to work alongside others,” George says. “To be able to tell them, hey, I know what it takes. Of course, you have to put in the work, but you have people working with you that want to help you.”

March 22, 2022

Eric Borsuk

Carmen’s RCS Story: How cash assistance provided much-needed reentry support, while reuniting a family

Carmen was 40 years old when she found herself caught in the grips of addiction. Carmen’s life began spiraling out of control, resulting in recurring trips to jail and drug clinics, followed by long stretches of probation. She felt her life was starting over again from scratch every time she returned from incarceration or rehab, with no resources or support system. Carmen’s children grew weary of the seemingly never-ending routine, and cut off contact with their mother.

August 2, 2021

Kenneth Edwards

Congress Must Invest Now in Jobs for Justice-Impacted Individuals

In the American Jobs Plan, President Biden calls for a $100B workforce investment, including prioritizing justice-impacted individuals and subsidized employment as a proven training tool. As someone who has been there, it’s welcome news for the Administration to recognize just how hard it is for anyone with a history of incarceration to get a job.