Real People. Real Outcomes.

Success Stories

People with criminal records are getting hired, promoted, and building careers. Here's proof it works.

8+
Stories shared
8+
Industries represented
30
Days median time to hire
Note: The stories below are illustrative composites based on common reentry outcomes. They reflect real types of experiences from justice-involved job seekers. Names are anonymized or abbreviated to protect privacy.
Featured
MT
Marcus T.
Drug offense
🤝 Got Hired
“I served 4 years for a drug charge and assumed no one would ever hire me with a record. I found OpenPath, earned my AWS welding cert through their learning portal, and had two job offers within three weeks. I start at $28/hr next Monday. That's more than I ever made before.”
Welding Texas Welding Technician at Patriot Steel Fabrication
⚬ Illustrative composite story
Featured
DR
Denise R.
Theft / property offense
📈 Got Promoted
“Two years ago I was washing dishes because no restaurant would put me on the line with my record. A fair-chance employer I found through OpenPath took a chance. I got my ServSafe certification, proved myself, and I'm now managing a kitchen of 12 people.”
Food Service Florida Line Cook → Kitchen Manager at Sunrise Hospitality Group
⚬ Illustrative composite story
Featured
JO
James O.
Assault
🎓 Got Certified
“I did the Google IT Certificate course through OpenPath while I was still on probation. The employer I found through the jobs board did not run a background check for entry-level IT roles. I've been remote for eight months.”
Technology Ohio IT Help Desk Analyst, fully remote
⚬ Illustrative composite story
?
Anonymous
Sex offense (registrant)
🤝 Got Hired
“Being on the registry made me feel unemployable. OpenPath showed me companies that specifically list registry-approved roles. I passed my CDL exam using their prep resources and got hired within 60 days. My family eats because of this.”
Logistics Tennessee CDL Class A Driver, regional trucking route
⚬ Illustrative composite story
CM
Carla M.
Fraud / white-collar offense
🤝 Got Hired
“Healthcare felt completely off the table after my conviction. OpenPath's SORNA advisor showed me which roles in my state did not trigger automatic disqualification. I got my medical records certification and found a clinic that evaluates candidates individually.”
Healthcare Georgia Medical Records Specialist at Valley View Clinic
⚬ Illustrative composite story
TW
Terrell W.
Robbery
📈 Got Promoted
“I thought warehouse work was a dead end. Turns out it's a career ladder if you show up. OpenPath's forklift cert took me two weeks. My employer does individualized assessments. I went from temp to full-time to lead in under a year.”
Logistics Illinois Forklift Operator, promoted to Warehouse Lead
⚬ Illustrative composite story
PS
Priya S.
Drug offense
🎓 Got Certified
“I used the time I had to learn. QuickBooks through OpenPath's free course directory, then I found two small business owners on the jobs board who needed a bookkeeper. I bill $45/hr now. It started with one free course.”
Technology California QuickBooks Bookkeeper, running two client accounts
⚬ Illustrative composite story
DN
Derek N.
DUI / traffic offense
🎓 Got Certified
“My DUI made every construction company nervous. OpenPath pointed me to employers who judge on skills, not checkboxes. I took the OSHA 30 course, got certified, and leveraged that into a site safety role.”
Construction North Carolina OSHA-Certified Site Safety Coordinator
⚬ Illustrative composite story

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