Every year, more than seven million Americans are released from our jails and prisons. That means in your own community, there are likely thousands of individuals seeking a fresh start—looking for housing, jobs, and hope.
With one in every three Americans carrying some type of criminal record, the barriers to everyday opportunities can be insurmountable- even basic necessities like trying to rent an apartment or earning a job certification can be denied.
In Cleveland, Ohio, the EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, founded by classically trained Chef Brandon Chrostowski, exists to change those bleak outcomes. Drawing from his experience in some of the world’s top kitchens, Chrostowski built a program that, since 2013, has provided hundreds of former offenders with the tools and support they need to thrive. Through world-class culinary training, housing assistance, legal aid, and job placement services, EDWINS empowers people through prison programming, the restaurant institute, and community wraparound services to help rebuild their lives.
EDWINS’ results speak for themselves: a 97% employment rate and a recidivism rate of less than 1%. Chef Chrostowski’s motto, “Make it happen—no matter what the problem, it can be solved with hard work and care,” is more than just words—it’s a guiding principle behind every program. That philosophy extends far beyond Cleveland through EDWINS’ virtual curriculum, now reaching over 400,000 incarcerated individuals across the country.
Programs like EDWINS work because they don’t just keep people out of trouble —they help them become tax-paying citizens, parents, neighbors, and even leaders. Brandon Edwin Chrostowski is pioneering a model of reentry that blends practical skills, personal dignity, and long-term support to create real pathways for returning citizens.
Employers who take a chance on these individuals often discover that they are their most loyal and hardworking employees, and at Right On Crime, we believe a steady job is the best deterrent to crime.
If you don’t know where to start, we offer employers a free online resource, Unlocking Hidden Talent: An Employer Handbook, which offers helpful links and strategies to help businesses understand the benefits—including local and federal support —of hiring individuals with criminal records.
Let us know if your community is doing something unique to promote second chances. We’d love to give them a shout out, too.
After all, a second chance isn’t only about personal redemption — second chances with the right training and support —create smart, community-wide public safety strategies.