Walking Beside Change: The Power of the Resource Employment Development (RED) Program

Damien visiting the Grand Canyon.

When the Second Chance Centers (SCC) were created by DES and the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry, they offered incarcerated individuals a vital pathway toward rebuilding their lives. But when the COVID‑19 pandemic forced the SCCs to close in 2021, the need for reentry support didn’t disappear. To ensure people could still prepare for their return to the community and the workforce, the Resource Employment Development (RED) program was launched as a virtual alternative. What began as a temporary solution quickly proved transformative. Its success led to the program becoming permanent and expanding statewide, reaching individuals who previously did not qualify for SCC participation.

Damien teaching the RED program class.

As of Fiscal Year 2024-2025, more than 1085 inmates have graduated from the RED program, resulting in 415 job placements, a powerful testament to the program’s impact and to the determination of individuals choosing to change their lives.

The RED program runs for four weeks and equips participants with employment readiness training, essential resources, and connections to community partners who support successful reentry. Services include background disclosure guidance, résumé development, virtual job fairs, access to housing, food, transportation, interview clothing, mental health resources, and more. After release, participants receive an additional 90 days of transition support, including case management, quality employment referrals, individualized job coaching, mock interviews, job fairs, and continued guidance as they navigate their new beginning.

“Being able to walk alongside our clients four weeks before they are released, and up to 90 days or more after is such a rewarding dynamic,” stated Damien Long, a reentry employment counselor, when reflecting on his work with the RED team. “We all get to share in the joy of their success with RED, and beyond.”

Damien’s passion for this work is deeply personal. He understands the challenges his clients face because he has lived them himself. He has battled addiction and spent time in and out of jail, experiences that shaped his understanding of the barriers and the possibilities of reentry. Eventually, he chose a different path and committed to rebuilding his life. Since then, he has served as an educator, teacher, counselor, and mentor to individuals overcoming incarceration, addiction, and other life‑controlling struggles. His lived experience became his purpose.

“I believe that everybody has it in them to do the right thing and that maybe they were dealt a bad hand,” said Damien. “That's why I'm so passionate about this is because I get to come into a place like this where a lot of people have lost hope and try to reignite that with them and say, hope is not lost, it just takes you changing some of the things in your mindset, and realizing that you can't do it, that it is possible.”

Damien with his wife.

Damien has witnessed firsthand how powerful the RED program can be. He often shares stories of individuals whose lives have changed dramatically after release. One such example is Mark, a former inmate who is now an author, pursuing his bachelor’s degree at ASU, and returning to speak with incarcerated individuals to inspire their own transformation. Damien is the only RED team member who teaches his class in person, and he sees the impact up close. His hope is not only for RED to continue evolving, but for more programs like it to be created to support reentry across the state.

Outside of work, Damien is active in his church leadership, enjoys learning obscure historical facts, studies Biblical archaeology, loves thrift shopping, takes national park trips with his wife, and hosts the “GodFacts Podcast” on Apple and Spotify.

If you or someone you know needs career readiness assistance to navigate justice-involved employment barriers, please visit the ARIZONA@WORK website or visit your local office.

Visit the Reentry Services page for more information on the DES Reentry program.