Employment Network: Diijei’s Story
Diijei Gutierrez
Diijei Gutierrez deeply understands the journeys of the men and women who attend his 10-week cognitive behavioral classes as they re-enter their communities after serving time for non-violent/ non-serious crimes. He has faced his own challenges and successes since his release from prison in November 2023 after serving a 20-year sentence.
Upon his release, he connected with the Employment Network at CCSCC for services to support his transition to building a life after incarceration. Diijei intentionally selected Catholic Charities over the other agencies offered to him for re-entry support. “With Catholic Charities, I felt I would be embraced by people who would care for me. And I was,” he said.
His familiarity with Catholic Charities as an organization goes back to his childhood. “When I was young and our family was living in Texas, my mother received help for us from Catholic Charities,” Diijei explains. “Later, my mother went to work for Catholic Charities there for five years as a driver.”
Diijei’s name, pronounced “D.J.,” is from the Navajo tribe and translates to mean “Heart Man.” He speaks openly about the impact of his family’s generational trauma. His alcohol and drug use at a young age eventually led to his addiction which led to his criminal behavior. He was incarcerated for the first time when he was 14 through the juvenile justice system. “My mom was a single mom who worked hard to provide for me and my brother and sister,” Diijei says. “Growing up in East San Jose without my dad, I didn’t have many positive role models in my life. So, I went looking for role models and found many of them. But none of them were positive.”
“With Catholic Charities, I felt I would be embraced by people who would care for me. And I was.”
Turning his life around began in prison. He quit alcohol and drugs, saying “Addiction is really a symptom.” While incarcerated, Diijei took advantage of many opportunities to learn new skills and improve himself. He took classes, received numerous certifications, and wrote some of the cognitive behavior theory curriculum still being used today by a Sacramento non-profit that focuses on reducing recidivism and incarceration rates. Also, he earned his paralegal degree.
The Catholic Charities staff members in the Employment Network – Oscar Garcia and Emily Reveles – helped him build his resume, connect with resources, get new clothes for interviewing, and talked with him about his goals and his job skills, which includes working in the tech sector. “But most of all, they were there for me and I knew I could count on them. Their professionalism was exceptional. I’m so fortunate that I received help from Catholic Charities.”
He now works as a Reentry Facilitator/Care Manager for a nonprofit in Oakland and says it feels good to have been supported to reach this place in his life – paying his bills, getting his own place to live and owning a car. “I want to help the community. The future of the next generation depends on it. I want my kids to be safe and I also want other people’s kids to be safe whoever they are.”
