About Cephas
Cephas is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization focused on meeting the inner needs of men and women in prison and on parole.
Cephas assists individuals in making the attitudinal and behavioral changes necessary to end criminal behavior and live productive crime free lives. We began shortly after the uprising at Attica Correctional Facility, responding to the inmate's request to have outsiders involved in the prisons. Inside Attica, we found men who were desperate to change their lives but had no skill with which to do so. In our groups, through honest sharing, questioning our motivations and sometimes our dreams, real growth happens. Men and women, find insight, strength and direction for managing their "time" and redirecting their lives. Our name, Cephas, comes from the Aramaic word for Peter, the rock on which Jesus would build his church. Through our groups, we provide a "rock" on which men and women can rebuild their live. We have groups in most of the prisons in Western New York and operate two houses for parolees. We believe that every life has value and that people can change. We are making a difference, one life at a time. We have transitional residences in both Buffalo and Rochester, called Cephas House, for men on parole who are trying to re-enter society. We also work with youth who have been identified as at-risk and in danger of entering the criminal justice system. Through a challenging process of questioning the motivations behind our actions, we work to understand why individuals act the way they do, and point the way to change.
Awards and Recognition
- Two-time recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for outstanding community service
- President's Volunteer Action Award
- Special Recognition Award from the National Association of Volunteers in Criminal Justice
- Louie P. Throumoulos Memorial Award
- Direct Service by a Group Award, United Way
- Active Vets in Attica Award
- Hispanos Unidos Organization Award
- Certificate of Recognition, Monroe County Legislature
