George Chochos

From Jail to Yale: A Story of Redemption, Leadership & Justice Reform

Executive Director, Bethesda Mission | Public Theologian | Justice Reform Advocate | Yale Divinity Grad

About George

Rev. George Chochos defied every statistic. From a jail cell to Yale Divinity School to Georgetown’s PhD program, he became a national leader in criminal justice reform and higher education policy. Today, as Executive Director of Bethesda Mission, he leads with the same resilience and vision that transformed his own life.

George led the federal policy strategy on Capitol Hill for the historic return of Pell Grants to incarcerated students—one of the last major bipartisan legislative victories. He has testified before Congress, advised policymakers on the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act (which became the framework for the First Step Act), and guest lectured at top universities nationwide. His work has directly impacted thousands of incarcerated students and returning citizens building new lives, while shaping national policy conversations around reform and second chances.

Through powerful storytelling backed by research and policy expertise, George challenges audiences to rethink justice, leadership, and second chances—seeing what’s possible when we believe in redemption and invest in people.

Additional program details, media, and downloadable materials coming soon.