What TEEM - The Education and Employment Ministry Inc. does

TEEM (The Education and Employment Ministry) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, operating since 1987 with 44 employees. It serves individuals impacted by the criminal legal system in central Oklahoma through a portfolio of six core programs: Employment Services, Oklahoma County Community Sentencing, the Pretrial Release Initiative, Reentry Services, S.H.I.N.E. (community service), and the Veterans Initiative. Programs are accessed via court-ordered diversion, referrals from the Oklahoma Public Defender's Office and District Attorney's Office, self-referral, and partnerships with correctional facilities including Mabel Bassett Correctional Center and Oklahoma County Jail.

The organization's service model is intentionally human-intensive: each program pairs participants with case managers, employment navigators, peer recovery support specialists, and supervision engagement officers who deliver mentorship, life skills training, financial literacy, mock interviewing, and employment placement. TEEM connects participants to external resources including mental health and substance abuse treatment providers, VA benefits, housing, transportation, and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit/Federal Bonding Programs for employers. Documented outcomes include a 78% program completion rate with 7% recidivism in Community Sentencing, 97% of Pretrial participants avoiding incarceration while awaiting trial, and supervision of 2,063 individuals by the Pretrial Release Initiative in the past year.

TEEM's revenue model is a hybrid of donations and charitable contributions, contracts with Oklahoma County and state agencies (Department of Corrections, Department of Veterans Affairs, Oklahoma Criminal Justice Authority, Department of Career and Technology Education), and foundation grants (Arnall Family Foundation, Sarkeys Foundation). Corporate partnerships—including Boeing's funding of the Veterans Initiative—supplement these. All services are provided free of charge to participants. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Patrick Rooney (First National Bank of Oklahoma) and is led by Executive Director Kris Steele.

Name

TEEM - The Education and Employment Ministry Inc.

Legal name

The Education and Employment Ministry

Website

https://teem.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TEEM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Oklahoma City serving justice-involved individuals through pretrial release, community sentencing, reentry, employment, and veterans programs. It works under contract with Oklahoma County and state agencies to reduce incarceration and recidivism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: TEEM accepts monetary donations from individuals and organizations to support program operations and participant services including clothing, hygiene products, and other essential items.
2. Government Contracts and Grants: TEEM operates under contracts with Oklahoma County and partnerships with state agencies including the Department of Corrections and Department of Veterans Affairs to provide diversion programs and reentry services.
3. 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Funding: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, TEEM relies on foundation support, corporate partnerships, and public funding to sustain operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TEEM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides a portfolio of free social service programs to individuals impacted by the criminal justice system in Oklahoma. Core services include pretrial release case management, court-ordered community sentencing supervision, reentry planning, employment navigation and job placement, veterans-specific benefits reconnection, and community service programming. Programs are funded by government contracts, foundation grants, and donations, and are delivered directly by TEEM staff and volunteers in Oklahoma City and at partner correctional facilities.

Product overview

TEEM (The Education and Employment Ministry) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected social service programs designed to break cycles of incarceration and poverty in Oklahoma. The organization operates as a multi-program service provider with core programs including Employment Services, Oklahoma County Community Sentencing, Pretrial Release Initiative, Reentry Services, S.H.I.N.E., and Veterans Initiative. These programs are complemented by supportive services such as the Clothing Closet, Hygiene Drive, Toy Drive, and volunteer-based Transformation Time resume assistance. The Reentry Services program includes the Empower intensive course and Hope Behind Bars scholarship program for incarcerated individuals. Peer Recovery Support Specialists provide on-the-ground assistance across multiple programs, while the Pretrial Release Initiative is set to receive accreditation from the National Association of Pretrial Services by summer 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employment Services Provides job readiness training, resume building, interview preparation, and employment placement assistance for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system.
• Oklahoma County Community Sentencing A court-ordered diversion program providing case management, substance abuse and mental health treatment, job preparedness, educational services, and direct aid as an alternative to incarceration.
• Pretrial Release Initiative A diversion program collaborating with judges, the District Attorney's office, and Oklahoma County Jail to secure release for eligible participants unable to afford bail, providing accountability, case management, housing, transportation, treatment, and employment assistance.
• Reentry Services Comprehensive support for individuals returning from incarceration, including work readiness training, financial literacy, resume building, mock interviewing, and employment certification programs in culinary arts and construction trades.
• S.H.I.N.E (Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere) Community service program supporting individuals in completing court-ordered community service hours as an alternative to jail time, collaborating with neighborhood associations, local organizations, and law enforcement.
• Veterans Initiative A collaboration with Boeing, the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, and Oklahoma Department of Corrections providing justice-involved veterans with specialized support, reconnecting them with earned benefits, and providing case management, substance abuse resources, and employment support.
• Empower Program An intensive course for currently incarcerated individuals within nine months of release, providing transition planning, personal development, and work readiness training including financial literacy, computer skills, healthy relationships, addiction education, and resume building.
• Hope Behind Bars Scholarship Provides access to higher educational opportunities for residents of Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, including scholarship programs and study groups for college education while incarcerated.
• Peer Recovery Support Specialists (PRSS) Staff providing recovery support, wellness checks, court-ordered drug testing, and assistance to individuals in the criminal justice system to achieve stability and self-sufficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% successful completion rate with 7% recidivism in Community Sentencing program (2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• SHINE FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Founded in 2011 by District 2 Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan. The county handed oversight of the community service program to TEEM in July 2024.
• Oklahoma Public Defender's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Founding partner in the Pretrial Release Initiative established by federal public defender Francie Ekwerekwu. TEEM operates the initiative in collaboration with the Public Defender's Office.
• BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoeing partners with TEEM, the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to support the Veterans Initiative. Boeing provides funding to help address obstacles facing justice-involved veterans.
• Oklahoma Department of Veterans AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner collaborating with TEEM on the Veterans Initiative to reconnect justice-involved veterans with their earned benefits.
• Oklahoma Department of CorrectionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner providing access to incarcerated veterans and supporting reentry programming through collaboration with TEEM.
• Oklahoma Criminal Justice AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner in the Pretrial Release Initiative collective effort intended to build equity in the criminal justice system.
• Oklahoma County JudgescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJudicial partners who utilize the Pretrial Release Initiative as an alternative to extended detention, releasing eligible individuals on conditional bonds with supportive services.
• Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState partner providing employment certification and training programs in second-chance friendly industries such as culinary arts and construction trades.
• Over a Dozen Mental Health and Substance Abuse Service ProvidersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity collaboration providing in-depth case management services, substance abuse and mental health treatment opportunities as part of the Oklahoma County Community Sentencing program.
• 1577 ProductionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProduction company collaborating on the 'Voices on the Inside' documentary and 'Hope Behind Bars' initiative featuring scholarship recipients at Mabel Bassett Correctional Center.
• Mabel Bassett Correctional CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorrectional facility where TEEM operates the Hope Behind Bars Scholarship program providing higher educational opportunities for incarcerated residents.
• Bricktown Rotary ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner donating 'First Night Out' kits with hygiene items for participants being released from incarceration.
• Life ChurchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity volunteer partner that participated in the Roc the Bloc outdoor party event supporting incarcerated women.
• Trader Joe's, Panera Bread, and Insomnia CookiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood donation partners providing weekly surplus food donations that TEEM picks up and distributes to participants facing food insecurity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Safer Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit focused on employment, education, and supportive services for people with criminal records. Closely mirrors TEEM's workforce-development-led reentry model and pretrial/post-release case management approach.
• The Fortune Society: New York-based nonprofit offering holistic reentry services including alternatives-to-incarceration, employment, housing, and education for justice-involved individuals. Operates a similarly integrated three-pronged service model to TEEM.
• The Osborne Association: New York nonprofit providing reentry, alternatives-to-incarceration, and prison-based services for justice-involved adults and families. Comparable in scope across case management, employment, and community-based alternatives to incarceration.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing immediate employment, retention, and career advancement support for people returning from incarceration. Direct peer to TEEM's employment-services and reentry programs, with comparable workforce-readiness and employer-incentive orientation.
• Rubicon Programs: Bay Area nonprofit providing workforce development, reentry support, and social enterprise employment for justice-involved and low-income individuals. Mirrors TEEM's blend of employment-readiness training, employer partnerships, and wraparound case management.
• Center for Community Alternatives: Syracuse- and New York City-based nonprofit operating court-mandated alternative-to-incarceration and reentry programs with case management, employment, and restorative-justice services — directly comparable to TEEM's Community Sentencing and Reentry programs.
• Offender Aid and Restoration (OAR): Virginia-based nonprofit delivering pretrial, reentry, and community-service programs in partnership with courts and local governments. Directly comparable to TEEM's Pretrial Release Initiative and SHINE community-service program structure.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries of Central and Southern Oklahoma: Regional Goodwill affiliate providing workforce development, job placement, and reentry employment services across Oklahoma. Larger, broader portfolio than TEEM but overlaps materially on employment navigation and second-chance hiring.

Others

• Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP): National policy and advocacy organization advancing workforce and reentry policy for low-income and justice-involved populations. Adjacent rather than competitive — operates at the systems/policy level where TEEM operates at the direct-service level.

Regional players

• Volunteers of America Oklahoma: Oklahoma chapter of the national Volunteers of America network providing reentry, housing, behavioral health, and veteran services in the same geography as TEEM — directly overlapping target populations and referral networks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-education-and-employment-ministry-teem-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TEEM - The Education and Employment Ministry Inc.