About Us
Our Story of Hope & Transformation
Built by those who have walked the hardest paths, OAA turns lived experience into lasting community change.
Who We Are
Peer-Led. Community-Drive. Impact-Focused.
The Offender Alumni Association is a peer-led organization dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals and families impacted by incarceration and violence. We believe that those who have lived through the criminal justice system are uniquely positioned to help others navigate the path to stability.
Our approach combines lived-experience mentorship, system navigation, and community-based support to reduce violence, recidivism, and community harm. We are committed to championing the healing, dignity, and empowerment of every person we serve.
For most people, the journey with OAA begins through our Weekly Support Groups — a welcoming, peer-led space where justice-impacted individuals can connect, share, and find encouragement. These groups serve as the primary entry point into our community, offering immediate support while opening doors to our broader programs and resources.
Partners
Who We Are
Milestones of Impact
2014
Founded
Deborah Daniels founded OAA and launched its first weekly support forum at Impact Family Counseling, drawing on 22 years of Prison Fellowship service.
2015
Leadership
Dena Dickerson was appointed Executive Director. OAA hosted its first Banished No More Conference at Gardendale First Baptist Church.
2016
501(c)(3) Status
OAA received nonprofit status and launched support forums inside Alabama prisons St. Clair & Limestone, beginning reentry before offenders left confinement.
2016
Youth Initiative
Funded by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, OAA mentored 15 juvenile justice-involved youth — 13 completed, five found jobs, two enlisted in the armed forces.
2017
Family Forums
OAA incorporated bi-weekly family support forums after recognizing how deeply incarceration imprisoned families as well.
2017
Summer Program
OAA launched a Youth Career Readiness Initiative serving 14 inner-city youth, inspired by members’ own at-risk youth experiences.
2018
Federal Recognition
OAA expanded to Georgia, earning its first government contract through Project Safe Neighborhoods. The President of the United States commended OAA’s impact at the 2018 National PSN Conference.
2019
Lead Organization
Selected as lead organization for the US Attorney’s Office Northern District of Georgia for a two-year prevention/reentry strategy for high-risk adults and juvenile justice-involved youth.
2020
COVID Response
OAA members delivered groceries and essentials to vulnerable residents across the Birmingham area, serving as a critical community lifeline during the pandemic.
2021
Savannah Expansion
OAA launched support forums in Savannah, GA — fulfilling a promise made to Julius Campbell in a correctional facility two years prior upon his release.
2022
Hospital Partnership
Jefferson County Dept. of Health declared gun violence a public health crisis and selected OAA for an inpatient violence intervention program at UAB Hospital Trauma Division.
2023
A Home of Our Own
After nine years borrowing space, the City of Birmingham gifted OAA an office building at 1200 Tuscaloosa Avenue in the West End — a permanent community home.
2025
ER Program
The City of Birmingham extended OAA’s hospital program to include the Emergency Room Department, expanding reach to violence victims at their most critical moment.
2026
Public Health Champion
Named Jefferson County Department of Health’s 2026 Public Health Champion for extraordinary work reducing gun violence through the Violence Intervention & Prevention Partners Program.
Who We Are
Milestones of Impact
2014
Founded
Deborah Daniels founded OAA and launched its first weekly support forum at Impact Family Counseling, drawing on 22 years of Prison Fellowship service.
2015
Leadership
Dena Dickerson was appointed Executive Director. OAA hosted its first Banished No More Conference at Gardendale First Baptist Church.
2016
501(c)(3) Status
OAA received nonprofit status and launched support forums inside Alabama prisons St. Clair & Limestone, beginning reentry before offenders left confinement.
2016
Youth Initiative
Funded by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, OAA mentored 15 juvenile justice-involved youth — 13 completed, five found jobs, two enlisted in the armed forces.
2017
Family Forums
OAA incorporated bi-weekly family support forums after recognizing how deeply incarceration imprisoned families as well.
2017
Federal Recognition
OAA expanded to Georgia, earning its first government contract through Project Safe Neighborhoods. The President of the United States commended OAA’s impact at the 2018 National PSN Conference.
2019
Lead Organization
Selected as lead organization for the US Attorney’s Office Northern District of Georgia for a two-year prevention/reentry strategy for high-risk adults and juvenile justice-involved youth.
2020
COVID Response
OAA members delivered groceries and essentials to vulnerable residents across the Birmingham area, serving as a critical community lifeline during the pandemic.
2021
Savannah Expansion
OAA launched support forums in Savannah, GA — fulfilling a promise made to Julius Campbell in a correctional facility two years prior upon his release.
2022
Hospital Partnership
Jefferson County Dept. of Health declared gun violence a public health crisis and selected OAA for an inpatient violence intervention program at UAB Hospital Trauma Division.
2023
A Home of Our Own
After nine years borrowing space, the City of Birmingham gifted OAA an office building at 1200 Tuscaloosa Avenue in the West End — a permanent community home.
2025
ER Program
The City of Birmingham extended OAA’s hospital program to include the Emergency Room Department, expanding reach to violence victims at their most critical moment.
2026
Public Health Champion
Named Jefferson County Department of Health’s 2026 Public Health Champion for extraordinary work reducing gun violence through the Violence Intervention & Prevention Partners Program.
Who We Are
Meet the Team
Dedicated leaders driving our mission of community healing and empowerment.