Offender Aid and Restoration of Arlington County Inc

“A copy of the Form 990 is reviewed by the accounting firm and aproved by the Executive Director. Upon Executive Director's approval, it is forwarded to the full Board of Directors for review and approval.”

“Each director, officer, and key staff is required to review a copy of the conflict of interst policy annually, which requires each person to disclose any relationships, positions, or circumstances in which he or she believes could contribute to a conflict of interest. Follwoing full disclosure of a possilbe conflict of interest, the Board of Directors shall determine whether a conflict of interst exists, and if so, the Board shall vote to authorize or reject the transaction or take any other action deemed necessary to address the conflict and protect the organization's best interests.”

“The Board of Directors awards all employees of OAR, including the Executive Director, an automatic yearly 3% cost-of-living increase. In addition, compensation decisions for the Executive Director are made using comparability data for similar positions in comparable organizations and are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors. The organization currently has no other compensated officers or employees meeting the key employee definition.”

“OAR makes its governing documents, certain policies including conflict of interest policy and financial statements available upon request based on discretion of management.”

“No documents available to the public.”

“Continued . . . OAR is improving communities and increasing public safety through Upstream efforts (social justice, education, and legislative change) and Downstream efforts (journeying with individuals experiencing incarceration, reentering the community after their release, and offering alternative sentencing options).”

“Continued . . . The dream for OAR is not to have to exist 50 years after that since we no longer want to be needed. To achieve that, OAR must do great work both Upstream (social justice, education, and legislative change) and Downstream (journeying with individuals experiencing incarceration, reentering the community after their release, and offering alternative sentencing options). Through our Upstream work, we are confronting and dismantling injustices and marginalizations in the legal system and across all systems, as well as advocating for legislative change. Our Downstream work allows us to be on the journey with individuals of all genders impacted by the criminal legal system and support their families in the reentry process. We journey with approximately 500 individuals reentering the community pre-release and post-release, as well as their families, approximately 300 children and families each year. We also offer alternative sentencing options, including community service and diversion programs, so people can avoid the trauma of incarceration and instead help the community thrive. We journey with approximately 100 youth and 1,000 adults enrolled in our alternative sentencing and diversion programs each year. OAR is a collective, non-dominant, decolonizing, racially and ethnically just, radically joyful, deeply loving, come-as-you-are, and liberated organization that puts participants first. We center authentic and fully engaged relationships with all members of the OAR community. OAR uses people-first and strength-based language and sees participants as experts on themselves and leaders of their own lives and plans. OAR actively recruits collective members, volunteers, board members, and contractors who have shared life experiences with program participants, i.e., experience with incarceration or directly impacted by the criminal legal system, experienced with racial marginalization, experience with substance use disorder or mental health needs, or experience with having a loved one affected by incarceration, the criminal legal system, racial marginalization, substance use disorder, or mental health needs.”

“Continued . . . . Our Peer Recovery specialists (individuals with the wisdom and insight of shared experiences and special training) collaborate with the participants pre-release and post-release. OAR offers one-on-one and group programs, training, courses, sessions, and activities, including evidence-based cognitive-behavioral support, fatherhood and healthy relationships, psychotherapy, vocational, educational, personal development, wellness, substance use, reentry planning and readiness, and family reunification. OAR's Reentry program increases public safety.”

“Continued . . . . Some of these efforts include ensuring that OAR's internal culture remains just and joyful, facilitating conversations with partners on creating just and joyful spaces, making presentations in the community about our Upstream efforts, working with local law enforcement agencies, Courts, and the Commonwealth Attorney's offices to eliminate discriminatory practices and policies, and partnering with legislators to change laws. OAR also has a 45-poing advocacy and legislative agenda informed by many stakeholders to focus our efforts for the coming years, including 1) reducing the incarcerated population by 20% each year, 2) decreasing the racial disparity in sentencing by at least 20%, 3) establishing expungement in Virginia, and 4) banning the box on all applications, including employment, housing, and educational institutions. OAR is also part of the PAPIS (Pre-release and Post- Incarceration Services) Coalition, a group of nine organizations. Together, we hire a lobbying firm to advocate for increased reentry funding from Virginia.”

“Continued . . . . Another shining example is OAR's Diversion program, which was implemented in partnership with the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney of Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. Because of OAR's alternative sentencing and diversion programs, instead of experiencing the trauma of incarceration, more than 1,200 participants stayed in the community and had a 98% success rate. The participants performed meaningful volunteer work and helped their communities thrive. Some participants also get their cases dismissed altogether, and several have been hired at their service sites because of their hard work and dedication. In addition, we have access to a network of more than 300 nonprofits, government organizations, civic organizations, and faith communities that welcome Community Service participants as volunteers. OAR's Alternative Sentencing and Diversion programs increase public safety.”