Colonel Jay Worrall established the first Offender Aid and Restoration program in 1971 in Roanoke, Virginia. This pilot program marked the beginning of a statewide effort to meet the needs of offenders through the use of citizen volunteers and community groups. An Offender Aid and Restoration Advisory Board was formed in Richmond in 1971 and the Rev. Robert L. Mordhorst was hired as the first director. The OAR Advisory Board was incorporated in 1974 as Offender Aid and Restoration of Richmond, Inc.

In 1975 the United Way of Greater Richmond accepted OAR as a member agency and began funding the OAR Richmond City Jail Services Program.

At the request of Judge Jose R. Davila, Jr. and with initial funding from the Cidanjo Foundation OAR began a Court Services Program in 1975 to provide sentencing alternatives to the Richmond General District courts. Since the late 1970s the city of Richmond has funded OAR's programs.

In 1982 OAR's Jail Services Program was expanded beyond the Richmond City Jail to jails in the counties of Hanover, Henrico, and Chesterfield with state funding administered by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

A pilot Pretrial Services program was begun in 1986 with funding provided under contract with the Richmond Community Diversion Incentive Program. The pilot program was subsequently expanded to all three Richmond General District Courts with state funding from DCJS beginning in January, 1990.

OAR was accredited by the National OAR Board of Directors in May, 1988. At that time OAR of Richmond was one of 11 affiliates in six states.

In September, 1988, OAR's Jail Services Program through contract with DCJS was expanded to include the Petersburg City Jail and jail annex. At the initiation of local jail officials in 1989 OAR began providing services at the Rappahannock Security Center in Fredericksburg. Funding was provided by the Rappahannock Regional Jail Board and the Rappahannock United Way. After two years of successful operation by OAR, the Rappahannock Regional Jail Board voted to assume direct operation of the program.

In 1989 OAR sold property that had been used as a residential facility for persons being released from the Virginia Department of Corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The organization invested the proceeds of this sale and restricted its use to property acquisitions and renovations, future program expansion, and emergencies due to unexpected funding losses.

In September, 1990 the OAR Central Office became the site of an expanded Post-release Program serving anyone who had been previously incarcerated. This service was started using VCU Work Study students. During the first year of operation 205 post-release clients were served. Post-release services were further expanded with the opening of a post-release office in Chesterfield County in 1992.

In 1992 OAR was awarded funding by the Virginia Law Foundation to start the state's first Impact of Crime on Victims Program. The program was developed for classroom instruction for jail inmates over a 16 week period with two-hour, once a week sessions. The program was piloted at the Henrico County Jail.

In 1994 with the opening of the Henrico County Jail Farm and Regional Jail in New Kent County, OAR further expanded its Jail Services Program (now called pre-release services) into another service site.

The Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) opened Day Reporting Centers for court-ordered misdemeanants in several localities beginning in 1993. OAR was requested to provide employment services and place court-ordered community service program participants in day reporting centers in Richmond and Norfolk. OAR started the programs, trained DOC staff, and operated both programs through FY 1997.

Because of the growth in the Central Office post-release program and the lack of space to appropriately serve clients, the organization began the search for a larger space to lease in the downtown area in the mid 1990s. Signet Bank owned a building at the corner of Third and Main streets that had been vacant for over four years. After much due diligence by both OAR's Board of Directors and Signet's real estate department and the award of Virginia Neighborhood Assistance tax credits to OAR, the property was deeded to OAR in 1995. Reserve funds were used for renovations and OAR moved into the property in 1996. The property has become a major asset to the organization and allowed for tremendous growth in services offered and number of clients served.

New legislation effective in 1996 established local community corrections agencies in most jurisdictions in Virginia. This new structure was created to develop and enhance court services programs throughout the Commonwealth. Since OAR had been the pilot site of both alternative sentencing and pretrial release programs, the design of these newly legislated programs was based on OAR's models. At this time OAR chose to concentrate on its pre/post-release services program and give up the court services program. In Richmond these services were assumed by the Richmond Office of Community Corrections.

When Riverside Regional Jail was completed in 1997, OAR was requested by DCJS to start the pre-release services program for that facility. OAR operated the program for two years before turning it over to the local Riverside Community Corrections agency.

In 1997 OAR received funding from the Virginia Law Foundation to develop a Law-related Consequences of Crime curriculum for educational groups at the organization's jail services sites. With funding from the Virginia Department of Health and United Way Services, OAR began offering Responsibilities of Fatherhood classes in the jails.

In 1998 OAR joined Prison Family Support Services, Inc. and Communities in Schools of Richmond, Inc. to develop and implement a collaborative program, Milk & Cookies, providing services to children with an incarcerated parent in two elementary schools in southside Richmond. Funding for this expansion of services was provided by United Way Services and the Robins Foundation. This was OAR's first "true" collaborative venture with shared funding and shared responsibilities.

When OAR's building at Third and Main Streets was renovated in 1996, funds were not available to complete the first floor. In 1998 a grant of $50,000 was received from a local private foundation for this purpose. Renovations were completed in 1999 giving the organization space for client group activities and community Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

During FY 1998 OAR initiated performance outcomes and incentives related to client job retention for 90 days, six months, and one year. In the years since 30 day, two and three year increments have been added. Clients are recognized and rewarded for maintaining consistent full-time employment.

Since October, 2000, OAR's Executive Director has served on a multi-agency statewide Transition Services Task Force addressing the service needs of persons being released from a Virginia prison. OAR hosts and chairs these bimonthly meetings.

As one of the recognized PAPIS (Pre-release and Post-incarceration Services) providers in the Commonwealth, OAR had been receiving state funding since 1982. Due to the state's economic crisis, these funds were eliminated December 31, 2002, representing a loss of $277,082 annually for OAR of Richmond. Since the loss of state funds, the organization has continued to seek new funding sources and lobby for the restoration of state funds. Because of new funding from the Jackson Foundation, an increase in city of Richmond funding, and temporary federal funding made available through DCJS and the Governor's office, OAR has been able to continue, and expand through collaborations, services to an increasing number of clients. The only service change resulting from loss of funds was the closing of OAR's post-release office in Chesterfield County.

FY 2004 was an extremely busy year for OAR. A youthful offender reentry program serving persons age 15-25 releasing from a juvenile or adult correctional facility and returning to specific public housing communities was started at the request of, and with funding from, Weed and Seed of Richmond, Inc.

OAR was invited to participate in the development of both the Richmond city manager's Crime Reduction Public Safety Plan and the Richmond Police Department Crime Control Plan.

5,782 clients were served by the organization during the year; 3,081 of this record number were post-release clients.

Early in the fiscal year, OAR was able to accomplish one of the organization's major goals in its Long-range Strategic Plan. Through collaboration with Boaz and Ruth, Inc., a retail store offering "experienced" furniture and home accessories was opened on the first floor of OAR's building. This is the first of OAR's venture into creating income-generating activities leading to less dependence on outside funding sources. Other income-generating businesses and projects are being researched by the organization's Special Projects Developer, a new position partially funded for the first year by the Robins Foundation.

OAR’s website, www.oarric.org, was finalized through the efforts of volunteers and quickly started being picked up through various search engines.

Along with continuing a number of existing collaborations with local organizations, OAR began new collaborations with the Minority Health Consortium, the Consumer Action/Capital One MoneyWise Financial Literacy Outreach and Education Project, F.I.R.S.T. Contractors, and a Substance Abuse Counseling Services program.  Collaborations are an effective and cost efficient way of expanding and strengthening the services and resources that are available for our clients in the community.

In 2005 OAR’s Executive Director served on the Planning Committee for the first statewide Offender Reentry Summit on Housing sponsored by the Governor’s Policy Academy subcommittee on Reentry and Homelessness. 

OAR’s administrative staff continued participation on a number of Homeward subcommittees addressing the issue of systems integration.  These subcommittees resulted in a central point of entry for homeless persons seeking shelter making it easier to identify and place adults with a criminal record in appropriate housing.  Homeward’s first annual Point-in-Time survey of the region’s homeless population indicated that over 60% of the homeless population have a criminal record. 

OAR’s Executive Director was asked to serve on the city of Richmond’s Offender Reentry Committee chaired by the Criminal Justice Planner.  This committee will work closely with the Richmond Community Criminal Justice Board to identify gaps and duplication in services and develop long-range plans for  criminal justice services in the city.     

OAR’s Youthful Offender Program ended in 2006 when the city’s Weed and Seed funding was not renewed. 

2006 and 2007 were some of OAR’s most productive years with new initiatives, new programs, and new positions all related to a national, state, and local focus on offender reentry.  Richmond was selected by the Governor’s Offender Reentry Policy Academy as one of five pilot reentry sites in Virginia.  OAR was requested to co-coordinate the reentry model in Richmond with the Richmond Department of Social Services.  No state funding was appropriated for the pilots; however, OAR raised private funding for a new Reentry Specialist position to assist the Executive Director in this new initiative.  The Richmond Reentry Council was formed along with a direct services reentry team that works closely with the prison reentry teams at Fluvanna and Powhatan Correctional Centers, the Richmond pilot’s designated prisons for the model, four local subcommittees addressing the barriers faced by persons returning to the city of Richmond, and a media outreach campaign subcommittee.

In collaboration with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney, the Richmond Public Defender, the Richmond Department of Adult Probation Services, the YWCA, Minority Health Consortium, and other community organizations, OAR initiated the development of a case management services program, A New Direction (AND), focused on persons involved in prostitution in the city of Richmond.  After a national review of best practices in similar programs, the program initially started by identifying women at the Richmond City Jail who had been convicted of prostitution or admitted engaging in prostitution and wanted to change their behavior.  A Special Programs Case Manager position was created to work just with this population.  The collaboration partners began to work on a plan to extend the program to the court system as a diversion option.

OAR was requested to participate as a partner in the Richmond Police Department’s Call-in Project targeting gang members currently on supervision through the Department of Corrections’ Probation and Parole office in Richmond.  The Call-in Project has been used successfully to decrease crime in other localities throughout the country.  The intent is for the project to be an ongoing partnership among law enforcement, private and public service providers, the faith community, and former victims of crime.

At the initiation of Homeward and Central Intake, the entry point for housing for the homeless in the Richmond region, a Community Services Team was formed to address the complex needs of the chronically homeless in our community.  OAR was invited to be a team member since a number of our clients have been in and out of homelessness for several years.  Any service provider in the region may refer clients to the team; team members review the case and determine ways to work with the client differently than in the past.  A service plan is developed and reviewed with the client.  The intent is for the Team to continue to follow each client’s progress and through an integrated approach assist each client to remain stabilized in housing—thus decreasing the number of chronically homeless in our region.                      

OAR was awarded the contract for facilitating inmate groups in DOC’s pre-release jail programs. 

OAR’s Executive Director was appointed by the legislature to serve on the Senate Joint Resolution 126 subcommittee “studying the Commonwealth’s Program for Prisoner Reentry to society”. 

The United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg recognized OAR’s Executive Director for her work on agency outcomes. 

OAR received a contribution of over 4,000 work boots from a local businessman.  The agency shared the contribution with local jails and twelve public and nonprofit community agencies. 

Due to increased need for post-release services OAR changed the Petersburg case manager position from part time to full time and entered into a partnership with the area Workforce Development Center to open our post-release office in the Center. 

Prior to the opening of the new jail in Chesterfield County, jail staff indicated interest in expanded hours for case management services in the jail.  Through increased funding from the Department of Criminal Justice Services OAR was able to continue both pre and post-release services in the county.  The post-release office was relocated to the Capital Area Workforce Development Center in the county.

OAR received private foundation funding for housing for persons in the AND Program providing the organization and its partners  more options for stabilizing the lives of program participants in both the post-release and diversion components.

OAR staff attended the state’s first annual reentry conference and helped facilitate workshops during the conference.             

The organization has been approached by the Virginia Department of Health to assist with a way to start HIV testing in the local jails in which OAR provides case management services.  OAR has gotten the agreement of two local sheriffs to allow exit HIV testing in their jails.  This pilot project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is anticipated to begin in 2008.

Another new initiative planned for 2008 is a local reentry model based on the current state pilot model for the Richmond City Jail.