From an OAR Volunteer:

“I have had wonderful experiences with OAR - met great volunteers, staff and even inmates. It has been very rewarding. I’ve learned so much about life, others and even myself!”

Helen Brewer

From an OAR Client:

“I would like to thank OAR for helping me make the best out of this bad situation. The programs are very helpful. They have really opened my mind to other opportunities that I have in life. If not for OAR I don’t know if I would have taken my future as serious as I do now. I want to take this time again, to thank the County of Fairfax and the OAR program for taking the time to think of me more than just an inmate with a number and a name. Thank you for thinking of me as a man, a person that will one day return back to the community with a purpose in life.”

M.T.

 


 


OAR Mission     OAR History     FY 2006 Highlights     At a Glance: FY 2006 Program Outputs and Outcomes     General Information    

OAR Mission

Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources (OAR) of Fairfax County, Inc. is a local non-profit restorative justice organization providing human services since 1971. OAR’s mission is to rebuild lives and break the cycle of crime with opportunities, alternatives, and resources for offenders and their families to create a safer community.

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OARs History

 In September 1970, Offender Aid and Restoration of Virginia received its articles of incorporation. In 1971, the Fairfax OAR was established, and in 1973, Worrall opened the national office. At the height of the movement there were 22 local agencies in 10 states. Today there remain eight local OAR affiliates, four of which are in Virginia, who have emerged as viable non-profit organizations with expanded missions and service delivery areas. In 1998, OAR of Fairfax County voted to change its name from Offender Aid and Restoration to do business as “Opportunities, Alternatives & Resources” in order to better reflect the organization’s mission and goals.

OAR’s history has its roots in the highest principles of human rights, and the most practical applications of a community’s enlightened self-interest and citizen action. Its origins can be traced to a 1968 prison strike at the Sate Penitentiary in Richmond, Virginia. In response, several local churches convened a conference on Churches and the Correctional System. Following that effort, Jay Worrall, Jr. founded the OAR movement, which at the time stood for Offender Aid and Restoration. It was his vision of citizen visitors helping jail inmates that formed the original premise for the creation of OAR organizations around the country.

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FY 2006 Hightlights
  • OAR’s financial position is strong as verified by its audited financial statement for FY 2006
  • 3,293 clients were served and all performance measurement targets were met or exceeded
  • 97 volunteers contributed 6,035 hours of service to the community valued at $120,941
  • In-kind contributions were $228,904
  • Taxpayers were saved more than $500,000 in lieu of jail time through Alternative Sentencing programs
  • The Beacon, formerly the Delancey St. Replication Project, is on schedule (click here for link to The Beacon for more details)
  • The Virginia Department of Social Services awarded funds for the Responsible Fatherhood program
  • OAR was awarded funding from the Fairfax County Consolidated Community Funding Pool
  • Two additional faith communities joined other congregations in providing financial support
  • 203 homeless clients were assisted with housing needs
  • OAR continues to be a United Way agency in good standing and continues to receive United Way funding
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At a Glance: FY 2006 Program Outputs and Outcomes

  • Emergency Assistance: 868 clients aided
  • Skills Classes: 1,401 participants; 94% improved
  • Employment Referrals & Counseling:
  • 648 participants; 67% improved
  • One-to-One Mentoring: 98 participants; 72% improved
  • Community Service:
  • 802 participants; 90% of cases successfully closed
  • Fatherhood Program:
  • 102 participants; 54% improved
  • Programs for Families: 10 Family Support Group sessions helped 16 families; 51 classes held
  • Violence Intervention: 140 participants; 71% improved
  • Special Intervention (VASAVOR): 206 clients served to date; 3% recidivism (new law violations)
  • Information & Referral: 2,549 clients assisted
  • Volunteers: 97 volunteers provided 6,035 hours of service valued at $120,941

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      General Information

       Individuals caught up in the criminal justice system are targeted with rehabilitative and supportive services to help them become productive members of the community. OAR’s primary service area is Fairfax County, but some services are available in Prince William and Loudoun Counties and to any others in the Washington Metropolitan area processed through the Fairfax County Court system. Family programs are open to all in need, regardless of residency.

      OAR’s Board of Directors oversees all financial and policy issues and is accountable to the community. The Board has representatives from several official organizations, OAR volunteers and the community at large. In addition to bi-monthly meetings, Board members sit on five committees to assist with the growth and development of the agency. These committees include By-Laws, Programs, Resource Development, Marketing/Public Relations, and Board Development.

      Click here for information on OAR’s financial information and funding sources.

      OAR makes a difference in our entire community. Statistics clearly show that our current criminal justice system approach to incarceration does little to eliminate crime or create safer communities. Recidivism affects not only the offender, but also the victim of the crime, the children and family of the offender, taxpayers and the community as a whole. OAR of Fairfax County provides opportunities, alternatives and resources to rebuild lives and reduce recidivism.

      * Recidivism: A tendency to relapse into a former pattern of behavior, esp. a tendency to return to criminal habits.

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