The Lovelady Center
7916 2nd Ave S
Birmingham, AL 35206
About The Lovelady Center
The Lovelady Center is what the founder calls a “wholeway house” to empower female inmates to lead new lives through the help of God. This transitional program is for women who’ve been recently released on parole or are sentenced to this program as an alternative to jail time. Some women enter the program because they self identify as needing help to transition to a new life. This program runs for 9-12 months.
Lovelady Center is the only state supervised re-entry program in Alabama. They operate from Birmingham and also run thrift stores that generate more than half of the revenue needed to run this program. Program fees are kept as low as possible to make this program accessible for everyone.
Participants live and learn together in shared accommodations. Each person will complete the five stages of the program during their stay. Most women complete the program between 9-12 months. Residents coming from prison may get an exemption to complete a 6-month re-entry program.
I like that this program uses a credit system to help women gain the skills they need for life outside of the center. Each person must get at least 34 credits. This is the way staff measure effort. You’ll earn credits through participating in the program.
During your stay, you can get your GED or continuing education credits. There are also plenty of classes on a variety of topics including spiritual and physical health. Residents also get to participate in counseling sessions to help them come to terms with the root causes of their behavior issues.
Residents must participate in a job readiness program. Women get job readiness training by working in the Lovelady thrift stores. You’ll also need to stay clean and sober during the program. Before you leave, you’ll need to make a positive home plan so that you have a clear path forward.