Small Group Records Big Accomplishments at Birmingham DRC Graduation

By Matthew Estes

Published on June 27, 2024

There’s a tangible spirit of triumph in the air at every Birmingham Day Reporting Center (DRC) graduation ceremony, regardless of whether it’s a colossal assembly of 28, like back in August 2023, or a more intimate group of seven, as on Thursday, June 20, 2024. It’s transparent that the graduates have embraced the essence of the program, thanks largely to the dedicated leadership of Officer Leah Thompson and her unwavering team of officers and support staff.

Officers Edward Seabron, Ti’Keedra Feagins, Edwin Melton, Robert Reyes, and Carlos Jones, along with support staff members Janaska Hunter, Kayla Hicks, and Amanda Johnston, make a formidable team. They all deserve recognition for their hard work. However, most of the credit must go to the participants who have painstakingly applied the resources and teachings of the program to turn their lives around. Scanning the crowd on graduation day, one can’t help but see a closely-knit group that, through thick and thin, has banded together to become the biggest supporters of one another.

Sharing Stories of Triumph

A highlight of these graduations is when program participants, imbued with hope and new-found confidence, step up to share their life-changing experiences. Listening to Lindsey Gilley and James Starkey recount their time with the program is a testament to human resilience. The gleaming smiles on the faces of the staff members and community partners in the crowd were an acknowledgement of the life-altering work the DRC is doing.

Moving Forward with Strength and Positivity

Keynote Speaker Danny Dandridge, a mentor with the Offender Alumni Association, reinforced the power of resolve to the graduates. Bureau Director Cam Ward left the graduates with an empowering message of resilience, showing them that they possess the strength to overcome future challenges. This small group of seven may not look impressive on paper, but their achievement of graduating from the Birmingham DRC program is momentous.

The DRC gives probationers and parolees the help they need in the form of counseling, educational training, and supervision. It has an added focus on employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, mental health, and cognitive restructuring needs. With these tools, the DRC staff is committed to lowering recidivism rates and improving public safety through behavior change. Currently, full Day Reporting Centers are located in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, and Tuscaloosa, with condensed versions known as Day Reporting Center Lites, located in Albertville, Bay Minette, Fort Payne, Opelika and Jasper.

Even though life is full of challenges, these seven graduates show that with perseverance, positive change is possible. They are not only proof of the effectiveness of the DRC program but also offer hope and encouragement to the next batch of participants.