Our History
This program was the original program initiated by the Alabama Department of Corrections, SCORE, and J.F. Drake Technical and Community College. Dale Smith the founder and CEO of FreshSTART was at the time, the District Director of SCORE Alabama and the Panhandle of Florida. Score is a 501c3 owned by the Small Business Administration and was to provide the teacher, curriculum and mentors for every inmate that took the program. As the program got underway in approximately 2017 it was determined that none of the courses available through the SBA or SCORE fulfilled the requirements of an entrepreneurship program that suited men with felonies. In consultation with the leadership at J.F. Drake and Mr. Smith it was determined that Mr. Smith would create the curriculum and teach the cohorts. This began in 2018 and continued until March of 2020 when the prisons were closed due to Covid 19. During this time more than 250 men completed the courses, and the PREP (PReparing Entrepreneurs Program) Classes became the most successful class offered to inmate at Limestone Correctional Facility. (See Appendix A for letter of endorsement from the inmates and from the ADOC.) The program which was created by legislation in 2016 was to include two additional programs which did not come to fruition. (see appendix B)
2021 Legislation
Senators Del Marsh and Representative Singleton working with Dale Smith prepared new legislation. This was introduced in the Senate and ultimately passed unanimously and then went to House. The House had the first and second reading of the legislation which was again unanimous and was sent to Ways and Means Committee. The budget was approved and was sent to the House floor where it was not presented for it final reading and the measure died. Fortunately, the budget was approved so the program is in effect but does not have legislative approval and the budget was assigned to Ingram State Technical College to enact the program
