A Decatur nonprofit founded out of personal loss and firsthand experience with incarceration is gaining meaningful support from city leaders, as officials look to expand efforts aimed at recovery and second chances.
The Decatur City Council voted unanimously this week to approve roughly $370,000 in funding for the Victorious Reentry Program.
The organization, led by Executive Director Victoria Bell, was founded in 2024 and focuses on helping men transition back into everyday life after incarceration and addiction. Bell’s motivation is deeply personal, shaped by the loss of loved ones to substance abuse and her own family’s experience navigating the reentry system.
“This is a program for recovering addictions, men who have been addicted to drugs, alcohol, opiates and this is a recovery home for them also, as well as men that are transitioning out that had addiction issues in prison,” Bell said, according to the station.
Before launching the nonprofit, Bell spent more than a decade working as a correctional social worker at Limestone Correctional Facility, where she saw how difficult it can be for individuals to stay on track after release.
That experience now shapes the mission of Victorious Reentry, which aims to provide stability and support for men working to rebuild their lives and avoid falling back into cycles of addiction or incarceration.
The organization offers housing and guidance as participants adjust to life outside prison, with a broader focus on helping them regain independence and reconnect with their communities, according to the organization’s website.
City leaders say the investment reflects both the need for those services and the program’s early impact.
“She showed that the programs that she offers, the support that she offers, and she had people there to talk about it and it just shows the impact that she can make on people’s lives,” Council President Kyle Pike told local reporters.
The funding will come from opioid settlement dollars and is expected to support the program over the next three years, helping cover essentials like housing, outreach and transportation as it continues to grow.
Councilmember Pam Werstler said efforts like this can have a ripple effect beyond individual participants, particularly when it comes to employment and community stability.
“If employers feel reluctant to hire someone that has a background issue, somebody that’s made some mistakes in the past but if turning their life around, here’s a good way for those people to reenter the job market and help the community, as well as them,” Werstler said.
While the program continues to expand, Bell said her focus remains on creating a place where people have a real opportunity to move forward.
“I just said that if I can provide a place where somebody can keep their loved one and not go through what I went through and possibly help them, then it’s all worth it,” she said
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
