Mission Statement
Our goal is to stop the school to prison pipeline in Oklahoma for young men by providing necessary survival skills and services, facilitating the need for career opportunities and instilling positive behavior change for lifetime success.
Letter From The Director
Change Through Empowerment
”You don’t get over an addiction by stopping using. You recover by creating a new life. Where it is easier to not use. If you don’t create a new life, then all the factors that brought you to your addiction will catch up with you again., “Steven Melemis.
With the United States being the number one (1) incarcerator of its citizens in the world the problem is obvious. The solution is also obvious, criminal justice reform. As crime rates fall and incarceration rates rise alternative answers to mass incarceration is a must.
The 1st Step Male Diversion Program is a substantial step to relieving our overcrowded prisons and returning sober, rehabilitated citizens to our communities.
1st Step takes motivated non-violent offenders and provides holistic support to the prison-bound non-violent offender allowing him to succeed in living a sober and productive life and eliminating a life of crime.
– David Phillips
”You don’t get over an addiction by stopping using. You recover by creating a new life. Where it is easier to not use. If you don’t create a new life, then all the factors that brought you to your addiction will catch up with you again., “Steven Melemis.
With the United States being the number one (1) incarcerator of its citizens in the world the problem is obvious. The solution is also obvious, criminal justice reform. As crime rates fall and incarceration rates rise alternative answers to mass incarceration is a must.
The 1st Step Male Diversion Program is a substantial step to relieving our overcrowded prisons and returning sober, rehabilitated citizens to our communities.
1st Step takes motivated non-violent offenders and provides holistic support to the prison-bound non-violent offender allowing him to succeed in living a sober and productive life and eliminating a life of crime.
– David Phillips
1st Step Graduation
"1st Step is proud to honor our January 23, 2020 graduates at the Tulsa County Court House. Dominique McCalister and Joseph Biddle are an exceptional example of what rehabilitation from criminal behavior resembles. We are most proud of these young men as they continue to thrive and lead successful lives. Thanks to our innovative approach to changing criminal behavior, we look forward to many more graduations".
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“The youngest member of our 1st Step Family is able to enjoy Halloween with her Dad, who is re-building his life with the help of our compassionate and professional team.” |
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A number of our participants were fortunate enough to have tickets donated to a recent Oklahoma City Thunder NBA game. For most, it was their first exposure to a professional athletic event. These are the kinds of experiences which reinforce the value of living a normal life as a free and responsible citizen. (And the Thunder won the game!). |
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“Some of our 1st Step Participants are fathers of young children. Halloween was as important to them as it is to every parent. It is part of the new life they are learning to enjoy”. |
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Rob Nigh House
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The 1st Step residence, which houses 7 of our young men, was officially dedicated in a reception and ceremony on September 27. The house was officially named the “Rob Nigh House” in honor of one of 1st Step’s founders, former Tulsa County Chief Public Defender, Robert Nigh who died in 2017. Members of the Board are gathered in on the front porch and guests and many of Rob Nigh’s family members are shown in the living room. This residence fulfills a dream of Rob and a key goal of 1st Step: to give young men a place to live free of the strife and negativity in which they so often had to endure in their early years.
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