Prisoner’s Pardon Advocacy

Justice. Respect. Accountability. Forgiveness.

Prisoner’s Pardon Advocacy (PPA) is a non-profit organization that addresses the difficulties facing the formerly incarcerated. Our primary tool: a proprietary Forgiveness RE-Model Support, developed to help restore these individuals to healthy, happy, productive lives.

About us

What sets us apart is our belief that true rehabilitation isn’t only about legal or structural change. For a person to thrive after incarceration, healing must happen in three intertwined dimensions

Michelle Alicea — Founder & CEO
Prisoner’s Pardon Advocacy

Where Justice meets forgiveness

Michelle is the Founder and CEO of Prisoner’s Pardon, a mission-driven organization rooted in her powerful personal journey with the justice system. Her commitment to reform began with her brother’s incarceration—a struggle that spanned more than 40 years and exposed the painful cycle of recidivism. Witnessing this firsthand fueled her determination to pursue real, restorative solutions for individuals, families, and communities impacted by incarceration.

Born and raised on Chicago’s West Side, Michelle grew up surrounded by the realities of violence, instability, and systemic failure. These early experiences shaped her passion for justice, healing, and transformation. A graduate of DePaul University with a B.A. in Training & Organizational Development, she went on to build a distinguished career as a Business Analyst and Training Specialist. Alongside her professional work, she volunteered with organizations including Wisconsin Literacy and Job Corps, mentored youth and women, and spent years supporting re-entry programs.

With more than 30 years of experience spanning paralegal work, probation and parole administration, authorship, and podcast hosting, Michelle developed a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system. Yet her most profound insights emerged from her own internal transformation. While seeking answers for her brother and her community, she confronted—and ultimately overcame—unconscious biases and faults, unforgiveness, and unresolved wounds that kept her spiritually bound.

Michelle discovered that in order to help others, she first needed to experience freedom herself.

This personal breakthrough—learning to forgive, to seek forgiveness, and to embrace true accountability—became the foundation of her book A Prisoner’s Pardon. It also inspired the launch of the Prisoner’s Pardon non-profit organization, the development of the 7-Step RE-Model Support program, a children’s book, and a range of training programs designed to break destructive cycles and promote lasting restoration.

Through her research and lived experience, Michelle arrived at one core conviction:

Forgiveness is the essential key to healing individuals and transforming justice-impacted communities.

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Forgiveness RE-Model Support

We guide formerly incarcerated individuals through a compassionate, person-centered process to heal, rebuild, and reclaim their lives with dignity. This service includes:

Step-by-step guidance through our 7-Step Forgiveness RE-Model Support (spiritual, self, and societal reconciliation)
Emotional and psychological support — helping clients work through guilt, shame, and trauma
Peer and mentor support — building a supportive community of understanding and solidarity

This is ideal for those who want more than legal help: you want a fresh start on the inside and outside.

Pardon/Expungement

Getting a second chance often involves navigating complex legal processes. We provide practical, expert support to help you:

Understand your eligibility for pardon or expungement
Prepare and file required documentation
Access legal counsel or referral to trusted attorneys when needed
Follow up to help restore rights and improve chances for employment, housing, or community reintegration

If you—or someone you care about—need help clearing your record or understanding legal next steps, this service can offer clarity and direction.

Employment Search

A meaningful, stable job can be life-changing after incarceration. Through this service we:

Help you prepare for job applications — from résumé creation to interview readiness
Connect you with employers open to giving second-chance applicants real opportunities
Offer coaching and support to help you succeed on the job and build a stable career path

We believe in second chances — not just in paper, but in real work, dignity, and productivity.

Financial Literacy

Rebuilding life isn’t just about finding a job; it’s also about managing money, planning for the future, and gaining financial independence. Our program includes:

Basics of budgeting, saving, and managing money responsibly
Guidance on setting financial goals, avoiding debt, and rebuilding credit (where applicable)
Support for long-term financial resilience — so clients can focus on growth, not survival

This services helps clients build a stable foundation for their new chapter.

Entrepreneurship

For clients with vision and drive, we offer tools and guidance to turn that into opportunity. Through this service we:

Teach fundamentals of starting a small business: planning, budgeting, marketing, operations
Provide mentorship and support tailored to second-chance entrepreneurs — helping you avoid common pitfalls
Offer networking and community support to help you launch and sustain a business with purpose

This is for those looking not only to rebuild, but to create something new for themselves and their community.

Advocacy

Re-entry isn’t only about individual change — it’s about society’s acceptance and support. With this service we:

Engage in advocacy to reduce stigma and promote inclusion of formerly incarcerated individuals
Build outreach programs to help clients connect with community resources, housing, support groups, and reintegration networks
Create safe spaces for sharing stories, healing, and support — so clients know they’re not alone

We don’t just help individuals. We strive to shift societal perception and build a community of compassion and real second chances.

Outreach

We use clear, everyday language so our services are easy to understand — because people seeking support shouldn’t be confused by jargon.
Each service explains who it’s for, what it includes, and how to get started — helping visitors quickly see if we’re right for them.
Wired Impact
We structure content with short paragraphs, meaningful headings, and bullet points — making it easy to scan and absorb for readers who may be in crisis or under stress

WHO We Are and WHAT We Do

Life after incarceration can be overwhelming — even the simplest things become heavy. Many formerly incarcerated individuals struggle with stigma, rejection, limited job prospects, unstable housing, and emotional burdens such as guilt, shame, or low self-esteem.

I founded PPA because we saw far too many people dropped back into society with few resources and little support. We understood that what they needed wasn’t just legal guidance, but a chance to heal — mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. That’s why we developed our proprietary 7-Step Forgiveness RE-Model Support: a holistic framework designed to help each person reconcile their past, rebuild their self-worth, and reintegrate with dignity, purpose, and hope.