From the REAL LIFE website:
REAL LIFE was founded in 2016 by Dr. Sarah Scarbrough as a response to the growing number of challenges faced by men and women exiting incarceration in Richmond, Virginia.
As Program Director in the Richmond City Justice Center (RCJC), or the City Jail, from 2013 to 2017, Dr. Scarbrough and her staff continued to receive multiple calls each week relating to the obstacles faced by returning citizens who were a part of The REAL (Recovery from Everyday Addictive Lifestyles) Program, the nationally and internationally recognized behavior modification program, when they were incarcerated.
As a response, we initially began REAL LIFE in the community as a way to continue assisting those exiting the jail program. From there, we grew based upon the need we continued to see by both those from the Richmond jail program, as well as from throughout Virginia. As a result, today, we have 11 recovery houses in Richmond, primarily serving a re-entry population and people from all over Virginia. This is coupled with comprehensive programming, a behavioral modification curriculum written by Dr. Scarbrough, intensive case management, multiple classes throughout the week, and employment and education navigation.
On average, people stay with us for about seven and a half months until the complete all requirements to graduate, as well as complete a transition plan.