Barbering & Cosmetology Trade Path
Hands-on training that mirrors Virginia DOC’s most successful trade program — preparing students for state licensing exams and a path to self-employment.
Institute of Forgiveness
The key to ending mass incarceration is forgiveness.
A mentoring institute for those with previous justice involvement. We work toward juvenile and criminal justice reform, rebuilding the core foundations of family and community in Richmond, Virginia and beyond.
Partnering youth with those with learned and lived experience opens them up to opportunities of success — and deters young people from entering the legal system.
SW
Sheba Williams
Founder, Institute of Forgiveness
Our Mission
Rebuilding the foundations of family and community.
A subsidiary of Nolef Turns Inc. · 501(c)(3)
Trade Training— Barbering & cosmetology licensure
Mentoring— Lived experience guides the way
Re-Entry Support— Dignity from day one
A professional barber and a battle for forgiveness. Sheba Williams is the founder of the Institute of Forgiveness; she uses her skills, training, and lived experience to change the juvenile and criminal legal systems in Virginia.
After spending years as a barber stylist, Sheba decided to use her barbering and cosmetology training to make a difference. She began a mentoring and trade program in 2016 after founding Nolef Turns Inc., which works to reduce recidivism by supporting and advocating alongside those with court and justice involvement.
Because barbering is the most successful trade offered in Virginia's Department of Corrections, the Institute uses it as a tool to teach self-employment skills, the path to state licensure, financial independence, and PRE-Entry mentoring for youth experiencing trauma that could otherwise pull them into the legal system.
What We Do
Programs that turn second chances into long-term change.
Every dollar funds training, basic-need support, and business startup assistance for people with current or previous justice involvement.
Mentoring with Lived Experience
Pairing youth and returning citizens with mentors who have walked the path — turning hard-earned wisdom into a deterrent against entering the legal system.
PRE-Entry Youth Services
Trauma-informed support for young people before crisis becomes contact with the juvenile system — building stability, identity, and opportunity.
Re-Entry & Self-Resolution Support
Toiletries, interview clothing, transportation, and a self-resolution fund that increases housing stability for individuals with background-check challenges.
Entrepreneurship & Startup Funding
Business startup assistance for individuals pursuing their own enterprise — financial literacy, mentorship, and seed support for licensed trades.
Holistic Care Re-Entry Center
Long-term vision: a residential facility that wraps returning citizens in re-entry services, community, and dignity from day one.
Your Impact
Every gift is a concrete second chance.
These are the real, named programs your donation funds. Tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law — EIN 47-5341386.
$50
Basic toiletries for two recently released individuals.
$100
Interview clothes, work boots, and transportation assistance for the first two weeks of new employment.
$500
Education and technical-skills training for individuals in need.
$1,000
Startup assistance for an individual launching their own business.
$2,500
Self-Resolution Fund — housing stability for individuals navigating background-check barriers.
$5,000
Real-estate fund for the future Holistic Care Re-Entry Center: a living facility for returning citizens.
Stand for Forgiveness
As we tackle the injustice system, our clients' needs grow with us.
Please consider a tax-deductible gift today. If you cannot give monetarily, we welcome you as a volunteer or mentor — both are vital to the work.
The Institute of Forgiveness is a subsidiary of Nolef Turns Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 47-5341386. All donations are deemed tax-deductible absent any limitations on deductibility applicable to a particular taxpayer.
Visit & Connect
Reach the Institute.
Whether you need our services, want to volunteer, or are interested in partnership — we're here in Richmond, Virginia and ready to talk.