Who We Are
Legacy of Juanida Pitts
Ms. Pitts accomplished 27 years of experience within the Mobile, Alabama area as a General Contractor and owner of three construction companies.
Previously incarcerated within the State of Alabama prison system, she received a sentence to life with the possibility of parole in 1996. After serving 15 years, she was paroled in April 2010 and received a pardon in December 2013.
Upon being paroled in 2010, Ms. Pitts co-opened a commercial lawn care business in Huntsville. This company was awarded City of Huntsville lawn service contracts along with the lawn service contract for 230 Advance Auto stores within the southeastern region of the United States.
In 2014, Ms. Pitts co-founded a 501c3 non-profit, A Cut Above the Rest Training Facility. Her mission to help ex-felons, displaced workers, and veterans secure a path to employment and build a community of support still resonates to this day.
Melinda Ricketts
Ms. Ricketts acquired 18 years of experience with the Department of Defense as a Computer Specialist, and 8 years of experience with the Boeing Company as a Software and Project Engineer.
Previously incarcerated within the State of Alabama prison system, she was sentenced to 10 years with 3.5 years served.
Upon being paroled in 2010, Ms. Ricketts opened a commercial lawn care business in Huntsville alongside Ms. Pitts.
In 2014, Ms. Ricketts co-founded A Cut Above the Rest Training Facility. She is committed to continuing their mission of empowerment and helping ex-felons, displaced workers, and veterans secure a brighter future.
Our Team
Melinda Ricketts
Executive Director
Kelton Barkley
Facilitator, Birmingham & Tuscaloosa
Phyllis Richey
Facilitator, Huntsville, Colbert County, Birmingham, & Tuscaloosa
Jack Miller
Facilitator, Montgomery
What We Do
Our organization provides life, cognitive behavioral, mentoring and construction job skills to ex-felons re-entering society after incarceration. We currently have a MOU with the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Parole (ABPP) to train individuals that are released but required to attend the ABPP Day Reporting Centers. We are also state vendors for the State of Alabama Department of Rehabilitative Services and State of Alabama Department of Human Resources/Employment and Training/A-RESET vendor.
Our co-founders were ex-offenders themselves, and they understand the trials and tribulations that come with the release back into society. Moreover, they understand society’s view of ex-offenders and the challenges it creates. It is this understanding and knowledge that has made this training facility, A CUT ABOVE THE REST.