Who We Are
Who We AreThe essence of our organization exists in the human spirit – the spirit and passion of those who serve and the spirit and determination of those who accept our services. We are dedicated to raising awareness of our cause and serving those in need.
In this section, you will find everything about our people, mission, and history. If you want to learn more about our organization, please continue to explore our website. You must get to know more to feel comfortable working with us. Once you take the time to find out what we’re all about, we are confident you will want to be part of the work we do.
Roots of Change- Our History
Our program got its start inside a California prison with a small group of male prisoners who were serving long sentences and life terms. We created a support group for men like us. Our objective was to brainstorm strategies to learn from and use to obtain freedom through the parole board and/or the judicial process. Our committed group met every Sunday on the recreation yard’s bleachers. As word spread, our numbers quickly grew. The group continued to come together to share case law related to life sentences and discuss self-help methods. Some men gained their freedom.
In 2007, the group, headed by Yusef-Andre Wiley, approached Avenal State Prison administrators with a proposal to establish the group as a legitimate program recognized by prison officials. We called our program Timeless—A Lifer Support Group. As interest in rehabilitation grew, Timeless opened its workshops to the entire prison population and, eventually, parolees. Through the curriculum we created and the work the participants put in, we discovered if a person is willing and able to think critically about their life and the world around them, they will realize “it is never too late to change.”
“It’s never too late to change” became the tagline for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated participants doing this work toward freedom of the mind, body, and spirit. Once we officially incorporated our efforts as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2013, we became known as Timelist Group, Inc. This new name has a lot of significance, as we started as a group of men doing a lot of time in prison who offered our peers a long list of programs in the struggle for brotherhood, connection, and freedom. Additionally, prison policy requires a prisoner’s name to be on an official participation list to attend self-help programs. The founding members visited each housing unit to post a sign-up sheet to ensure all those desiring to change their lives could take the first step by adding their names to the list.
To this day, we have remained true to our roots and continue to build support group circles and offer courses designed to address the various social and cognitive behavioral problems many incarcerated individuals face.
Building Systems That Last. Developing Leaders Who Lead.
Timelist Group, Inc. partners with counties, agencies, and communities to design scalable reentry systems and develop justice-involved leaders who drive long-term change.
We don’t just deliver programs—we build infrastructure that improves outcomes at scale.
What We Do
Systems + Workforce = Sustainable Impact
Reentry System Design & Implementation
We build coordinated, data-informed reentry systems that:
- Improve program efficiency
- Strengthen service delivery
- Reduce recidivism and increase stability
- Justice-Involved Workforce Development
We create structured career pipelines—from Resident Aide Monitors to executive leadership—developing professionals with lived experience into system leaders.
Why It Works
A Model Built for Results and Scale
Funders partner with Timelist because we focus on:
- Systems-Level Impact
We strengthen infrastructure, not just individual programs - Scalable Models
Our frameworks are designed for replication across counties - Leadership Development
We build a workforce that reflects and improves the systems it serves - Operational Alignment
Our work integrates with real-world government systems and funding structures
How We Scale Impact
Timelist Academy
Our flagship initiative expands impact beyond direct service:
- Leadership training and certification
- Workforce development pathways
- Technical assistance for partners
- Models and case studies that inform policy and funding decisions
Result: A growing ecosystem of trained leaders and proven systems that extend impact across regions.
Investing in Long-Term Systems Change
Timelist Group is building the infrastructure, leadership, and models needed to create lasting improvements in justice systems.
Your investment supports scalable solutions, not temporary programs.