Our Mission

We support women and girls impacted by incarceration to recognize their full potential, restore their lives and discover new possibilities.

10th Annual #freeHER March & Rally in Washington, D.C.

2016

Syrita Steib founded Operation Restoration in 2016 to build a community and support system for women impacted by incarceration through education.

OR hosted the first Bridging the Gap Symposium “Real Women, Real Voices” in partnership with The Ladies of Hope Ministries. OR started building relationships with local and national organizations, and Syrita began participating in speaking engagements across the nation.

2017

OR wrote and successfully advocated for the passage of LA Act 276 (Ban the Box), prohibiting public colleges in Louisiana from asking about criminal history in admissions. Louisiana was the first state to pass this historic legislation. Since then, OR has worked with partners to replicate and pass Ban the Box in Maryland (2017), Washington state (2018), Colorado (2019) and California (2020).

OR received its first grant (from Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans) to host a third Bridging the Gap Symposium in 2018: A Conversation with Directly Impacted Girls and the Justice System, which featured girls involved in the legal system.

OR opened The Closet, a boutique-style atmosphere with a full range of gently used clothing, accessories and shoes offered to women at no cost.

2018

OR started education programming in prison and in the community.

The College in Prison program offers for-credit bachelors of arts degrees inside the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) in partnership with the School of Professional Advancement at Tulane University. In 2020, there are 40 students enrolled in the program.

The Women FIRST Clinic supports formerly incarcerated women starting at early literacy through their high school equivalency, and to meet any other educational goals.

Operation Social Services was launched to provide wrap-around support services to women and girls across all OR programs.

OR’s staff grew from two to six full-time employees.

2019

Operation Housing was launched to create housing opportunities and connect formerly incarcerated and legal system-involved women with housing resources.

The Unlock Higher Ed Coalition was launched to coordinate national efforts to remove barriers to higher education for formerly incarcerated people.

OR launched the CANScantStand campaign to repeal Louisiana’s Crime Against Nature Statute (CANS), a law that disproportionately targets the LGBTQ community, particularly transwomen of color.

OR’s staff grew from six to 14 full-time employees.

2020

After two years of OR participating in the Louisiana Legislative Task Force on Women’s Incarceration, the group wrote a 22-page report that was submitted in May 2020 to Secretary LeBlanc, the state Legislature and the Louisiana Supreme Court

OR absorbed the Safety & Freedom Fund, a revolving community bail fund organized to post bonds for New Orleanians who cannot afford to pay for their freedom, and to provide education and advocacy to end money bail in Louisiana and beyond.

OR opened Hope House NOLA, an innovative transitional housing program for formerly incarcerated women, in collaboration with Ladies of Hope Ministries.

OR opened its new main office at Benson Tower and grew its team to include seven board members, 17 staff members and 18 contractors.

2021

Syrita received a full presidential pardon, marking a historic milestone in her leadership and advocacy for women and girls impacted by incarceration.

OR wrote and successfully advocated for the passage of LA Act 126, establishing new minimum standards for the treatment of minor and dependent children when a parent or guardian is arrested.

In response to Hurricane Ida, OR hosted multiple relief drives, providing hundreds of community members with hot meals, bottled water, cleaning supplies, and other essential resources to support families during recovery efforts.

2022

In partnership with the Newcomb Art Museum, OR created Per(Sister), an exhibit featuring first-person narratives from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women across Louisiana. The exhibit later traveled nationally, sharing these voices with audiences across the country.

OR purchased a property at 3022 New Orleans Street, which will become a new home for the full team and provide a welcoming, supportive space while centralizing services for women and girls accessing OR programs.

2023

Dolfinette Martin served as a keynote speaker at a national reentry housing symposium in Washington, D.C.

OR moved The Closet to a larger location at 3400 S. Claiborne Ave., Ste. E.

The Mellon Foundation awarded OR $500,000 to expand opportunities and increase resources for higher education in carceral environments.

2024

OR received its largest grant to date, $2 million from the MacKenzie Scott Foundation, to support long-term sustainability and capacity building.

Stephanie King became the first graduate of OR’s accredited College-In-Prison program, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences in December.

Montrell Carmouche served on the advisory board for Captive State: Louisiana and the Making of Mass Incarceration, an exhibition exploring the deep historical ties between slavery and Louisiana’s high incarceration rates.

OR demonstrated its national advocacy footprint through staff participation at the FreeHer March & Rally in Washington, DC and attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois as an allied organization.

2025

Operation Girls participated in the RISE Youth Super Bowl Leadership Program, engaging in several weeks of collaborative sessions exploring conversations around race, diversity, class, and gender in sports and beyond.

The first cohort of 12 students graduated from the College-In-Prison program, earning a cumulative GPA of 3.77. OR hosted a graduation ceremony for them at the LCIW.

OR the City of New Orleans, and the Women’s Justice Institute co-hosted the Women’s Justice Mapping Session, a collaborative forum focused on improving outcomes for women, children, families, and communities affected by incarceration.