Operation Restoration, Tulane University Celebrate Milestone Achievement with First College-In-Prison Program Graduate
NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 9, 2024)
Operation Restoration (OR), in partnership with the Tulane University School of Professional Advancement (SoPA), celebrates a milestone achievement with their first College-In-Prison program graduate.
The program’s first graduate, Stephanie King, began her college studies while incarcerated. Following her release, she completed her Tulane SoPA coursework online. King, 63, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences in December 2024 and now works full-time with the East Baton Rouge Public Defender’s Office. She will officially walk during the spring commencement ceremony in May.
The College-In-Prison program is the first in-person, secular, higher education opportunity available to women incarcerated in Louisiana. In April 2024, the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) was approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to offer full degree programs as an off-campus instructional site. With this accreditation, all students matriculating through the program are considered degree-seeking and on track to complete their bachelor’s degrees from Tulane SoPA. While King is the first graduate, a cohort of 12 students is scheduled to graduate in the summer of 2025.
“An overarching goal of Operation Restoration is to create career pathways and remove barriers to education for currently or formerly incarcerated women and girls,” says Syrita Steib, founder, president and CEO of OR.
“As our first graduate, Stephanie is a trailblazer who exemplifies how a second chance can transform lives. We are incredibly proud of her,” continues Steib. “Together, with the Tulane School of Professional Advancement, I believe that we are truly increasing the accessibility of education for marginalized populations and improving educational equity.”
About 600 of nearly 5,000 state and federal prisons and local jails have higher education programs. Despite a 30 percent recidivism rate for women within five years of release, data shows that 95 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals who seek education stay out of prison.
“When I was incarcerated, I had no idea I would be where I am now,” says King. “Thank you to Operation Restoration and Tulane for believing in me, challenging me and giving me the chance to finally graduate from college. I am forever grateful, and I hope my story inspires others to go after their education because it is never too late.”
“Tulane SoPA’s mission is to provide an excellent education to a diverse population, and that includes incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students,” says Ilianna Kwaske, interim dean of Tulane SoPA. “I am incredibly proud of Stephanie, along with the first cohort of students expected to graduate this summer. They are living proof that education transforms lives. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to partner with Tulane SoPA and OR on the College-In-Prison program, which has a profound impact on the students, their families and society as a whole.”
Founded in 2016 by Syrita Steib, OR is one of New Orleans’ leading nonprofits and a national leader in the legal justice movement advocating for formerly incarcerated people, specifically for justice-impacted women and girls. In addition to the College-In-Prison program, OR’s other educational opportunities include the Women FIRST Clinic and Lab Assistant Program. The Women FIRST Clinic is a reentry education program that prepares formerly incarcerated women to obtain their high school equivalency and other educational goals. The Lab Assistant Program trains currently and formerly incarcerated women to work in laboratory healthcare settings to obtain employment with pathways for upward mobility in the field of clinical laboratory science.
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About Operation Restoration
Operation Restoration (OR) supports women and girls impacted by incarceration to recognize their full potential, restore their lives and discover new possibilities. The New Orleans-based nonprofit organization focuses on advocacy, education, economic mobility and true economic equity for staff, clients and the community. Our goal is to remove financial incentives for incarceration/detention and to increase investments in social services, education and healthcare for all people.
About the Tulane School of Professional Advancement
The Tulane School of Professional Advancement (Tulane SoPA) has extended the resources of Tulane University to working adults for more than 130 years. Tulane SoPA offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and certificate programs in applied fields including Information Technology, Education, Business & Leadership Studies, Media + Design, Emergency & Security Studies, General Legal Studies, Humanities & Social Sciences, Kinesiology, and Public Administration.