Operation New Hope’s 2023 Year in Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwdokFH9RNc As we enter our 25th year of serving the community, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey we’ve embarked upon together. Operation New Hope is proud to share some of our most notable moments from 2023, achievements that have helped us become the leaders in reentry committed to making […]
Voices of Hope – Johnathan N.
After incarceration it’s very difficult to try and reenter society. When you get out of jail, try to reintegrate, and do things on your own, you get so disheartened. You get this sense of not being able to do it because it feels like the world is against you. It was even more difficult for […]
Voices of Hope – Kedra C.
In 2019, I was working as a caregiver for an older woman. When she passed away, I was falsely accused of stealing from her and was eventually charged with a crime I didn’t commit. I lost all faith in the justice system and felt like I’d never be ok again. I gave up hope. When […]
Voices of Hope – Michael C.
I grew up on the streets and I had been using heroin since I was 16. I got high to deal with the pain, but every time I came back down, the pain would still be there. I knew I needed to change. When I got arrested the last time, the State Attorney told me […]
Voices of Hope – Danielle P.
After three years of unemployment, with two children to support and the threat of returning to jail looming because of her inability to repay restitution totaling $10,000, Danielle Pryor felt hopeless. The memory of that difficult period brought tears to her eyes. “I had done my time, learned my lesson, and been forgiven by God, […]
Voices of Hope – Athena S.
In a classroom packed with current Ready4Work clients, Athena Swygert confessed to spending the years between 17 and 39 addicted to meth. “I took for granted everything I had. I didn’t care because I was an addict. I stole. I cheated – and they took my children.” She paused and took a deep breath before […]
Voices of Hope – Russell B.
Planting potatoes on the Farm Squad was hard. Crawling on my hands and knees in the field in the bitter cold without being paid really informed my outlook on work. Once I reached a certain level of maturity, I decided it was time to change my life. After 10 years in prison, I returned to […]
Voices of Hope – Ansley G.
A heroin and meth addict since I was 12 years old, I was in and out of rehab and jail for years. I felt defeated and had accepted that I was going to be a lifelong addict. It wasn’t until I was arrested for a probation violation and facing 18 months of prison time that […]
Voices of Hope – Shane H.
Despite the current crisis facing our world, nothing can dim the light shining in Shane Hutto’s smiling face. Full of hope, Shane recently began pursuing a lifelong goal and enrolled in an IT program to earn his A+ certification. He said it’s “great to have motivation again!” Shane spent much of his 20’s in what […]
Voices of Hope – Tracey F.
Tracey Fisher was in her early 40’s and had a successful career but got caught up in drugs and ended up behind bars. “Even when I tried to turn my life around, my past just kept pulling me back down. Jail took something from me and left me with hopelessness, insecurity and shame.” “But Operation […]
Voices of Hope – Erica J.
After serving time for a felony fraud conviction, Erica Jackson worried that she would never find work in an industry other than fast food service. She began to believe that no one would trust her again. However, those concerns diminished after entering the Ready4Work program. “The program taught me a lot – from being on […]
Voices of Hope – Anthony B.
Following a devastating personal blow in his early twenties, Anthony Bryant began drinking recklessly and was charged with a DUI. As a result, he lost his job driving as a street sweeper. Feeling lost and defeated, Anthony was referred to Operation New Hope by his probation officer and enrolled in the Ready4Work program in November […]
Voices of Hope – Terrance P.
After serving a 20-year sentence for attempted robbery with a firearm, possession of cocaine, and aggravated battery, Terrance Platts came to Operation New Hope through the Ready4Release pre-release services at Baker Correctional. However, Terrance’s transition to the outside world was not easy. Modern advances such as computers, flash drives, tablets, and search engines were foreign […]
Voices of Hope – Charlotte S.
In 2000, Charlotte Smith was indicted on drug charges by the federal government and served five years . “When you’re in prison, the first thing you do is go through a phase of playing the innocent role. ‘I didn’t do it. I’m here wrongfully.’” She paused, laughed, and shook her head before conceding, “Some are […]
Voices of Hope – Crystal C.
Incarcerated at 17 years old for a term of 35 years, Crystal Chisholm recalls the day of her sentencing as her life’s defining moment. “I didn’t know what to do. I thought my life was over.” But the light that shines within Crystal was bright enough to illuminate even her darkest days. “Going in, I […]
Voices of Hope – Leroy L.
Recalling the day he was sentenced to 25 years in prison, Leroy Lyles remembered feeling like the tunnel ahead of him was so long and dark and he could barely see a pin-prick of light at the end. At his lowest point, when no one was visiting him in prison or sending any letters, he […]
