2017 Keynote Speaker

Syrita Steib-Martin

Syrita Steib-Martin is a nationally certified and licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist. She has an unrelenting passion to help women successfully re-enter into society through education after incarceration. At the age of 19, Steib-Martin was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. After serving 110 months, she earned her B.S. from LSUHSC in New Orleans. Currently, she is a Laboratory Support Services Supervisor. Steib-Martin is a founding member of the National Council of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls which unapologetically advocates to end the incarceration of all women and girls.

Mrs. Steib-Martin is the founder and Executive Director of Operation Restoration (The OR). The OR successfully drafted and helped pass House Bill 688, now Act 276. This Act became law on August 1, 2017 and prohibits public post-secondary institutions in Louisiana from asking questions relating to criminal history for purposes of admissions. Louisiana became the first state in the nation to pass this type of legislation, and this was in large part due to the personal testimonies and relentless advocacy of Steib-Martin. Operation Restoration wants to bring awareness to the fact that Louisiana incarcerates more people per capita than anywhere in the world. Steib-Martin is committed to changing this statistic one woman at a time.