Navigating Incarceration
Operation Hope Prison Ministry is a faith-based organization that provides services to those who are justice-involved and their families, with a focus on those coming out of prison. Operation Hope Prison Ministry treats those we serve with dignity and partners with them in their re-entry to the community.
Re-entry Specialists
OHPM’s team of trained volunteers, staff, and community partners specialize in helping ex-offenders overcome the challenges of re-entry to society by offering transistion fairs, ride assistance, car loans, felon-friendly housing referrals, food, medical attention, care and counseling, document replacement, job search/veteran support clubs—and more!
We've been making a difference in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1996
"Christianity isn't built on punishment— it is built on redemptive actions."
We're open 5 days a week!
Hours of Operation Monday-Friday 9 AM - 2 PM
PROGRAMS
Our Initiatives
Our 10 programs are tailored towards providing opportunities to share Christ's love and the gospel with individuals impacted by incarceration.
OHPM's "Re-Entry101 Program"
Initial Support Upon Release
Assists ex-offenders in securing their immediate needs for employment and housing. All new clients are offered a backpack filled with full size personal hygiene items, new jeans, new t-shirts, socks and underwear, and non-perishable food. Clients also receive a bus pass at this visit.
OHPM's Scholarship Program:
Equipping For Success
Provides financial scholarships covering work related expenses including supplies, tools, essential work documents, continuing education classes and certifications. This scholarship includes permits, purchase of clothing, work related supplies and funds for drivers’ licenses, and/or ID cards and birth certificates; all necessary to enter the workforce and community.
OHPM's Internship Program
Gain Work Experience at Operation Hope
Provides paid employment/training for post-incarcerated individuals to become re-entry coaches. As front-line staff, interns listen to clients, identify needs, and offer perspective, compassion, and affirmation. Interns receive a structured employment opportunity at the OHPM office.
OHPM'S Car Club: “More than a Vehicle”
Achieving Good Credit and Transportation
Assists post-incarcerated individuals to overcome transportation issues by facilitating low interest loans. Reliable transportation is a significant barrier to acquiring a job that pays a livable wage. Eligible clients have been successfully employed for 2-3 months, becoming tax payers instead of tax burdens. These clients are screened by OHPM, must submit required documents, and comply with all criteria to be accepted into the program.
Although the loan is between the bank and the individual purchasing the vehicle, OHPM’s CD provides the loan collateral for Car Club members enabling them to receive a low interest rate loan for a pre-owned vehicle. Other aspects of the program include financial education, car maintenance training, help with initial repairs and monthly coaching. Car Club facilitates dependable transportation so clients retain their employment and/or gain a better “livable wage’ job, thus improving the chance of successful reintegration and decreasing the risk of recidivism.
Prison Fellowship for the Angel Tree Program
Holiday Cheer for Children and their Caretakers
OHPM contacts caregivers of children with an incarcerated parent to secure and distribute hundreds of donated gifts. OHPM also sponsors a special Christmas party and luncheon for the children and their caregivers.
OHPM's Bedtime Stories
Connecting Children with Family Voices
This program provides fathers and grandfathers an opportunity to read and professionally record a story and a personal message to their child or grandchild. The recording is saved on a flash drive and is sent to the child’s home along with the book. This program is offered monthly at the Jackie Brannon, John H. Lilley, Dick Conners and Jess Dunn Correctional Centers.
Play Day at Eddie Warrior Correctional Center
in-Prison Children Visits with Family
This is a day in which children all across the state of Oklahoma are invited to spend crucial time with their incarcerated mother/grandmother in the facility. Over the past three events, OHPM has purchased pizza for the participating children, provided arts & craft supplies, and provided stuffed animals to the children we transported from the Tulsa area.
Re-Entry 201 Program :
Professional Services, School Applications, Emergency Housing Plus!
Assists with resume writing, registration for GED classes, and help with completing the FAFSA application for higher education. OHPM Re-entry Supervisor oversees navigation of special needs and particularly difficult circumstances our clients may be facing. This may include locating emergency housing for those at risk of becoming homeless. Referrals are made to other partnering organizations to assist with needs outside OHPM’s capacity, such as legal or trauma counseling. In the coming year, OHPM will focus on training interns to navigate and set clients up on career and job placement websites to increase potential job connections.
Children of Incarcerated Parents (CHIP) Program
Scholarships for Children
Scholarship for Children of Incarcerated Parents is available to assist with counseling referrals, school uniforms, payment for extra-curricular programs and personal necessities to improve family/home life.
Veteran Services:
Honoring and Caring for our Nation's Veterans
Veteran’s Clubs in two prisons and various partnerships available to meet the needs of our Veteran clients. OHPM staff facilitates a Veteran Club at Jess Dunn Correctional Center, which is a minimum & medium male facility. OHPM honors veterans by purchasing and serving a lunch every year on Veteran’s Day.
You've Got Character, So Do We!
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
Don't be shy! Come meet your OHPM Team. We're ready to listen and help.
Services
Make Operation Hope (OHPM) your first stop upon being released from prison. Get a Re-entry Backpack!
OUR MISSION MATTERS
Operation Hope Prison Ministries is dedicated to uplifting lives through its impactful programs and community engagement. We work with your donations, sponsorships, and community grants to inspire volunteerism while showcasing the strength of our teams and partnerships.
OHPM's Mission Statement:
To provide services to the men, women and children impacted by incarceration. We offer support to this population to lower recidivism rates and the incidence of first-time offenders among their children, ultimately reducing the crime and violence that threaten neighborhoods and families.
In the news: Channel 8
What our clients are saying...
Announcements
Re-Entry Branch
Operation Hope Prison Ministry Announces Eight New Re‑Entry Branches Marking OHPM's Largest Expansion in Its 30‑Year History
Tulsa, OK — August 20, 2026 — Operation Hope Prison Ministry (OHPM), one of Oklahoma’s longest‑serving re‑entry organizations, today announced the launch of eight new re‑entry branch offices across the state. This expansion represents the most significant growth in the ministry’s 30‑year history and signals a statewide movement to strengthen support for justice‑impacted individuals.
Founded by Asbury Church three decades ago, OHPM continues to build on its legacy of community restoration. Under the leadership of Outreach Director Yoon Shin, Asbury became the first congregation in Tulsa to open an OHPM re‑entry branch, setting the pace for a wave of new partnerships.
In the historic Greenwood District, Pastor Francetta L. Mays, Associate Pastor at Historic Vernon AME Church, announced that her congregation will open the first OHPM branch in the Black Wall Street neighborhood, expanding access to re‑entry services in one of Tulsa’s most culturally significant communities.
Just the Beginnings became OHPM’s first strategic partner to formally return a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing a re‑entry branch at their office in Legacy Tower II, 5330 E. 31st St., Tulsa.
At Turley Correctional Center, Case Manager and OHPM board member Ajuana Baldwin is prepared to open a re‑entry office pending final approval from CoreCivic, which operates the halfway house.
In Broken Arrow, The Landing Place, a women’s shelter, has committed to opening a branch to support women transitioning from incarceration.
The expansion extends beyond Tulsa. On August 6, 2026, True Life Ministries International in Guthrie became the first OHPM re‑entry branch outside Tulsa, marking the beginning of statewide growth. In northwest Oklahoma, Pastor Mark Durbon, who leads the Canton, Enid, and Okeene Seventh‑day Adventist Churches, committed to opening appointment‑only branches supported by his congregations.
In Oklahoma City, Jerome Redmond, CEO of America Truck Training, will open the city’s first OHPM re‑entry branch office, further expanding access to employment‑focused re‑entry support.
“This expansion reflects a unified commitment across churches, nonprofits, shelters, correctional partners, and workforce organizations to support Oklahomans returning from incarceration,” said Todd J. Gessele, Executive Director of Operation Hope Prison Ministry. “Each new branch strengthens our statewide network and increases the pathways to stability, employment, and community belonging.”
With eight new branches committed, and another 11currently identified, OHPM is positioned to serve more justice‑impacted individuals than ever before, advancing its mission to reduce recidivism, restore families, and build safer, stronger communities across Oklahoma.
If your congregation, tribal nation, business or non-profit, would like to become re-entry specialists, we have the tools, regional applications, information sheets, services, guides and referrals, if you’ve got the heart!
Contact Todd Gessele, Executive Director at Operation Hope Prison Ministry at toddg@ohpm.org or by text at 503 348-8652. To to learn more, visit OHPM.org.