PEPTalks

PEPTalks Episode 1 – Dante V.

For our first-ever PEPTalk we sat down with Cleveland Fall 2019 Graduate Dante V. Dante was released in February 2020 and shares how he navigated and pivoted during COVID-19 to find success in life.

PEPTalks Episode 2 – James M.

For PEPTalks Episode 2 we talk with Estes Summer 2018 Graduate James M. James was released in May 2019 and tells us how he went from homeless, broken, and hopeless to creating a legacy filled with hope, encouragement, and hard work, highlighting the job that he got because of the great partnership between PEP and Benihana Dallas. Huge thanks to Meg Davis of The Visual Influence www.thevisualinfluence.com for creating all the artwork for our PEPTalks

PEPTalks Episode 3 – Jonathan D.

For PEPTalks Episode 3 we talk with Estes Winter 2019 Graduate Jonathan D. Jonathan was released in April 2019 and tells us how an argument led to a 5-year prison sentence, which in turn led him to the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. Jonathan was selfish, power-hungry, and miserable before entering the PEP culture of love and unity. Now Jonathan is dedicated to helping his fellow PEP brothers with a heart full of joy and kindness.

PEPTalks Episode 4 – Rodney B.

PEPTalks Episode 4 we talk with Cleveland Class 23 Graduate Rodney B. Rodney served 17 years on a 25-year sentence for conspiracy to commit capital murder. Rodney tells his story of how he persevered to get himself into the Prison Entrepreneurship Program because he recognized the power PEP had to transform his life.

PEPTalks Episode 5 – Joey C.

For PEPTalks Episode 5 we talk with Estes Winter ’17 Graduate Jose (Joey) C. about his story and how PEP has been addressing racial equality and empowering minorities for over 16 years by creating economic prosperity. Joey returned to prison for the 5th time in 2013 for two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer and possession of a firearm by a felon. Joey was released in April 2019 and reentered society a completely transformed man. Joey candidly shares how he was once a top-level gang enforcer who was driven by his prejudice, and tells us how his heart was changed by PEP and now advocates for peace and unity.

PEP Transition Houses

PEP Columbia House – Dallas 

PEP O’Brien House – Dallas 

PEP Success Stories

Dustin B. Shares his #SecondChanceStory

Dustin is a graduate of the Estes “Redeemed” 19 class where he won the Business Plan Competition and was voted as “Mr. PEP” by his fellow classmates. Dustin was released in July of 2019 after serving 7 years in prison and shares his #SecondChanceStory with us.

Winter 2018 Graduate Jacob R. #Secondchance Story

Jacob R. is a graduate of the Winter 2018 class from the Sanders Estes Unit. He was a drug addict for 9 years of his life losing his family and his hope…”I told myself and told God, God I don’t want to leave this place the same way I came in”. His prayer was answered when he was invited to the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. His life was transformed and his relationship with his family was restored.

George W. talks ReEntry and Employment

PEP ReEntry Highlights

The PEP Fresh-Start Kit

PEP provides all the essential necessities in a package we call the “Fresh-Start Kit”. These kits are provided FREE of charge to every PEP participant that returns home to assist them in creating a true fresh start in life.

Rethinking Reentry and Creating Start-Up Lives

A recent Harvard study recognized PEP as one of the leading reentry solutions in America. Since our founding in 2004, we have 2,500 graduates with these stunning results:

• 100% employment within 90 days of release • 400 businesses established
• Average starting wage $17 moving up to $23 after a few years
• 8% recidivism rate for program graduates; 2% for eSchool alumni

Prison Entrepreneurship Program Reentry in 2020

Dallas based Life Caddie, Jeremy Jones, explains what the reentry landscape was like in 2020 and how PEP continued to walk along our released participants to have reentry success.

PEP in the News

One Crisis Away: The Price Of Prison — Kelsey Murrow

KERA follows Kelsey Murrow as he completes nine months of business training with the Prison Entrepreneurship Program and prepares for his release from incarceration. We meet Murrow on graduation day, when he pitches his business plan to visiting business executives. This story, by Thorne Anderson, is part of KERA’s One Crisis Away: The Price Of Prison series.

Texans with Character profiles Prison Entrepreneurship Program Graduate

CBS 11 in Dallas “Texans with Character” profiles Prison Entrepreneurship Program Graduate Clarence Campbell.

This Houston-based program offers a fresh start to reformed inmates | HOUSTON LIFE | KPRC 2

The Prison Entrepreneurship Program is a second opportunity for reformed inmates and gives them a chance to transform their lives outside of prison with business skills and the support of mentors. Bryan Kelley, CEO of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program, gave us more details on this local non-profit helping formerly incarcerated people with tools to pursue fulfilling and productive lives.

Prisoner Entrepreneurship Program, A Documentary | Charles Koch Institue

The Prison Entrepreneurship Program, which helps ex-offenders create their own businesses, shows how community and non-profit organizations are sometimes best positioned to offer these solutions. Nearly seven million people are in prison or on parole in the United States. Two-thirds of inmates released from prison remain unemployed after a year. And two-thirds will be re-arrested within three years of release. With numbers like that, it’s clear that the collateral consequences of incarceration, like difficulty finding employment, deserve attention, action, and solutions.