Estes Summer 2025 Weekly Journals

Monday                                                                                                April 14, 2025

The moment you walk into the PEP classroom, it feels like we are no longer in prison as we exchange handshakes, greet our fellow brothers and prepare for our day.

This morning, we had class with Chaplain Bruce T. going over Living in the Village. It is a class to educate us about money management, budgeting and learning ways to help our credit score; these are essential tools for our success.

After completing that class, we moved on to Business Plan Competition (BPC) practice, where we practiced our pitches for the business teams that we are on. The BP staff is very detailed and straightforward in explaining how they expect us to prepare for our pitches. The help we received from PEP graduates is truly tremendous. We have 10 Driving Values that PEP operates by in order to be successful. Seeing the graduates exemplify those values pushes each and every one of us to become better men.

PEP is not just about business and entrepreneurship. It has a lot to do with character development, and it is also designed to equip us with the right tools to help us better ourselves. Coming into the PEP room is always amazing; it’s where we promote positive energy and help each other as men strive to change our old ways to give each other a fresh-start outlook on life.

Today was an awesome day, and we are excited to see what the future holds.

Bryan H. (aka “Olaf”)

 

Tuesday                                                                                               April 15, 2025

Tuesdays are very serious in PEP: it’s test day, and today we tested over two chapters in our entrepreneurship textbook – it was very intense. There was no going to the back of the room today. We prayed-in and then we all logged in to our laptops to begin testing.

Today, we tested over Chapters 6 and 7. Everyone was serious about this test because it determines our grade point average (GPA). We all have a little competitive thing going with each other, and everyone’s goal is to be in the top 10 GPAs. That says a lot, considering that there are 85 people in our class. We were given an hour to finish the test, and then we were allowed to go back to our dorm. The good thing about that is it was store day for our pod! We were required to return to the PEP classroom at 12:30 p.m. for BetterMan.

BetterMan is just one of the few courses that we take during our stay at PEP, and it is a wonderful course. Today, our focus was on being a better dad. Everyone had a lot to say about both our fathers and being fathers. David F. is the keynote speaker every week for BetterMan, and we all say that he does a wonderful job. He connects with us in a very special way. After he spoke, we broke up into groups and had an even better discussion, where we shared about our own fathers: some good things and some bad things. Our group explained to the guys that our fathers are human beings, so they aren’t perfect. We also discussed the importance of appreciating our fathers while they are here with us – unfortunately, some of us are fatherless. At the end, we had a great discussion to wrap things up.

We always pray-out before the day is over, and today everyone left in good spirits, thanks to BetterMan!

Anthony H. (aka “Carl Winslow”)

 

Wednesday                                                                                          April 16, 2025

Today, we started our morning bright and early, coming together as a class to pray over our day. This always reminds us of our “why,” which is the reason we choose to participate in this life-changing program, the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP).

One of the most common reasons we joined PEP include becoming better men for our children, wives, and community. Being part of PEP has lit fires in us to become the men God intended us to be. This fire has always been there, but now it has gasoline as an accelerant, along with so many new pathways to burn through. Our prayer routine really sets a positive atmosphere for all the men working hard to give back to our loved ones.

Through the middle of class, we worked on Toastmasters, which is a public speaking program to help us become articulate, knowledgeable men. This really helps us in many ways, including being able to speak properly. This ability impacts our kids and wives, allowing us to effectively lead them as leaders of our household.

As we wrapped up our day, we went over some of the opportunities and resources PEP has to offer us outside of prison, which really excited us for the new road ahead of us.

When we finally got back to the dorm, we all got straight to studying, making sure all of our class assignments were completed. This is something we never would have imagined we would see in prison: pure determination in those who really want change!

 Ezekiel H. (aka “Pinocchio”)

 

Thursday                                                                                             April 17, 2025

In our class, there is always something fun going on (maybe because we have 85 people in our class). We all gathered in the classroom when they called all the guys who made parole and had boots on to the back of room to dance. After that, we found our seats and Fred M. prayed us in. We learned the word of the day: “renaissance man,” which means a man knowledgeable or proficient in more than one field. That message was brought to us by Isiah R. and Jeremy W., who also spoke about the meaning of peace.

After this they read some of our praise reports: Jacob G. was recognized for Love; Patrick V. was recognized for both Fun and Accountability; and Jeremy B. was recognized for Execution. That was all we had time for, but Kyi H. spoke a little on PEP’s Driving Value of having a “Fresh Start” Outlook.

Jim W. then went over Chapter 8 in the entrepreneurship textbook. We all noticed Jim W. says the word “okay” a lot as he teaches, and the lesson on that chapter took up the first half of class.

After we came back from chow break, the officer that works in our classroom stood up and told us how he noticed how PEP is helping us. He said that he liked it, and that he was proud; he gave us an understanding of him that we needed.

Then we did some number-crunching on our Economics of One Unit (EOUs), but only after everyone who was balding, baldheaded and had dreadlocks went to the back of the room.

We all like our class and think it is going to be the biggest graduating class yet. Days like today really make it worth going.

Christopher H. (aka “Mister, Can I Wipe Your Window?”)

 

Friday                                                                                                  April 18, 2025

Friday was a holiday, commonly known as Good Friday. Events like this are cherished among us here at PEP – you could say it gives us hope.

The opportunity to have a break from the intense day-to-day of our program is great for team morale. Really, it’s a chance to get some assignments done to help with our time management. For others, it’s a chance to get a few extra hours of sleep.

In the wing, you could see people at every table writing on brightly-colored construction paper. Why, you might ask. Recently, we have been tasked with undertaking the infamous “3-3-3’s,” which is a rite of passage here at PEP.

So, what exactly is a 3-3-3? You know that old school assignment where you had to write a specific word or phrase a certain number of times? Now, imagine doing that with 17 pages, each 11”X7.5” filled with information, and writing all of that out THREE TIMES! It may sound easy, but for a lot of us, that pen a paper almost won.

Some of our brothers gave up once presented with this endeavor. Some of us experienced hand cramps. However, for those of us who came out victorious, we will forever share a bond through this adversity that we overcame together.

PEP is not for the weak or faint of heart. It takes a lot of discipline and consistency to make it through this program. So, between the heavy workload and high expectations, you could say that having a day off to get some extra sleep and complete some assignments truly made it a Good Friday.

Kyi H. (aka “Jhene Aiko”)

 

Expression

“Bury your past, or it will bury you.”

– Dwight Thompson

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which the higher power has called me to do. Choosing to live in the past can cause all kinds of bitterness, rage and anger toward myself and others. Forgiveness of self is impossible until you stop living for a better past. If I want to see change happen in my life, then I’ll have to have a vision that goes beyond what I’ve already seen and experienced. You must also be fully committed to change – that’s the only way transformation will be made complete.

I must forgive myself for the mistakes I’ve made in the past. It’s easy to try to hide them and not think about them, but the things that we hide have power over us. They can sit there in the back of our minds and grow toxic, eating away at our self-assurance, not even realizing what’s happening. My foolish behavior is now a thing of the past, but I also can remember a time when I couldn’t disconnect from it mentally or emotionally. A sense of self-condemnation was draining me of my energy. It’s like I still wanted to hold on to my past – up until I picked up the Bible. When Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished,” the score card for my sins was torn up. Once he died for my sins, he canceled the record that contained the charges against me. I forgave myself then.

Ketrick H. (aka “Scrappy-Doo”)

 

Monday                                                                                                April 7, 2025

Today was a great day for us in the dorm, as far as energy and productivity. We woke up in the dorm with great energy and abundance. We came out to the day room with different things to study. There were Living in the Village study groups as well as a few Entrepreneurship study groups. There is always something productive or positive going on in the dorm; sometimes it may just be positive conversation about family.

Next up, we had a pitch panel: this is when we practice our business pitches. We also practiced our Toastmasters speeches and using proper grammar. We’re learning to speak without using slang on this current project.

We are always very respectful of one another when it comes to living together. We have accountability groups in the dorm, that focus on building each other up and holding each other accountable. Our group is called the Regulators, and today it was our turn to clean the dorm. One person mopped, another swept, another wiped the tables and the rest cleaned the showers.

This program involves a lot of character development, and it’s always a team effort. The Prison Entrepreneurship Program helps us become better sons, husbands, fathers and men overall. We just have to use the tools that we’re given. Everything we do, from the class to the dorm, puts us in a better situation while incarcerated.

We have learned so much in the last six weeks here in PEP. Tonight, we had a big spread, and everybody pitched in a little bit of food. We all cooked and ate roast beef tacos, sodas and cheesecake together. We ended the night with a prayer circle, where everybody circled up and prayed together, then shook hands as the day came to an end.

Deon G. (aka “Missy Elliot”)

 

Tuesday                                                                                               April 8, 2025

Today was test day! This was the day most of us had been preparing for all week. These tests can be tough! So, a lot of us really focused on studying for them. On test day, when we wake up in the morning and come to the dayroom, we find groups of people studying. We are all trying to cram in as much information as possible to ensure we do our best.

At 7:45 a.m., a Servant-Leader came to the door and yelled, “PEP current class testing!” We all started heading out the door and down to the classroom. We got to class and collected our name badges as we waited for the Servant-Leaders to finish setting up the tables and computers for testing. Once they finished, we were instructed to take our seats, log in to our accounts and proceed with testing. We had a one-hour time limit. Before we knew it, the time limit was up and the test was over.

Next, it was time to do our peer reviews. This was when we read and reviewed our classmates’ responses to the open-ended questions. We had 30 minutes to finish these before it was all over – finally, we could relax!

On the weekly schedule, it said we had BetterMan (character development portion of the curriculum) for the second half of the day, but due to technical malfunctions with the recording equipment, we had to re-record our team introduction videos. Once those were finished, our day was complete. Now, it was time to go back to the dorm and get some much-needed rest.

 Jacob G. (aka “The Leprechaun”)

 

Wednesday                                                                                          April 9, 2025

Today was a fantastic day in the PEP classroom. After breakfast, we had a prayer circle and prayed in. We prayed for our families, kids and parents, as well as many other things that we need help with from God. It’s a daily tradition that brings great spiritual energy to the classroom. Our community here is closeknit, and that was apparent today when everyone broke up into groups and had discussions about things currently going on with our families.

We held a pitch panel after dinner today to help sharpen our business pitches for the competition. The Servant-Leaders gave us great feedback and advice – whether it was about our tone of voice, vocabulary, delivery, posture, room control, hand gestures or eye contact, they broke down the fundamentals of public speaking. We definitely grew today with all the wisdom and knowledge that was imparted. All of the current students are receptive to the information being shared, and the attention to detail exhibited here is honestly astounding.

There is truly an amazing feeling we all get here in the PEP dorm, with positive energy constantly flowing. Anyone who enters the room can definitely feel the love that we have for each other. That is a true testament to the effort that PEP puts into our transformation and character development. While they do place a great emphasis on being a successful entrepreneur, PEP makes the point that it is all useless without the proper character. We have learned that good character is the foundation of success.

Today was truly a great day, and we’re always excited to see what tomorrow has in store. We are all honestly proud to be a part of the PEP revolution!

 Nasir G. (aka “Microwave”)

 

Thursday                                                                                           April 10, 2025

Today, PEP class was exciting and beneficial toward our personal growth. We arrived in the classroom, and everyone was energetic and positive toward each other, acknowledging one another by exchanging smiles and handshakes. Then, after everyone grabbed their name badges, we did a morning ritual here at PEP and went to the “back of the room.” We began to dance as a class together toward the front of the room, down the middle row, to each of our assigned seats. One of our PEP brothers volunteered to pray us in. Of course, count time came afterwards, so once we all got counted, we walked back to our assigned seats.

One of our Peer Educators spoke to us about our group competition pitches that are due Friday. We will begin recording on Monday and obtain feedback on where to improve our pitches for our group competition coming up in a few weeks.

We then had two PEP graduates from the previous class talk to us about the word of the day: syndrome, which is defined as a characteristic combination of opinions, emotions and behavior. Sharing these words of the day is meant to help us grow mentally and to help us better understand how we can improve.

We had two executives volunteer their time to teach us about Chapters 6 and 7 from the Entrepreneurship textbook. They taught us valuable information about budgeting and cash flow when starting a business. We then got together afterwards with our big pitch groups to discuss our pitches for the upcoming competition.

Today was an energetic day, and we are excited to see what PEP has in store for us tomorrow.

Juvenal G. (aka “Garfield”)

 

Friday                                                                                                April 11, 2025

Today started out awesome – we went to the chow hall and had a good breakfast. Then we came back to the dorm and worked on our “3-3-3’s” for about an hour before making sure that all of us had our homework in order before heading to class. Once we entered the classroom, everybody greeted each other and got situated. Then we prayed in.

The schedule for the day was for everyone to do their Toastmasters speeches. Since there are 91 of us in the class, we were going to have a long day. We were informed the day before about the “3-3-3’s” homework, so we were all pretty tired from staying up late and trying to get as much done as possible. It started out with some really good testimonies, and everyone was doing great. We got through about 20 speeches before we took a break for lunch.

We went back to the dorm for about an hour and worked on our “3-3-3’s” some more before we went back to class to continue our Toastmasters. Once we got back, we heard probably another 20 testimonies before we had to end class. We prayed out before everybody went back to their dorms.

The testimonies that did not get heard will be done next Thursday. That gave us a little extra time to work on them to make sure that we are ready before we headed back to our dorms to work on our “3-3-3’s” some more.

 Glenver H. (aka “Janky Tire Shop Owner”)

 

Expressions

“If you think you are beaten, you are

If you think you dare not, you don’t,

If you like to win but you think you can’t

It is almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost

For out of the world we find,

Success begins with a fellow’s will

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are

You’ve got to think high to rise,

You’ve got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger or faster man,

But soon or late the man who wins

Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!”

– Walter Wintle

I read this quote every morning, and truly this is one of my favorites. It inspires me to believe in myself. Self-confidence is a huge attribute that one can possess.

James Allen wrote As a Man Thinketh, a book that discusses our subconscious mind and how it translates into our physical reality. So, if we have destructive thoughts and we continue to let those thoughts empower our minds, we then begin walking a path of self-destruction.

This is why I constantly feed my mind constructive thoughts. I devote 10 minutes to myself on a daily basis to improve self-confidence. I now have a better perspective of what a better lifestyle is about. I have rebuilt relationships that I had broken in the past due to my lack of self-confidence. The reflections of my behaviors started from a simple thought. By understanding this nature and the subconscious mind within, I now can become the man that wins.

 Gareic H. (aka “The Light Tyson”)

 

Monday                                                                                            March 31, 2025

Class was a pretty amazing today, after pray-in, we went over a pretty deep quote. Which went like this, “Heart racing, legs trembling, palms damp with sweat, you cling to the side of the wall in search of the next hold, the next foot placement that will advance you higher. You catch a glimpse of the distance below as your brain confronts you with all the things that can go wrong. What if I fall? With every move you fight against your mind, every cell in your body screaming. You reach the top; your tiny size put into context against the giant walls. You feel powerful, humbled, free. In this inspired instant, you realize that it is not always about the climb itself but what you learn about yourself on the way up.”

We all took something from this, the majority of us seeing it as to never look back to the past, and to always continue to push forward. After that, we had a pretty fun teamwork exercise involving spaghetti noodles, string, tape and a marshmallow. There was only twenty minutes given to work together and build the tallest structure that can hold the marshmallow up without falling over.

Also, we got our CEO’s picked and got to congratulate each and every one of them for their hard work on their pitches. There wasn’t a dull moment in class today, and we are growing closer as a brotherhood each and every day. We all strive to be the best person we can be and all look forward to more amazing days like this that PEP has to offer.

Jose C. (aka “Shakira”)

 

Tuesday                                                                                               April 1, 2025

Today started off with an amazing breakfast and we came back to our dorms. Since it was test day the day room was full of men studying together. Our level of dedication to preparation and excellence is really starting to show.

We were called to the PEP room at 8:15 a.m., and you could feel the excitement fill the room. Gone was the worry and fear of the 1^st and 2^nd tests. It has been replaced by the strength of men that; as a group, was prepared to execute and perform at a level commensurate with our combined expectation. As we looked around the room, our eyes met and conveyed the reassurance that each man had done his part and was confident in his ability to perform his task without question. We had one hour to complete our tests and unlike chapter one and two; no one was frantically trying to guess at a last answer. Instead, the look of sureness in ourselves was in all the faces around the room.

We were released to lunch and then came back to have an insightful BetterMan class with David F. The journey has only just begun and yet men who but one month ago barely spoke to each other; were now opening up and truly seeking to draw on the brothers to their left and right. Seeking guidance and support while they confronted the ghosts of their past, and just as iron sharpens iron; all of us have begun to mold into a forged sword that was able to rise and meet any challenge as one.

Every day we grow as men! If this is how far we have advanced in a month, then watch out for the brothers in this PEP class. Because we are going to shatter the ceiling of misconception and self-doubt.

 Jonathan C. (aka “Cotton Hill”)

 

Wednesday                                                                                         April 2, 2025

There was never a boring moment in our PEP class. From the moment Jonathan C. Prayed us In, to the assignment of CMO’s, COO’s, CFO’s and dancing from the back of the room; there was excitement!

Once we finished dancing, everybody cheered as Michelle G. entered the room. She was wearing her TCU shirt, because she is a professor there. She had all of the CEO’s stand up and introduce themselves, and their businesses. We were briefly interrupted for count time, and we had to be quiet so the correctional officer could hear everybody say their pod and bunk number. When Ms. Michelle continued, she began with owning her Fun Name, “King Leonidas” by screaming, “We are Spartaaaaa!” She then resumed with Chapter twelve of the Entrepreneurship book by asking, “When getting your business up and running, how do you establish legitimacy so customers can trust you?” She spoke about: production charting, time management and finding a good location. She spoke about the need to include all licensing, inspections, permits, hiring and training when estimating finances.  She taught us that marketing is much easier now with the internet. We no longer have the Yellow Pages, and she taught us that Credit Karma can help us rebuild our credit, and that we must keep our personal and business finances in separate accounts. Fidelity can insure our businesses, and LinkedIn is good for networking. Word of mouth is our most important advertising and it can “make or break us.”

Before class ended, our PEP brothers introduced Jeremy W. and Shawn B. to speak about re-entry and the benefits of transitional housing. The day had come to an end, and our brother Garret M. Prayed us Out. What a great day! All the knowledge poured into us was amazing! Thank you PEP! God Bless all who reads this journal. We live “Between the Wings!

 (Rene D. aka “Yellow Angry Bird”)

 

Thursday                                                                                             April 3, 2025

Today was an amazing day, and upon entering the PEP classroom: there was an abundance of laughter and positive energy. We have a ritual here at PEP: before class starts, we acknowledge our brothers by greeting each other and shaking each other’s hands. Some CEOs of the Business Plan Competition (BPC) pulled their groups to the side and delegated tasks for the upcoming event.

After which everybody settled into their assigned seats and then the famous “Back of the Room” call was presented, and all of the CEOs had to go to the back of the room and dance down the middle row to the front of the class. We continued to stand as one of our PEP brothers began to Pray us In. Today the Word of the Day is “thought,” which is: the process of using your mind to consider something carefully.

We all agreed that as a man thinks so he is; in which we considered that we should be conscious of what we allow into our garden. (Subconscious) Because if no useful seeds are put into the soil, then an abundance of useless seeds will be harvested and continue to grow. Then a situation was presented to us, and it was: a millionaire gave you a million dollars and he told you to pay him two million back in thirty days. How would we do it? One of our brother’s answer was to leverage that million with their bank and ask for a loan of a million using the prior million as collateral. We didn’t consider that once we pull a loan on the prior million; that it will be frozen, putting us in debt for a million and leaving us with the initial million we started off with.

Today we reviewed Chapter nine of our Entrepreneurship Book, and had who better than to help us review other than: Mike B. aka “Sweet Key Lime Pie.” He lectured us over the legal issues that may come up with a new business. Equipping us with the knowledge of the differences between partnerships, sole proprietorship and corporations. He kept us engaged with an occasional joke throughout the lecture. Today was an awesome day and we are excited to see what’s next to come!

Marcus D. (aka “Steve Urkel”)

 

Friday                                                                                                   April 4, 2025

Today in our PEP class was family day; a day we’ve been looking forward to. We began the day with our normal routine; arriving to the classroom, everyone started greeting each other and the classroom was filled with positive energy. We grabbed our badges, turned in our homework and found our designated seats for the day. We were brought to attention to start our daily ritual and given a blessed pray-in by our brother Rene D. We were then seated, and we looked up at the projected screen and saw the 10 top GPA’s called to the Back of the Room. We got up to clap for them as they danced to the front of the classroom to start the mornings vibe. One of the emcees grabbed the microphone and introduced Ms. Laura S., who was already at the back of the classroom.

So, the DJ put some music on while she boogied to the front as we clapped for her. She then introduced herself as Laura S. aka “The Grammar Assassin” and owned her name by: acting as if she was throwing commas in our direction. She was very nice and proceeded to tell us a little about herself. She said she has one son and told us that she has been with PEP, talking to families, for a while now, and loves doing what she does. Furthermore, she said she would be putting a lot of time towards contacting our families and letting them know about the program and graduation. Sadly, she said her father-in-law had recently passed, we want to give our condolences to her and her family from us here in PEP.

We then watched some positive movies while we waited to see the photobooth to take pictures for something special our kids. Then shortly after, we saw Ms. Laura S. for our one-on-ones. She was very kind and gave a motherly vibe, and was very sincere in asking questions about our families. When we were done, we put our badges up and were released back to our dorms. We would like to thank her for still coming and reaching out to our families.

Mario D. (aka “Danny Trejo”)

 

Expression

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgement you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in you brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye; when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. Do not give dog’s what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one sees finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” -Jesus Christ

These are words of the greatest man who walked the earth. These words were recorded according to Matthew who also inspired me with a quote saying- “People out here define us because of our past but it’s because of Him, the Lord and Savior, we do things differently.”- The Apostle Matthew (fictional excerpt from famed biblical series The Chosen) And this inspires me because people like to judge all. But they don’t perceive the log in their own eyes, but want to be quick to judge others.

So, I am very inspired by the Most High and love Him very much. Now I learned how not to judge others but to help and love others. I myself am a changed man by faith, and also restored by faith. Doors are being opened by faith and so much more will be done by faith, thank you.

 Rene G. (aka “Squidward”)

Monday                                                                                            March 24, 2025

Today was another productive day well spent in our PEP class. Every day that we are blessed to attend our class is greatly appreciated. We always welcome each other as we make our way to get our badges and find our assigned seats.

We started our day with a “back of the room” routine, where we get to dance our way to the front of the classroom. It helps to break any tension we might have and break us out of our character a little bit. Dancing is always greeted with laughter and smiles, and it is great to see everyone enjoying themselves as we dance away.

Afterwards, we took our seats and allowed one of our brothers to pray us in. We gave thanks to our Lord above for allowing us to be in good health and for taking care of our loved ones, peers and staff. Bruce T. blessed us with his presence today, educating us on the different types of life insurance policies and their functions. Once we finished today’s chapter in our Living in the Village workbook, we proceeded to take our chapter test based on last week’s reading.

After completing testing for the day, we wrapped up our day by praying out, hanging up our badges and exiting the room. We look forward to tomorrow, knowing that we are always blessed to learn something new that will assist us when we return to society. It’s always beneficial, and we look forward to every day in this program.

Javier C. (aka “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”)

 

Tuesday                                                                                            March 25, 2025

This day, like every day, was unique in its own style. We love coming to class first thing in the morning, with music coming from the loudspeakers, everybody mingling around greeting each other for the morning, talking about the day or night before and our current assignment(s). The vibe is one of strong positivity and camaraderie with our PEP brothers and volunteers.

After getting settled into our assigned seats, we prayed in, arms around our closest brothers, to begin the day with our best foot forward. As soon as we said “Amen,” the emcees got on the mic and announced who would go to go to the back of the room to dance down the middle of the aisle to whatever music they selected to play over the loudspeakers. It’s a way to get the blood pumping and our spirits even higher, as well as a way for us to get comfortable with each other and wash the penitentiary mindset and stigma off us. It is something we all need to bring us closer together. Today, our brother went off on the dance he did. We couldn’t contain our laughter as he provided us with the morning’s entertainment.

We then focused on presenting our elevator pitches in preparation for the executives who will be coming to Friday’s event. We all have been putting in the extensive work required, and man it shows! We are all excited for our first event; we’re also nervous, but with all we have done so far – with the help of our PEP brothers, the 10 Driving Values and PEP staff – it’s given us the confidence to overcome this and look forward to everything else.

 Jonathan C. (aka “Tookie from George of the Jungle”)

 

Wednesday                                                                                       March 26, 2025

Everyone got up early today to study for the Chapter 3 and 4 tests out of our Entrepreneurship textbook. We all waited anxiously in the dayroom, going over flashcards and study notes while waiting for Adam W. to come in and yell, “PEP current class!”

When we all got to the PEP classroom, all that we expected was a normal test day. All the tables were set up, each with three chairs. We all sat down and waited for the laptops. Once the laptops were passed out, everyone attempted to log in to the PEP test page, but one person after another began to have problems signing into the test page. Eventually, the Peer Educators and Facilitators realized that the problem was the internet connection. We were all instructed to sign out of the laptops and power them down. After that, we were all instructed to go to the back of the room so that all the Servant-Leaders could begin to arrange the room for paper testing. This worried the whole class because none of us knew what to expect as far as the layout or format of the test.

So, we all found our seats and our brother David F. prayed for us, but not before giving us words of advice and encouragement. He told us to keep up the good work and not give up. As soon as the timer started ticking, the PEP room went silent, and testing was in full effect. After the timer reached zero, all tests were picked up, and we were allowed to speak amongst ourselves. We were all asking each other how we felt we did. We were all confident we did well. Looks like all the studying and hard work paid off. 

 (Phillip C. aka “Paul Naw”)

 

Thursday                                                                                         March 27, 2025       

Today in PEP was another inspirational and insightful experience. After we prayed in, two of our PEP brothers, Javier C. and Jeremy W., gave us the Word of the Day: resilience. They gave us some great examples of how to be resilient when going through difficult situations. They also explained why it’s important to develop resilience to be able to bounce back from any obstacles that may present themselves.

After some more good examples and great feedback, another PEP brother shared some of his insights and knowledge on the foreign exchange market.

Afterwards, we welcomed our guest speaker, Cindy V., who gave a great lecture that hit all the key points on Chapter 5 of our Entrepreneurship textbook. After Cindy V. finished sharing her knowledge on Chapter 5 (“Business Mission Statement and Strategy”), we welcomed another executive, Jeff H. He came to speak about one of our 10 Driving Values: “Excellence.” He spoke on what it means to be excellent and how to achieve it for yourself.

Afterward, we broke for lunch and spent a little time back on our pods to reflect on everything from the first half of class. When we came back to class, we welcomed our third and final speaker for the day, Carl B. He gave a lecture on Chapter 11 from our Entrepreneurship book covering marketing, and he made a lot of great points on the subject. He also gave great examples of good and bad marketing; sales; and customer targeting.

After he finished his presentation, we prayed out and were done with another great day. We definitely left with more knowledge than we had before the day started!

 (Scott C. aka “Yank”)

 

Friday                                                                                                 March 28, 2025

On the Sanders Estes Unit, there is no other place like the PEP classroom. Today we held our Big Idea Pitch event with the executives in the gymnasium. As we arrived, the vibe in the classroom was already alive with smiles and handshakes coming from every direction. Everything we have all been practicing for comes down to this moment. So, you can imagine what was going through all of our minds when we walked in and noticed that there were a few faces we had never seen, and the room was set up a little differently.

Our day began with PEP participants going to the back of the room to dance to the music the DJ chose to play, but today the DJ was calling out pairs of guys to have a dance contest. We all paid close attention to the board, just hoping our name didn’t show up (at least for those of us that can’t dance or are too shy).

After that “intense but fun” dance contest to begin our day, we all bowed our heads as one of our participants volunteered to pray us in. Next, the facilitators explained to us what was expected, including that it would be fun. We then did a few test runs just to get a feel of what it would be like in the gym. After lunch, we all headed back to the classroom for count time. We knocked that out quickly and got started with the “real deal” event in the gym.

We were all excited and at the same time very nervous. As we walked into the gym, music was playing and there was a huge group of executives cheering and giving us high fives! They were all smiling, yelling and dancing. It was a time we will all remember for the rest of our lives. After the event, all the participants were talking about how much fun it actually was. It helped many of us come out of our shell and not to be so intimidated. It felt great! We are all eager to see each other graduate this class in the near future. Thank you PEP!

 (Perfecto C. aka “Sweet Pan Dulce”)

 

Expression

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect worback, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

– James 1:2-4

“Count it all joy”? That sounds like an impossible task when we look at our various trials in life. Yes, counting it “all joy” is a tough task. It is a call to understand suffering from the vantage point of confidence in God’s sovereignty.

Trials can be considered pure joy only when one realizes that they are designed by God for a purpose. They are tests of faith given in order to develop perseverance. In turn, perseverance produces a mature Christian character.

The early believers were persecuted for their faith. They knew what it was to suffer because they loved Jesus. But James clearly reminded them, and he reminds us, that God is very aware of those trials and is very present in them.

Of course, these growing pains hurt, yet God enables us to count these tough times “all joy.” I know he has revealed Himself to be faithful, wise and loving. Also, I know from his Word that He can and does redeem the most difficult of life’s experiences. He has lifted me up while going through my prison sentence and will continue to do so after I am released.

I also have the ultimate security: I will spend eternity with Him. Yes, the world brings loss, pain and sorrow, but the promise of eternal life can help us remember that there is more to life than what this world has to offer – after all, God is with me on the journey. He will not let me go, and He has reserved a place for me in heaven for eternity.

Johnny C. (aka “Igor”)

Monday                                                                                            March 17, 2025

There is no better way to start your day than walking into a room full of positivity. Before we embarked on our lesson for the day, we prayed in and gave our thanks to God. Then, before Chaplain Bruce T. made his way down the aisle, we needed him to go to the back of the room! On our feet, we clapped as he danced his way down to the front.

We started our lesson from the book Living in the Village by listening to Bruce T. explain how big businesses use marketing tools to persuade us to spend our money. We watched a video about the “Marshmallow Method” and why it’s important to wait and not rush into anything at the first sight of financial progress.

We then took a test over Chapters 1 and 2, which we discussed last week. Afterwards, we went into our next phase of BetterMan. David F. lead us as we read out of our pamphlets about unfinished business. He stated why it was important to know where you come from, because you must know that in order to know where you’re going. Then we broke into groups to discuss our perspectives. Some of the questions were along the lines of, “If you can change one thing about your upbringing, what would it be?” Basically all of the questions were some version of the question, “Is there any ‘unfinished business’ from your past that you believe is still affecting you today?”

Group work is an essential part of PEP; it really connects us as brothers and pushes us to open up in order to truly be men in the right way. After finishing up in our groups, we closed out class by practicing our pitches for the upcoming Big Idea Pitch event. It was helpful to hear some wise feedback from our In-Prison Manager, Adam W. We look forward to growing and learning throughout our PEP journeys.

Desmond B. (aka “Lil Ron Ron”)

 

Tuesday                                                                                            March 18, 2025

When we entered the PEP classroom, the first thing we did was greet our fellow brothers. Then, we got our name tags off the wall and went to some tables with computers. Before we sat down or started testing, we prayed in. After we said “Amen,” we took our seats and got ready to test. Today was our class’s first day of testing on the Entrepreneurship course. We had an hour to test, but during the test they called chow and everyone went to the lunchroom to eat.

When we came back to class, they needed to make sure everyone was there so that no one would be left out. Once everyone came back, we proceeded with the test. After we finished testing, we got up from our tables and computers, and they put our chairs back in order so that we could begin our second half of class, which was Toastmasters. Toastmasters is a public speaking curriculum where we give speeches in front of the class. We are on Project #1, called the “Ice Breaker” speech, which lasts four to six minutes. The point of this speech is to let our class know a little bit about ourselves and what it was like growing up. Most of us spoke about how we got here and where we are trying to go in life.

During a speech, we are not allowed to use “crutch words” or slang. If we do, they let us know by hitting a bell, and they keep a record of which of these words we used so that we can work on not using them. Because our class is as large as it is, with almost one hundred participants, we had to split the class in two to complete this first speech. A couple of people talked about their life until it was time to go, at which point we bowed our heads and prayed out. We put our name tags on the wall and walked back to our dorm, finishing another successful day in PEP.

Emmanuel B. (aka “Fake Ja Rule”)

 

Wednesday                                                                                       March 19, 2025

We didn’t have class today because the Servant-Leaders had a meeting in the morning, and in the afternoon the last class of PEP graduates, Relentless ’25, held a Clubhouse meeting. But that didn’t stop us from having a productive day in the dorm. It was certainly relaxed though, even though everybody had pitch sheets to get signed. So throughout the day, we were all pitching our businesses to each other and working on perfecting our skills.

Some of us were studying our Living in the Village workbooks, getting ready for the next lecture and test on Monday, while others were busy studying our Entrepreneurship textbook to get ready for that test next Tuesday. Those tests are hard and require a lot of studying to do well.

They posted the Living in the Village tests in the dorm on the wall so we could see how we did. Overall, it was a productive and relaxed day in the dorm. Some of the Servant-Leaders came back at lunch and helped those of us who wanted help with what they could. About half of the Servant-Leaders left after lunch, but the few that remained were really helpful. This class has a lot to offer and without the hand up, a lot of us will not make it in the future. We are truly grateful for the opportunity that PEP has given us.

In the afternoon, we watched TV and just enjoyed each other’s company in a place that is so much less hostile than anywhere else in the system. Thank you PEP for everything.

Julian B. (aka “Joda-Wish”)

 

Thursday                                                                                           March 20, 2025

Today was a busy and productive day in our PEP class. Class began as usual around 8 a.m., this time with everyone wearing white shoes dancing from the back of the room! We opened with our daily prayer and had a class discussion on consciousness. Everyone made excellent points on how important it is for all of us to be aware of certain situations as well as ourselves.

An executive volunteer came in and taught us Chapters 3 and 4 from our Entrepreneurship textbook. We discussed business idea generation, initial evaluation and external analysis. He’s an excellent teacher, and he did a great job explaining how these topics relate to our own business ideas. We were dismissed for our lunch break and returned at 1 p.m.

The second half of class was dedicated to Toastmasters. We are finishing Project #1 and have begun to get more comfortable speaking to an audience. We are also discovering the speaking skills we already have, and which skills need our attention. Each of our classmates spoke for four to six minutes. We speak about ourselves and what brought us to prison and PEP.

We were dismissed at 3 p.m. and returned to our pods. We had dinner at 4:30 p.m., followed by our individual pod and team meetings at 5 p.m. We met with our accountability groups and did a 360 assessment on a participant and discussed accountability and integrity. We finish the evening by doing our assignments, practicing our pitches, spending time together and preparing for another great day in PEP.

God bless PEP and all of our brothers.

John B. (aka “Bobby Bouchea”)

 

Friday                                                                                                 March 21, 2025

We came to class to continue with our first Toastmasters project with noticeable apprehension and ended the day with a pleasant surprise. As soon as we got our IDs and sat down for Toastmasters, everyone with Jackie Chans had to go to the back of the room and dance up to the front. By the time we danced and sat down, it was time for Toastmasters.

When we got toward the end of the class, we got a guest speaker who is famous in the Texas prison system: Keidrain B. of Brewster Trucking Co. Everyone was full of life as soon as he entered the room. We asked a bunch of questions, and it was a quite stimulating discussion. Keidrain B. told us his story about where he came from, and it got us all going crazy. We even gave him a fun name: T. Pain, and he sings “Let me buy you a drank” with a little dance. It was quite an ecstatic atmosphere in the PEP room!

Then, the Toastmasters lead closed out by asking us who our favorite Toastmaster (speaker) of today was. Now that most of us are done with Project #1, we will be moving on to Project #2. This day pumped most of our brothers up, and we will be looking forward to what PEP has to offer us in the coming months. After we prayed out, some of us got to talk to our fellow PEP brothers before heading back to our dorms. Thank you PEP for a great experience – in prison!

Damarte B. (aka “Bruh-Man from the fifth floor”)

 

Expressions

“I think, therefore I am.”

– René Descartes

Descartes was a philosopher born in the late 1500s. Known as the father of modern philosophy, his definition of this quote – the very act of doubting one’s existence – proves that a thinking entity (or self) exists. Reading this quote really got me thinking (no pun intended) about being aware of my own consciousness and/or whether my subconscious is a separate self – as in, its own entity. Is thinking actually a manifestation of thoughts being subconsciously aware of oneself? There must be a thinker (self) to have the thought, and those thoughts turn into feelings or actions.

Can one determine his existence with just thought? Do we question our own existence? Does thought equal consciousness? Is consciousness an identity unto itself? These are all questions that you may ask yourself when reading such a broad quote. I’ve asked myself these questions, as well as some deeper questions, such as: does dualism exist? Are your mind, body and soul distinct, and if so, are they aware of each other individually?

These are just some of the questions I ponder daily. Other questions include: where does our conscious awareness come from? Is there a God? Does said God control our awareness? If we are unable to prove our own existence, are we really alive? Are thought and awareness the equivalent of consciousness? I don’t know, and I don’t think we’ll ever know.

Reading this quote keeps me grounded and reminds me how little I truly am compared to the vast imagination of thought.

Henry C. (aka “Honey Boo-Boo”)

Monday                                                                                            March 10, 2025

We started class by putting up our cups, grabbing our name badges and sitting in a quiet Monday morning fog – then all of a sudden, it was time: every man wearing a green jacket was instructed to go to the back of the room to get his dance on, and it was fun and funky. One guy had to do the “Wheel of Doom,” which has a layout similar to the Wheel of Fortune. The Wheel of Doom is just a fun game and accountability tool that the Prison Entrepreneurship Program uses to lighten the mood of prison while helping to wash off the tough exterior that a prison environment creates.

After more dances and laughs, we began our first day with Bruce T., one of our many wonderful executive volunteers. He began by introducing us to the class that he will be teaching us called “Living in the Village.” He likes to refer to it as “Living in the Neighborhood,” since his PEP fun name is Mr. Rogers from the old TV show Sesame Street. We covered a brief history of America’s economy from the Great Depression to the housing bubble busting (2007-2008). Then we moved on to the four steps of “getting your house in order” covered in Chapter 2 of the personal finance book Living in the Village, along with many other invaluable facts.

Once his class concluded, we moved back to selecting class members’ fun names. We chose many great fun names, and the whole class got a good laugh. Most of the names are based on cartoon characters from movies and TV shows.

After returning from lunch, we were introduced to another class called Toastmasters, which is a class committed to developing communication and leadership skills. Today’s PEP class was entertaining and gave us some solid insight into what challenges lie ahead.

Jason B. (aka “Shaggy from Scooby-Doo”)

 

Tuesday                                                                                            March 11, 2025

As we walked into the classroom today, everybody was excited and ready to give their business pitches. Jeremy W. started his journey with us as an emcee, and he did great. The men living in M-pod had to dance, followed by Zach B., Javier C. and Jaime P. giving us our two Words of the Day: consistent and consistency. The definition of consistent is “acting or done the same way over time, especially to be fair or accurate,” while “the quality of always doing or behaving in similar ways” defines the word consistency.

Next, we were given the BPC pitch sheet by Jeffery L. (aka “The Weather Man”), who told us to memorize our pitches by the end of the weekend, if possible. Then we ran through our first two pitches (Jaime P. first, then Felix W.) before we had to do the “danger quiet game,” aka count time with consequences. Afterward, we heard from Jonathan C. about his super useful chemical clean-all solution; Kyveon H. with his breakfast food truck and famous glazed donut cheesy burger; Patrick V. with his EV charging mobile assistance; Jason K. and his doggy daycare/Hilton hotel grooming facility; Craig S. with his Boston’s best burgers and subs in the back of a food truck idea; Jyron K. with his trucking logistics company; Terry N. with his power washing business; and Juan Z. with his EV trucking logistics company. Most of these gentlemen are from J-Pod, where we make millionaire moguls.

This journal session was fun, and we hope you gained insight into a normal day in PEP.

Elijah B. (aka “Lloyd from Dumb & Dumber”)

 

Wednesday                                                                                       March 12, 2025

This morning heading into the PEP classroom, we could all see our brothers smiling and greeting each other. We entered the room and everyone was shaking hands, and you could just feel all the positive energy. Next, we grabbed our name badges and found out where we were going to sit today before we had our daily pray-in.

Right after pray-in, the next thing we heard was, “Everyone with white shoes on, head to the back of the room!” The entire place came alive, and the music turned on; all of our brothers started dancing and clapping. If there was a man in the room that wasn’t fully awake, they sure were now! Then it was time to sit down for the “Word of the Day.” Today’s two words were “sight” and “vision.” Jeremy W. and Orrian E. gave their thoughts about these words and what the words mean to them. They went back and forth about it, and then for about five minutes or so, they picked people out of the crowd that had their hands up, asking them what their thoughts were. One of our PEP brothers said something that hit home with us: one day, when he was driving down a road in his hometown, a building came into view. He could envision himself running a business out of it, and it took fifteen years to make it happen, but he never lost his vision. It all starts with a vision, and it can take years, but if you never lose sight of your vision, you’ll make it happen.

We concluded class with Toastmasters, which is a course that is a beast of its own. Its focus is on helping us become more effective communicators, and it is just one of the many tools that PEP uses to rehabilitate us for society. Finally, we prayed out and went home for the day.

Charles B. (aka “Beaker from The Muppets”)

 

Thursday                                                                                           March 13, 2025

 

This morning, we walked into class and were greeted by the Servant-Leaders. On our way to get to our name tags/badges, we greeted one another and, once we retrieved our badges, we sat in our assigned seats indicated by a chart that tells us where we’ll be sitting for the day. Our seating chart changes every day or two so that we get to know everybody in our class. We found our seats and settled in.

Every day, the screens will say something like “everybody with a green jacket, go to the back of the room,” which means it’s time for those men to dance down the aisle. Everyone who isn’t dancing gets up and claps for the ones who are dancing, and it’s a pretty good way to start the day. Also every day, we also have a Word (or Words) of the Day; today’s words were “endurance” and “self-discipline.” A couple of Servant-Leaders spoke about these words and then let a few of us from the current class speak about them as well.

Afterwards, we had a special guest Gerald D. come and talk to us for a while and give us his testimony. He did nine years on a 10-year sentence and is now on PEP’s staff. After he finished, we talked about and created our PEP Coat of Arms, which is a vision board with our head shots glued to a superhero’s body; we also need to include two of PEP’s 10 Driving Values on there, along with some other images that express who we are and what we represent. It was another great day in PEP!

Joshua B. (aka “Sho-Nuff”)

 

Friday                                                                                                 March 14, 2025

Good morning, PEP family and friends! We started this great Friday off with our daily meet and greet. Then we prayed in as a family, followed by dancing. That’s when we saw this on the screen: “If you think you will be a CEO, to the back of the room!” So, all of us in the current class got up and started to dance, beginning class with positive energy as everyone laughed jokingly with their PEP brothers.

As we continued with our morning, the two emcees gave us the Word of the Day: “reason,” which means a basis or cause, as for some belief, action, fact, event, etc. One of the emcees made some good statements about what is the reasoning on the things we do and why we do it. As we went on thru class we gave some guys their fun names. It was pretty funny. One person got Cotton from King of the Hill and somebody else got Thumbs off of the movie Spy Kids. It brings back a lot of our late 90’s and early 2000’s childhood movies we use to enjoy watching as kids while growing up. While we were doing the names three people got the wheel of doom. The class got them to do boot camp. They had them march around class yelling at them as if they were in basic training. We got information on a family package on the people at the PEP Headquarters so they can contact our family. Once we came back from our break, we got into our book and PowerPoint of Entrepreneurship. The guy that was up front gave us a powerful statement on how to start a business and how to maintain a business. He gave us some key tips on the business he has and what it will take to sustain a business. The pros and cons of having a business. After his PowerPoint, he answered some questions from the guys of our current class. This is the journey of how us guys in PEP class was on this beautiful Friday.

Martavious B. (aka “Squirrel Master”)

 

Expression

“I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from pain and treasure the most precious gift I have-life itself.” -Walter Anderson, “Overcoming Obstacles”

This quote means a lot to me and was taught to me by my grandmother when I was a young boy. It’s about being able to channel your energy, especially after the loss of a loved one such as my grandfather. He was a huge father figure to me growing up, and it showed me two things. You can be sad and give up on life, or channel that sadness into something positive. Being young and not knowing how to cope I chose sports as an outlet, as many of us have. I channeled my energy to be good at football, but turned out to be great at it. I earned two D-1 scholarships: One to OSU and one to LSU. I felt like I had the world in the palm of my hand. Still coping was a part of who I became, but being young I chose to hang with the popular crowd and smoke weed. After smoking so much I began to slack in my studies and failed a history class with a 68%. “No pass, no play!”, I’ll never forget my coach telling me this, while simultaneously ripping my heart out of my chest. Having lost my D-1 scholarship after completely giving up, I had to find another outlet to channel my energy. That began when I purchased a 1967 Galaxy 500 at the age of twenty. With the car not being drivable, I towed it back home where I began to restore it to its former glory days. After getting the car running with a little help from YouTube University, I finally found a passion in life again. I chose to rise up and find something worth living for again by bringing life back into old classic cars. With that passion still fueling me today and having restored three other old school vehicles, I can’t wait to show my children that there is more to life than sadness.

Zachary B. (aka “Phineas from Phineas and Ferb”)

Tuesday                                                                                                 March 4, 2025

Today was our first day of class, and it was a totally different atmosphere than what most of us are used to – there was screaming and yelling as soon as we walked through the door, and the way the brothers greeted us broke down many walls. The greeting was welcoming, and you could feel the love. We saw the power of love today with people gathered together from all types of backgrounds, ages and ethnicities in one room.

That was only the beginning. The class was filled with excitement and positive energy. All the Servant-Leaders were easygoing, and you could tell they cared. Nobody had a chip on his shoulder or was angry. We were all united and of one accord, and the dancing kept everybody laughing and busy. Then we gave each other fun names, and this part of the day was hilarious. But the real shift came at the end, when we all had to do some leg raises on the floor. We couldn’t stop laughing.

Also, we were surprised when the guy from the free world spoke. David F. had been to prison before, not once but three times. He’s been through what we are going through and succeeded, taking PEP up on its offers when he left. Hopefully, the brothers are all encouraged the same way. His testimony wasn’t spectacular, but it was real; we could all see that. If he could go through this program and stay connected when he left, then we all felt we could do the same.

Overall, today was great, and PEP is going to be much more than we can even begin to fathom.

Fred A. (aka “Logan from Blue Streak”)

 

Wednesday                                                                                          March 5, 2025

We began our work by splitting into groups to discuss the two first Driving Values, “Fresh Start” Outlook and Servant-Leader Mentality, and what each one means to each of us. “Fresh Start” Outlook is embracing the opportunity for a new beginning. It’s about shedding past mistakes and focusing on the future with optimism and determination. We agreed this is like a clean slate for a fair chance to show our potential. It will allow us to restore our dignity regardless of background or personal history. We strive to equip human beings to achieve their full potential. We believe that people can change, dignity can be restored and as a result, society will reap bountifully.

The second Driving Value we discussed was Servant-Leader Mentality, which emphasizes leading by example and prioritizing the needs of others. This mindset helps build strong, supportive relationships while leading with empathy and respect. We discovered PEP believes that with leadership comes the overriding responsibility to be of service to others. We believe the contributions we make in the lives of others are far more important than our own accomplishments. We will lead by example with humility at sacrifice of personal glory.

PEP exists because of our desire to serve all those with whom we come into contact, especially our participants, executives, partners, donors, prison staff and the community at large. We agreed it is important to prioritize being of service to others. We also discussed being humble in leadership positions to build strong supportive relations and seeing others succeed over glorifying our own success. These are very important lessons we learned to help build our character and help us begin our journey to become better men and productive members of society.

Matthew A. (aka “Velma”)

 

Thursday                                                                                           March 6, 2025

Today in class, we took a personality test to understand our perspectives on different scenarios. The whole time, we laughed and had fun as positive energy and overall good vibes filled the atmosphere.

We have a daily ritual in our PEP class of starting each day with prayer, which is a true blessing from above. Then, as a class, we move to the back of the room and dance to the front. It’s a great way to start the day.

Today, we came to the front of the class and let our classmates give us fun names. That’s one of PEP’s ways of washing prison off of us. It’s pretty cool, honestly – no other prison program does this. We have Servant-Leaders who ensure we take the necessary steps toward true character development. As a class, we are honored to be here because these people could have left us stranded in those nasty old prisons; instead, they reached out to us, giving us a new direction for our lives. We all need it for sure.

PEP is about helping us grow to be more responsible, positive, self-motivated people for our community and our families. Today was the start of greatness, and we are eager to see what else PEP has to offer!

Jayden B. (aka “Shrek”)

 

Friday                                                                                                 March 7, 2025

Today we did not have class, but we did a lot in the dorm. Some of my fellow PEP brothers woke up early and got together to read the Bible. We read Scripture and shared our testimonies and experiences over some coffee. We share our stories to uplift each other; we also want to warn each other of our mistakes so that no one else repeats them.

The PEP environment helps us break the walls that we have created – both in the world and in prison – to protect ourselves when we had to live in “survival mode.” We see each other slowly break those cycles by openly communicating and sharing as we learn to use our 10 Driving Values, one of them being Love. We also serve each other and understand we have been given a great opportunity in PEP.

Throughout the day, we can see many PEP brothers exercise, study hard and work on assignments in order to change our old mentality. We also give ourselves breaks from studying and reading by watching TV or using our tablets in order to reach out to our loved ones on the outside for moral support. They remind us to give it our all in the program and become somebody different, to keep learning and changing our mentality.

We appreciate this wonderful opportunity we have been given to change our lives because now we have a bright future to look forward to. We practice applying the 10 Driving Values both inside and outside the classroom as we anxiously await the day we can apply them in the free world with family and friends, as well as in business.

Jaime B. (aka “The Map from Dora the Explorer”)

 

Expression

“Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered, but a maze of passages through which we must seek our way, lost and confused, now and again checked in a blind alley. But always if we have faith, a door will open for us, not perhaps one that we ourselves would ever have thought of, but one that will ultimately prove good for us.”

– AJ Cronin

This is a quote by AJ Cronin from the book Who Moved My Cheese. This quote hits home for me on so many levels. It is a good indication of how hard life is, but how faith in God can prevail and that He will show you a way out of the dark and into the light.

It makes me reflect on my life and how I once had everything going for me: a nice house; a great job; a beautiful, loving wife; two happy boys; three cars … but I lost my direction and faith after Covid hit. When I lost my job and couldn’t find steady work, I ended up going to a dark place and lost it all. My house, cars, wife – my whole life came crashing down, and I ended up in prison. This was the start of my maze of passages, feeling lost in a prison world I didn’t know and confused as to why and how I even ended up in this situation.

Then my dad passed away, and I realized I had no one to release to and nowhere to go. I hit rock bottom, and this was my blind alley check. A friend of mine had convinced me to go back to God and start reading the Bible, so I thought, “What do I have to lose, right?” About a week later, my parole was denied and another week later my short way was denied too. So, I decided to pray about it, put my faith in God and His process. I prayed for Him to please show me what He had planned for me, to basically show me the reason why I’m still in prison.

Three weeks later, I received PEP’s message on my tablet. I signed up for the program, sent in the application and got accepted. Now here I am, on a journey I never would have thought of or even known about. But by me having faith, I was led on a course that is proving to be extremely good for me.

 Jeremy B. (aka “Tom Hanks from Castaway”)