Estes Winter 2026 Weekly Journals

Monday                                                                                             November 17, 2025

Today was great. God woke us up in good spirits and gave us another day to experience life. The day started out very chill, cold and very quiet. The current class was just hours away from its first session, and our pitches were due. We got up and practiced our pitches in our cells while cooking or going through our daily rituals.

We hold pod meetings Monday afternoons on M-Pod. It’s our day for commissary, as blessed as we are by our families. We finished with commissary and made it back for the second half of class, where things got spicy. We’ve been working on our business pitches for weeks now, and all of us are putting our best foot forward. We repeated our pitches over and over to our teams.

Our Pitch Day event is only days away. It’s going to be a day when we get an opportunity to interact with real-world executives. We need to deliver a perfect pitch after working so hard on them. We all really want to be chosen as a CEO and pitch our own business ideas in the final competition.

Once class was over, we all headed back to our respective pods and practiced our Toastmasters, which is a public speaking course. Today was good, and our team leaders really helped everyone overcome their struggles. These Servant-Leaders are leading by example with humility and at the sacrifice of personal glory. M-pod is very peaceful and very organized, and everyone helps each other. We all study together as a team as we push each other to be the best versions of ourselves.

Roque A. (aka “Chicken Little”)

Tuesday                                                                                            November 18, 2025

Today was a day of challenges to overcome. We were waiting in the M-Pod dayroom, anxiously studying for the entrepreneurship test. Suddenly a correction officer shouted, “PEP go to class.” Like ants, we began to walk out of the pod in a single-file line down the hall to the PEP classroom.

Upon entering the classroom, we were greeted by the doormen, ushered to the board with our PEP name badges and seated at desks with laptops. We were asked by the Servant-Leader on the microphone, George M., to put all of our folders under our seats and enter our usernames and passwords into our laptops.

There were a few bewildered looks as students requested assistance from the nearby Servant-Leaders on how to properly log in as soon, we would begin testing. As silence filled the air, only the sounds of chicken-pecking fingers on keyboards could be heard. We had one hour to answer an array of multiple-choice questions and open-ended prompts concerning the personality characteristics necessary to start and operate a successful business.

Students typed away answers concerning personality, prior experience, risk tolerance and bounded rationality. We had to explain these principles and concepts, as well as evaluate them in our lives.

Our greatest challenge came in the form of peer reviews. Once we completed the tests, we were asked to anonymously review another anonymous student’s open-ended answer. It was a great opportunity to give constructive criticism and encouragement to our fellow students. As we reviewed other students’ answers, reviews of our own answers would appear from “anonymous student.” Reviews such as “Great job, you really know the material” and constructive feedback such as “I believe the prompt asks for characteristics from the textbook, not PEP’s 10 Driving Values.” Today we overcame a challenging test day together as PEP’s Winter 2026 class.

Cipriano A. (aka “The trash bag”)

Wednesday                                                                                     November 19, 2025

Today was magnificent and very productive. We were all blessed and privileged to be able to see another beautiful day of life. Everyone in M-Pod woke up ready for class and ready to achieve our objectives for the day. Although class has been fun lately, today was the day we all got very serious and professional. Today was pitch day. We were all given enough time to memorize and perfect our pitches, and now it was time to execute.

We were able to go up in front of the room and share our big ideas with our class. Many of us were still nervous, but we eventually completed the task, which was to share our pitch. We were now prepared to present our business ideas to the executives on Friday. This will be a great experience for us all to learn how to speak professionally to the public.

Afterward, Adam W. presented some profound words of wisdom to us. Hopefully, the class will keep these words in mind because they will help us so much in the future. When class ended, M-pod was ready to go to commissary. Sadly, the computer was down so we will have to wait until tomorrow.

Even with that setback, the day was a good day just by being in PEP at the Estes Unit. It is truly a blessing. We are all like-minded men who are trying to achieve a common goal: to better ourselves so we can become the men our families need us to be.

Israel A. (aka “Mumbles”)

Thursday                                                                                          November 20, 2025

Today was an amazing day. We got to wake up this morning and be blessed with another day of life. We also have this amazing opportunity to be in this incredible program learning to be better men and entrepreneurs.

Today was different for many reasons, though. Today, Carl B. came and taught us Chapters 3 and 4 from our entrepreneurship textbook. He has a lot of real-world corporate experience, and it was an honor to hear some of it from his perspective. He taught us through his experiences while working for Proctor & Gamble as a sales representative. He told us of his experiences while selling the dish washing detergent Joy. His presentation was cut short because of chow, but it was awesome for him to take time out of his life to share with men such as us. After chow, Carl B. finished his presentation and left for the afternoon.

Then, Javier C. and Bryan H. gave a presentation over the thank you and networking cards they were handing out for the Big Idea Pitch. The networking cards are a tool we can use to help us become accustomed to networking in the world. They are pretty useful when you think about it. We write the name of the person that we are speaking with and for whom they work. Then we write a little about the conversation we just had and our key takeaways. At the bottom, it gives us a chance to rate how much this conversation affected our growth.

These tools can be applied to how professional we will become upon release. We are all really grateful for this experience.

Andy A. (aka “Selena Gomez”)

Friday                                                                                                November 21, 2025

Today was an amazing day for us! It started out by waking up to another day that wasn’t promised and that is something that we should all be grateful for. To start off, we were all extremely nervous. Some of us tried calling home to get the anxiety down. Today was the Big Idea Pitch event. For some of us it was even more nerve-racking due to starting the program two weeks later than the others. Many of us still don’t know many of the PEP brothers and were wondering if our pitch was going to go well.

As we were called to the PEP room, we all agreed that this took a lot of mental strength. So, we took a deep breath and the time got smoother. We got to dancing, laughing and encouraging the other PEP brothers that were nervous. Soon it was time for us to all go to the gym for the big event. Wow! We all felt like pro football players. All of the executives and previous graduates from other classes greeted us with clapping, cheers and smiles.

Once we settled in and introduced ourselves to some of the executives, the nerves began to ease. We participated in an exercise called “Walk to the Line” to learn that maybe we weren’t so different from each other. Finally, we moved to our sections and began pitching our business ideas. We realized it wasn’t as hard or as bad as we had made it out to be. The executives were all very encouraging and gave us great feedback. We didn’t want them to leave at the end of the event. We had so much fun and enjoyed cookies with the executives.

The day and the event came to an end as we returned to our assigned pods. All of the PEP brothers applauded our return from the special event. It’s truly a beautiful feeling to be part of this community. All the brothers in our class loved the event and can only imagine how graduation will be with all the executives and our families.  

Ezequiel A. (aka “Oompa Loompa”)

Expressions

“Preach the gospel at all times, but only speak when necessary.”

– Saint Francis of Assisi

When I first heard this quote, I actually read it in a book that was faith-based and I took it to heart. Many times, I would speak a lot, but I was like the Pharisees and did not practice what I preached. When we walk out what we believe, it is so much more potent. I finished the book and started to pay attention to people. They would promise things but not follow through. So, I made a commitment that I would walk by action rather than mere talk.

St. Francis of Assisi was a priest that lived around the first millennium, around 1052 AD. That famous quote helped many people, including me. I have been navigating with my belief in Jesus Christ and applying that quote to find that it is noticed by people around me. People want to see actions, not just words, because talk is cheap.

I am not claiming that I am perfect or that I’ve got it all figured out, because I will never figure out everything. What I am saying is that the answers are in our Lord Jesus Christ, and once we receive him in our hearts the quote will follow naturally. You may be asking yourself, “How do I receive Jesus Christ in my heart?” The answer is simple: surrender to God Almighty. I now live happy and act without saying too much. What will you do? I encourage you to live through the living God.

Salvador D. (aka “Zazu from The Lion King”)

Monday                                                                                             November 10, 2025

Today was a good day. When we made it to class, we started off like we usually do and got the juices flowing and nervousness out of our system. Then, we listened to our guest speaker, Chaplain Bruce T. He discussed Chapters 1 and 2 of Living in the Village, the book we are reading for financial literacy. It teaches us how to save money and take care of our credit while starting a new life.

Also, some of us got to give our first speech for Toastmasters. Toastmasters is a class that teaches us how to become better public speakers. The first speech we had an opportunity to give was our Ice Breaker, where our brothers introduced themselves to the class and told us their story, including how they ended up in TDCJ and in PEP, as well as some of the choices they made that led them here. They gave us their backgrounds and really let us get to know them on a personal level.

When we got back to the dorm, we kept ourselves busy while completing our homework. This class has barely started, and we are already loaded down with paperwork. We have speeches to write; forms to complete for our Family Liaison; pitches to practice; and business plans to get started. So all of us got our folders and headed to a free spot at the table in the dayroom. We worked on our respective assignments and fine-tuned our speeches and our business pitches. Overall, today was a productive day.

Bryian B. (aka “The Fake Shawn Wayans”)

Tuesday                                                                                            November 11, 2025

Today we started our day blessed because the Lord gave us another day for which to be thankful. We are privileged to be part of a group of men that have the best intentions of growing as fathers, husbands and role models. Living in H-pod is very different from other places. These men are excited to see what our class has to offer.

As we arrived in the classroom, we began our morning routine where we danced to the front of the room. This is so we can let go of that prison mentality and have fun. After getting energized and ready for our day, we prayed and asked our Lord to guide us in our purpose. Soon after, we read the quote of the day and then elaborated on it, discussing what it means to us.

On this Veterans Day we saluted and gave thanks for those who served our country and allowed us to be part of their day. We presented our business pitches in front of the class to help us become more comfortable with public speaking. With just two weeks until our Pitch Day event in front of real-world executives, we have a lot of hard work ahead of us.

Toward the end of the day, we jumped into BetterMan. This is a great tool for those of us who need to break the chains and plant a seed of what a man is and needs to be when it comes to our families and society. PEP is not just tests and competitions. It is also a character development program to help each of us become better husbands, fathers and men.

Aaron C. (aka “Sofia Vergara”)

Wednesday                                                                                     November 12, 2025

We participated in recording videos for our Family Liaison today. Most of us are very excited to have this chance to reach out and hopefully gain a greater connection with our loved ones. We can all agree that family plays a huge part in our reintegration into society. The plans that most of us have include our family, so being able to bring them along in this process is amazing. Having someone actually reach out and give them constant updates and encouraging words is special. That is one of the many reasons that sets PEP apart from other programs.

Speaking with the other participants, we agree that this entire experience is completely different from anything any of us have ever done. From the dancing to the fun names, no other program uses tools the way this one does. They are constantly getting us out of our comfort zone, but in doing so they are teaching us how to be okay with being uncomfortable and still hold our composure. The character development that comes with this program is definitely a game changer.

We all got a chance to recite our pitches and get positive feedback from the Servant-Leaders in our dorm. As a whole, everyone in the current class is showing great commitment and determination. We encourage each other to strive for positive change. What we all agree on is even though we come from different walks of life, we are all willing to make a change for the best. We hope this program will give us the push we have needed. All in all, today was a great day.

Donell C. (aka “Norbit”)

Thursday                                                                                          November 13, 2025

Today was an awesome day. We prayed and then practiced our pitches for our Big Idea Pitch event. Each of our brothers had an opportunity to showcase his newly learned public speaking skills. Some of us are naturally better than others, so some of us have a lot of work to do, but all of us are willing to put in the work to get there. After pitching, we headed out to lunch and took a small recess for 30 minutes.

After lunch, we had our first lesson on entrepreneurship. We learned the principles of being an entrepreneur and the reasons why we should become one. Once the class was done, we prayed out and returned to our dorm.

After dinner, we had a pitch panel. This is an exercise that helps us get better at presenting our pitch in front of others. We stand in front of everyone in the dorm and pitch our business idea, then receive constructive feedback on our performance.

The energy here in PEP is truly unique. We are all learning and forging relationships that will last a lifetime. We have already seen so much growth in the few weeks we have been here. It’s so great to be around positive people who are all on the same track of success. PEP is not just any program – it’s a life-changing experience that will require a lot of hard work and dedication. We all know it will pay off in the end, and we look forward to celebrating at graduation.

 Kevin C. (aka “Baby Sinclare”)

Friday                                                                                                November 14, 2025

Today was a productive and blessed day. The Almighty and wonderful God gave us the breath of life and woke us up once more. It was another day for another opportunity to do better and to do the right thing, another chance to help one another and love each other.

The morning started out much like any other morning. Everybody was pretty much just waking up, some of us still half asleep. We were waiting in the dayroom until they called for the current PEP class. We then made our way to the PEP classroom, where we took our seats until they called for the left half of the room to dance with the right side. We all got up to dance, and that is when most of us started waking up a little bit more.

Some of us arrived on this unit well before the rest. We had the chance to practice and put the work into our pitches. Practice makes perfect, and repetition is key. Practicing in the dorm over and over again helped, and it showed in the hard work and dedication displayed during the pitch in class. Pitching took place during the first half of class. We then went to lunch, went back to the dorm and waited for the second half to start.

Once the second half of class started, we danced again. After all the excitement and laughter settled down, we moved into Toastmasters. We got up in front of our PEP brothers and spoke, telling our stories and sharing, being vulnerable and building a brotherhood all while working on our public speaking. Hearing each other’s stories helped us realize we have a lot in common, creating a bond that we all share.

John D. (aka “PSY”)

Expressions

“Once you understand your purpose for living, the way you value life should change.”

– James D.

These words are so powerful to me. At one point in my life, I was searching for something that was deep down on the inside of me. I wanted to know what my purpose was and who I really am. God allowed me to be in uncomfortable places so that He can show me His purpose for my life. I began to see what was valuable, and I also noticed the things that weren’t valuable. I identified my purpose through understanding what was most important to me, and that’s my salvation. During my journey of building my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I began to get passionate about sharing the Word of God and helping others understand their purpose too. I am no longer a part of the process – I am a part of the change. To see my brothers’ lives transform into greatness motivates me to continue to pour into them the love of God each and every day

I once heard a man say that if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. Today I stand on values and love. I have seen how the fear of change can destroy an entire village. I have seen how absentee fathers can make children lose hope. I have seen many broken families lose everything.

Today I am living out my purpose. Through prayer, God will restore these broken homes. He will heal the brokenhearted. He will bring the lost back home. I encourage my brothers to stay strong through the process because one day, you will be a part of the change.

James D. (aka “Latrell”)

Tuesday                                                                                              November 4, 2025

Today was the first official page of a new chapter in life by becoming official members of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program. This morning, we were gifted by waking up.  Then, at approximately 7:30 a.m., a Servant-Leader opened our door and called out, “Current class, please present yourselves!” We gathered up our books and folders, eagerly heading off to a new beginning.

Upon our arrival, previous graduates welcomed us with warm smiles and handshakes, offering small words of encouragement to each of our fellow classmates. After the entire community picked up official PEP name badges, we gravitated toward the arranged seating area. A few of the Peer Educators greeted us as a whole, exhibiting a radiance of positive energy.

Moments later, we heard rap music magnified by the speaker system as the screens on the wall asked for those of us wearing jackets to head to the back of the classroom. In doing so, we began the traditional activity of dancing to the front of the room. The DJ amplified his music, drawing us further into an expansion of brotherhood. With each dance move and step closer to the front, we started to smile, breaking free from our incarcerated ways of thinking. At the front of the classroom, we laughed while others clapped in unison for participation. In that moment, we all subconsciously forgot about our incarcerated living conditions and experienced true, genuine fun. We started looking forward to the journey PEP holds in store for us.

Allen S. (aka “Scratch”)

Wednesday                                                                                       November 5, 2025

Today was a great day. We did not have class today, but we still enjoyed each other’s company and ideas. We cleaned our dorm with our accountability teams and practiced our business pitches for one another. We ran a pitch panel after dinner with the help of our Servant-Leaders to get us better acclimated to our pitches and to speaking in front of a crowd.

Some of us did not get to go to commissary on our usual day, but we had our chance today, which was a blessing. We really are thankful for the commissary lady, because she is very understanding and enjoys seeing us better ourselves through the Prison Entrepreneurship Program.

When we talk to each other and get to know one another, we find that we all have a lot in common. We are all participants in the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP), and we all desire change. We come from different backgrounds but have a common denominator: we made mistakes that do not define who we are.

The majority of us agree that PEP is the best program any inmate has ever heard of or had the opportunity to join. Change is very uncomfortable. We have all been comfortable in the way we have been living, so we have been living in this constant, vicious cycle of torment. Now we have been given the opportunity to elevate our lives. PEP has also given us the platform to become better men, fathers, sons and brothers, and more importantly, contributing members of society.

Antwain B. (aka “Sherman Clump”)

Thursday                                                                                            November 6, 2025

Class went well today as we gave out fun names (class nicknames) to everyone. We also went over Toastmasters, our public speaking curriculum. The presentation explained how long each speech should be and that we would present our Ice Breaker speech on Monday. A Servant-Leader presented his Toastmasters as an example, and a few other brothers tried out a one-minute “table topic.” Then came count time: no talking during count, and we moved in an orderly fashion so the officers could get their job done as quickly and hassle-free as possible.

After count, we finished up Toastmasters. The In-Prison Manager, Adam W., came up and gave us his testimony, warning us not to return to our old ways. He also cautioned us from our old blocks, neighborhoods and streets. He advised that it would be most beneficial to go to a transitional house upon release.

About 10 minutes into his speech, chow time was called. We all exited in an orderly fashion, guided along by our steadfast facilitators. We headed out from the back row, put our badges on the board and headed to chow. Afterward chow was over, we headed back to the pod, waiting for them to call out the current class for the afternoon session.

Adam W. came in and blessed us by personally taking us to the commissary window before we returned for second half. After all the worrying we had this morning during class, our fears of missing out on store were for nothing. This class isn’t so bad after all.

 Exavier B. (aka “Fake Eddie Griffin from New Guy”)

Friday                                                                                                  November 7, 2025

What a fun, fantastic Friday for fellowshipping. The great God above sincerely blessed us to come together in a positive setting to become better men. It’s custom that we do three things every morning before class starts. First, we get up to dance. We all continue to surprise ourselves just by letting go of any nervousness and getting down with the get-down. Dancing just takes the energy to a whole new level.

After that, we come together as brothers to stand before God and give thanks for all the provisions He has bestowed on us. We then read and discuss the inspirational quote on the board. Today, the board had three words: path, distraction and focus. The path is what we’re striving for, the road we are taking to achieve our full potential. Traveling down the road, we must remain focused to achieve that potential, paying attention only on those things that align with our goals. Anything outside of this is a distraction that must be weeded from our lives.

Finally, we then sit around tables for project work. Today we worked on our Coat of Arms. This is where we put our personalities on paper. We took pictures of ourselves, cut out pieces of magazines that inspired us and put it all together on a sheet of construction paper. The amazing thing was how well we all got along. We helped each other, learned new things about one another and learned that we aren’t as different as we seemed to believe. Today was a great day and a wonderful way to end our first week of PEP.

Javon B. (aka “Donkey from Shrek”)

Expressions

“Your ear is your womb – whatever you decide to listen to,

either good or bad, is conceived and will be given birth to,

in due time and season. Choose what to listen to and what to ignore.”

– Mrs. Folds (parenting class)

I got this message in my parenting class at the Middleton Unit. Mrs. Folds would post one message every day, but this one really spoke to me. When I thought more about it, it explained how we all became the way we are. It got me thinking, day and night, not only about me but also everyone else and why the world is the way it is.

Influences such as music, media, politics and more are how we all become a product of our environment. So, I chose to change my mindset and got into the word of God to help me understand life and what God does for us. He sent His only son to die for us on the cross. The evil one will deceive us and use all influences to get to you to seek, kill and destroy.

God gave us free will. It’s on you to choose what kind of man you want to become. Sin will cause death to your mind, body and soul. But God will give you life. Next time someone talks to you or when you listen to music, TV or politics, ask yourself, “What is the root of the message?” Is it good for you?

What you believe is simple. Now, create your environment and you will become it. Listen, learn, become.

Jose B. (aka “Rango”)