Monday, April 18, 2016

Well I started my day off at around 6 a.m. with a hot cup of coffee, gathered my thoughts together, did a little self-evaluation on myself and thought, “Man I’m tired of being locked up! What a waste of time.” Then I thanked the Man above for another day of life and realized that every day above ground is a good one no matter where you’re at. I realized then that it was just about time to go to class, so I went to my cell and brushed my teeth one more time before class because nobody wants to sit next to someone with coffee breath early in the morning if you know what I mean.
Today was a little different in that we started computer lab today. I got to get a little feel for working on the computer again. We went over the basic stuff involving the keyboard, but even that seemed a little new to me due to the fact that I wasn’t a real big computer person out there in the world. For the most part I didn’t do all too bad. I stayed on task and asked Jerry G. a question about every 20 minutes on how to mess with the computer. Bless his soul, he is a patient person and willing to help others out. Well right after class I made my way down the hall to the Toastmasters (public speaking course) and evaluated one of my brothers on his icebreakers speech. I say we both did a decent job, plus we made our time and that’s a good thing. It was interesting listening to what some of the brothers in class had to talk about. Toastmasters is a good class that I feel is not only going to help me but all the others as well who aren’t fond about speaking in public. We had just finished up with the last evaluation and all you heard was a voice from the hallway saying, “Let me get 10 for chow,” as it was lunchtime.

So we prayed out and made our way to chow. While back in the pod I did a quick evaluation on how the early hours of the day went. I quoted Ice Cute to myself and said, “Today was a good day!”
Daniel A. (a.k.a. Earthworm Jim)

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Today was a day to reckon with. It reminded us about one of the reasons we are in PEP. Our class, “Elite 16,” came together as a group to finish our Coat of Arms assignment. It is a “fun” way of showing who we are in a creative way, with “fun” being a staple of the program. We worked on our projects, whether individually or in groups, and each Coat of Arms reflects many aspects of each of our lives, as seen by the way each of us chose to decorate our Coat of Arms.
We were answering our own questions about who we are. We all have families, and many have pictures or names of their family members included in this project. There is no doubt that these family members are the center of our world. We stopped at nothing in order to do outdo our classmates. There is no limit to our creative sides, whether working on our own or helping our fellow peers with their projects.

Today was a day of comradery, another step toward the goal of fulfillment and of being the best you can be. God bless!
Alonzo A. (a.k.a. Poncho Pistolas)

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

It’s a blessing to wake up in my right mind and good spirits. Praise God.
I’d like to think of today as my day off from school and from inside the box. However, PEP’s Phase Two (the business portion of class) doesn’t leave room to be sluggish. I’m working on my leadership statement, glancing over chapter two of the entrepreneurship textbook, studying my notes for the chapter one test for tomorrow and still writing in my journal for today. Straight multi-tasking, go me!

We should do well tomorrow on the test. I’ll finish my leadership statement this weekend – it’s not due till the 26th. For the most part it’s been a really productive day.
Saconn A. (a.k.a. Cowardly Lion)

Thursday, April 21, 2016

After preparing my cup of coffee first thing this morning, I began to study for today’s test. Before I knew it, it was time to get ready for lunch. My PEP brothers and I headed off to the chow hall to enjoy some delicious beef tacos. Shortly after eating lunch we headed off to class to take our second test in Phase Two. Once we were in the PEP classroom we got our name tags and settled down in our assigned seats to test.
Surprise! – not only were we given a test, we were also given a pop quiz! No one had a clue that might happen, but lesson learned: always stay prepared.
After testing we had a segment called “issues and tissues” where we can challenge the results of our test. Last but not least, we had a chapter review for our next test.
We are all getting ready for tomorrow’s Think Tank event, which is where executive volunteers come in to evaluate our business ideas – some are nervous, but all are excited.

I’d like to tell all of my family and supporters that I appreciate you all and I love you and hope to see you soon.
Kevin B. (a.k.a. Twitch A Lot)

Expressions

I think that this class is the best thing that TDCJ has allowed incarcerated men like me to sign up for. Now granted, there are some things that man can’t fix. But if you’re like me and you’ve had enough of the life that’s brought you to prison, this class is for you. I didn’t think that this class would impact my life the way that it has. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought that this would just be another certificate as with the other 15 or 16 others that I’ve accumulated in the past 42 months. I really believe that PEP has redirected my life.

Finally, I don’t lay in my bunk thinking about things that will never help me keep a roof over my head. Now all I do is think of different ways to keep myself from coming back, and more importantly, how to stay independent. To other men that feel change coming on, “when you’re really ready to stop the madness,” PEP will fill in the gaps for you.
Michael B. (a.k.a. Tin Man)