A prisoner outreach program in Houston has extended its reach all over the state. Now the program’s founder wants Athens to know all about it.
Catherine Rohr founded Prisoner Entrepreneur Program in 2004. It’s a program that teaches prisoners business skills, life skills and mentoring.
First Baptist Church of Athens will be hosting the founder of PEP on Sunday, May 11. Rohr will speak at both services.
Erv Jenkins, a member of Friends of PEP, said she will be speaking on the prodigal son parable.
On Saturday evening a dinner sponsored by Friends of PEP and funded by Red Dot will be held to inform local business leaders. Jenkins said 100 business leaders have confirmed their attendance at the dinner.
“She will review the PEP program, the work they are doing, success they are having and the challenges the prison rate poses to taxpayers,” Jenkins said.
The business leaders will be asked to help PEP with financial support and participation.
PEP has developed a network that helps its graduates find jobs, start their own businesses and get loans.
Jenkins said the success of the program is the low number of graduates who return to prison.
“PEP gives them a new suit and new clothes. It helps them when they go to interview for a job. The rate of recidivism is very low,” Jenkins said.
First Baptist Church of Athens Pastor Kyle Henderson said he first heard Rohr speak at a conference in Atlanta called “Catalyst” in September 2007.
“I thought it was so important and compelling, I wanted her to come speak about it,” he said.
The church has since been involved in providing material and emotional support to the graduates.
Fourteen members of the church traveled to Cleveland, Texas, on April 17 for a graduation banquet in honor of graduates of the PEP program that had been paroled. The group helped set up, served the dinner and cleaned up afterward.
The following day they went back for another graduation ceremony at the Cleveland Correctional Center. The group provided support for those who did not have family present.
Jenkins said about 100 family members were present at the graduation ceremony.
“The fact that 100 family members attended the PEP graduation speaks volumes to the fact that family members recognize they have been through a life changing event,” he said.
The church also collected over $5,000 to provide Bibles to the graduates.
Henderson said the congregation was excited to provide the Bibles for them because they wanted them.
“It’s an important investment,” he said.
Effects of program felt in Henderson County
A 27-year-old LaRue resident, Hunter Thompson, was a student and a graduate of PEP. He was born in Dallas and started using heroin when he was 15.
“I was convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in 2003,” Thompson said. “I was feeding my habit.”
He said courts in Dallas and Collin counties were light on him because it was his first offense.
“I was ready to change. A lot of guys want to change but don’t know how. I didn’t have any direction,” he said.
In June 2007 he was sent to the Hamilton Unit in Bryan six months before being released. He said he saw the advertisements for the PEP class.
“It seemed different and interesting. It offered an education,” he said. “We got to work with people from Harvard MBA, Yale, big name colleges. But my favorite part of it was the life skills that Catherine taught.”
“It is not rinky-dink, it is anything but. It is super intensive,” Thompson said.
When he was released in February 2008, he went to work.
“My uncle, Bruce Lietzke, bought a ranch in LaRue. He gave me the perfect opportunity to get out of Dallas, a safe place to go.”
Thompson is the ranch foreman, a job he said requires “doing a little bit of everything.”
He said the program has helped him have integrity, even if he is not accountable to anyone else.
He is working with Rohr on a new business plan and hopes to begin in September or October.
“I am researching starting an outsourced call center for companies, like Verizon,” Thompson said. He said he wants to pursue the venture because there would be many positions to fill.
“I could fill a lot of positions with PEP graduates,” he said. “They are great salesman, they are in prison, they have just been selling the wrong thing.”
He said the PEP Angel’s Investors are “chopping at the bit to give guys like me start up capital.”
Local News
Spreading the word
Prison Entrepreneur Program founder headed to Athens this weekend
- Local News
-
-
Downed airplane located
The Henderson County Sheriff's Office and Texas Department of Public Safety Game Wardens assisted in locating an plane that went down in Lake Palestine early Thursday. The Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash.
-
City hears presentation for new apartment complex
The Athens City Council heard a presentation, Wednesday, from a group that hopes to obtain a grant to build an apartment complex in south Athens.
Jay Oji, of Sphinx Development Corporation, said the 80-unit complex called Robbins Villas would be built on a tract of land where Robbins Road intersects with Loop 7. The affordable housing units would cost about $12 million to construct. -
Coaches tell Kiwanis about programs
Two of Trinity Valley Community College’s newest coaches spoke to the Athens Kiwanis Tuesday at the Country Club.
Trinity Valley Community College Head Softball Coach Ashley Johnston, and Volleyball Coach Tosha Spain, also head up two of the newest programs on campus. -
Adams addresses Chamber
The Athens Chamber of Commerce brought in Hue Adams Wednesday at its monthly luncheon to remind local business leaders of the finer points of being a leader.
-
Athens Hornet now flying Hornets
A former Athens High School student Bryan Sory is now flying FA-18C Hornets, the U.S. Navy’s frontline fighter plane. Lt. Commander Sory flies for VFA-151, The Vigilantes, based in Lemoore, Calif. VFA-151 deployed aboard the U.S.S. Lincoln in December, 2011, and is currently flying missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the overarching operation that encompasses, among other things, ongoing counter-terrorism and nation-building efforts in Afghanistan.
-
Commissioners re-appoint three current Fair Park Board members
The Henderson County Commissioners Court, by a 3 to 2 vote, Tuesday, voted to re-appoint three current members of the Fair Park Board to new terms.
Chairman Bob Miars and members Ken Hayes and Mark Davis were chosen to serve an additional two years, with their terms to run through Dec. 31, 2013. -
Walmart workers cooperate with APD
Walmart employees and the Athens Police Department spoiled a scheme to steal televisions from the store, Monday afternoon, leading to three arrests.
-
Man named in plane theft
Had it not been presence of a truck that authorities were able to trace to a Nacogdoches man, the search for a plane stolen from Athens Airport might be as difficult as finding a single bird in the sky.
The 1980 model Cessna reported missing on Jan. 28 was recovered Monday by the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office, which had been assisting the Athens Police Department in the case. -
Dancin’ with Henry
Four-year-old Janiyah Ray gets funky during halftime of the Athens Hornets' varsity boys game against Rusk last Friday at AHS Gym. Henry the Hornet (also known as Will Carter) began a dance routine as halftime began, and Ray couldn't help but run out of the stands and join in — much to the delight of the home crowd.
-
Students help honor veterans
Congressman Jeb Hensarling is asking students across the 5th Congressional District to help him honor the service and sacrifice of veterans by participating in the annual Valentines for Vets program. Pictured are students at Bel Air Elementary who took part in the project. In the front row are Kaytlen Hurley, Meagan Miranda, Coralyn Happel, Reagan Farley, Emily Rodriguez, Julian Cazares and Camryn Pair. In the second row are Alondra Carillo, Louis Delagarza, Morgan Gould, Alexis Robles, Caroline Moore, Madison Wilson and Renee Campbell. In back are Amy Gould, Caleb Humphries and Ricardo Sanchez.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Downed airplane located






