The Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) was recently featured in a powerful op-ed published by the Rice Justice Project. Written by Njwi Achoh, a political science undergraduate and Secretary of the organization, the piece explores the crucial role rehabilitative programming plays in preparing returning citizens for life beyond incarceration.
The article highlights the remarkable story of Gregory Carraway, a PEP graduate who entered prison at age 17 and reunited with society at 55. During his nearly four decades behind bars, Gregory navigated inadequate medical care, complex prison politics, and holidays marked by grief and loss. As he explains in the article, “You’re trying to understand yourself. Where you fit in society. What you’re meant to do next.”
Gregory credits the transformation in his life to meaningful programming — specifically PEP. Through business education, character development, and reentry preparation rooted in the Ten Driving Values, Gregory found the structure and support he needed to rebuild his future. PEP’s internal recidivism rate of under 10 percent, compared to Texas’s statewide rate of roughly 50 percent, underscores the long-term impact of this work.
The op-ed also emphasizes the national importance of programming like PEP. Citing research from the RAND Corporation and U.S. Courts’ reentry data, the piece explains that structured educational and cognitive-behavioral programs meaningfully reduce recidivism and yield significant public savings. As Carraway shares, even small acts of humanity — like volunteers bringing soap and socks into the unit — can transform the emotional atmosphere inside a prison. Multiply that by consistent mentorship, education, and purpose, and the results are life-changing.
We are grateful to the Rice Justice Project and to Njwi Achoh for shining a light on this essential work and for elevating Gregory’s powerful story. His journey represents what is possible when we invest in people, believe in transformation, and build pathways to opportunity.
Read the full op-ed below:
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