Executive Summary

Mass incarceration devastates historically marginalized, low-income communities, deepening the struggles of families already burdened by poverty. Upon release, returning citizens face pervasive stigma and severe barriers that isolate them from community support, leading to low-wage jobs or unemployment, limited education, and restricted access to housing and basic needs. The result is a relentless cycle of punishment, poverty, and re-incarceration that reinforces systemic inequality.

Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) is a community-led and -focused national leader working at the intersection of criminal justice reform and economic mobility since 2004. PEP serves to lift the least, the lost, and the left behind, equipping returning citizens in Houston and Dallas with the skills, tools, and resources they need to make the transformational journey from brokenness to healing and pursue flourishing for themselves and their families.

PEP pioneered its Survive to Thrive Model, a data-driven approach refined over 20 years. Anchored by five pillars - values-based entrepreneurial education, executive mentorship, robust social networks, comprehensive reentry support and business incubation/acceleration with access to capital - PEP creates an economic empowerment ecosystem taught by business executive volunteers. Graduates achieve profound outcomes: average employment in 25 days post-release, 100% employment in 90 days, average starting wage above the low-income threshold growing to middle income in three years, 46% homeownership, 620+ businesses started and $1.6M in client-owned business loan originations.

PEP's leadership and staff are deeply connected to its clients, with 80% having lived the incarceration-to-reentry journey to create a holistic solution. Experts in its field have verified PEP's impact, inspiring similar programs nationwide. It’s time to 10X in Texas to reach 10,000 men by 2028!

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