history

Skills for Life History

  • August 2000, established first gavel club at the Central unit in Sugar Land, Texas
  • October 2001, established second club at the Central unit.
  • June 2002, featured on PBS radio in Houston
  • Fall 2002, article appeared in Restorative Justice News (prison ministry newspaper with a circulation of 55,000 nationwide).
  • October 2002 Established club at Plane State Jail club (women’s prison) in Dayton, suspended June 2007 for medical and financial reasons.
  • October 2002 Established club for youth offenders at Clemens unit in Lake Jackson, suspended June 2007 for medical and financial reasons.
  • Summer 2003, article in United Methodist Men’s national magazine (has a nationwide circulation of 22,000).
  • Labor Day weekend 2003, Club members held a 2 ½ hour church service at Central unit, with 150 free world people attending.  3 members preached 20 minute sermons and 4 gave personal testimonies.  Spanish and English choirs provided the music.
  • Spring 2004, second article in United Methodist Men’s national magazine
  • July 2004, established club at Terrell unit in Rosharon, suspended June 2007 for medical and financial reasons.
  • July 2004, established club for adult offenders at Clemens unit in Lake Jackson, suspended June 2007 for medical and financial reasons.
  • July 2005, established club at Carol Vance unit (men’s Christian prison) in Richmond, Texas.  May 2006, based on changes in inmates’ behavior, program was added to the curriculum with 6 months mandatory participation for all incoming inmates.
  • November 2008, National recognition due to Zig Ziglar’s protégé, Krish Dhanam being the keynote speaker for the 8th Anniversary Celeb. Banquet at the Central unit.
  • June 2010, established two mandatory clubs at Jester III unit as part of their faith-based program.
  • October 2010, 10th Anniversary Celebration Banquet at the Central unit.
  • July 2011, Central club disbanded as prison was closed down.
  • September 2011, established mandatory club as part of the PEP program at the Cleveland unit.
  • February 2012, started a club at the Diboll unit.
  • August 2012, established club at the Darrington unit for general population, club for the seminarians to follow 2015
  • August 2012, established clubs at Wynne and Clemens unit.
  • June 2013, all four clubs established in 2012 had second clubs.
  • October 2013, established club at Stiles unit for the faith-based dorm
  • July 2014, started a club at the Duncan unit in Diboll.
  • July 2014, established 2 clubs at the Jester III unit for the general population.
  • March 2015, established a mandatory club at the Estes unit as part of the PEP.\
  • May 2015, established a club at Plane State Jail
  • July 2015, established a club at the Stiles unit for the general population

NOTE: Club memberships maintained at 20-22 participants. This insures one speech per month per inmate and weekly participation.

Click here for a more detailed history.