“Cognitive Life Skills. If you apply it, it works,” says Alonzo Ingram, a resident of the Bradshaw State Jail in Henderson, Texas. The facility offers a Cognitive Life Skills class for residents.

“The Life Skills class is not religiously based,” says Warden Jerry Rayford. “It’s not based on any type of faith. It’s based upon trying to get people to recognize the bad choices they’ve made and learn how to make some better choices.”

“We have a saying ‘Think about your thinking,’” explains Alonzo. “So, in thinking about your thinking it’s, ‘Okay, let me think about these feelings I’m having. Let me think about my response to these feelings.’”

Robert Upton is one of the resident instructors. “It truly gives you a way to process and think differently,” he says. “Because we’ve all had things filtered into us throughout our lives. Some good, some bad. But it gives you a way to take the bad and pull those roots out. Deal with your past traumas, your past pains, your past hurts. Let them go and move forward with positive decisions.

“The thing is,” Robert continues, “it’s so simple and it’s so common sense, but we don’t apply it. You know, I like to say ‘People say knowledge is power, but it’s the application of knowledge that is true power.’”

The Cognitive Life Skills Class is a six-week course taught by three fellow residents who have gone through extensive training to be the instructors. They’re referred to as Cognitive Life Skills Coaches.

“People will listen to you if you’ve been where they’ve been,” says Tyron Wallace, another resident instructor, or Life Coach. “Not that they won’t listen to others, but when you can actually relate and understand where people have been and have actually walked in their shoes, it makes a difference.”

“The biggest props we get from this class is when it’s over – it’s a six-week class – I can’t tell you the countless amount of students that have asked us, ‘Can we take it again? Can we take it again?’ They don’t want it to end. It’s that impactful,” adds Robert.

“But the beautiful thing is once they graduate the class, which it’s only six weeks, we’re going to spend time with them,” Tyron says. “We go on the wings, sit and talk to them.”

“Those three individuals are able to walk all over the unit,” Warden Rayford explains. “It is important for them within that class to know that they’re going to be coming in and checking on you. They’re going to be coming and talking to them. It’s that continued reinforcement of what they talked about in the class.”

The experience of being a Cognitive Life Skills Coach, and everything in their lives

that have led them to being asked to take on this type of responsibility, leaves these men with a sense of direction for when they’re released.

“I just want to make a difference,” Tyron speaks with emotion in his voice. “Make a difference in people’s lives. So, I’m definitely going to be – it’s wherever God sends me. But my intention is to be a Life Coach and to help as many people as I can.”