At the suggestion of two incarcerated men, the Diboll Correctional Center in Diboll, Texas, started an English class for those of the Spanish-speaking population who might be interested.

“My friend and I got together,” says Israel Muruato, “and it was just an idea. And the idea became reality, thanks to this MTC facility that we’re at right now here at Diboll.”

There were a few logistical challenges to navigate through, but with the commitment of both staff and incarcerated men, the idea became a reality.

“We got together and we streamlined some stuff,” explains Major Sylvester Warren, “(we) changed some times of classes and some of the programs we had going on in education, to benefit everyone. We didn’t want to cut anyone and that’s how we approached it.”

Today, the class completed the first phase of the program, graduating with an improved ability to communicate, increasing their chances of success, once released.

Major Warren spoke at the graduation.

“You can communicate and talk for the guys who cannot speak English to someone who cannot speak Spanish. That makes you valuable.”

Following Major Warren, the other person responsible for the class becoming a reality, Pedro Menjivar, stood at the pulpit at the graduation and expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you, major, for being over here today. Thank you for your staff for helping us everyday with this class.” Pedro continued, “I would like to say thank you to MTC for support. And I would like to give a thank you to Diboll Correctional for giving the opportunity here in Diboll to start this class.”