At the Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility, in Post, Texas, administrators and staff strive to provide programming that will benefit the residents. As part of that effort, a unique program is available at the facility.

AutoCAD is computer-aided design software that construction professionals use to create 2D and 3D drawings.

“Oh, I love this program,” says instructor Nathan Graves, “I think it gives them an amazing opportunity. This program is something that’s not offered in a lot of trade schools and high schools. It’s something pretty unique. And to be in a setting like this, I think it really gives them an opportunity. Not only is it a class that kind of goes above your standard classroom activity, but it teaches them something that’s a little more advanced. And it gives them definite skills to use outside of here, in the real world.”

Nathan goes on to explain that for a lot of the men at the facility, learning computer technology is a great step in the right direction.

“We have a lot of people that come in that have never been, really, on computers, much less to experience a program like this. They may come from a construction background or something similar, but to see them start…I have a lot of people that after a week, it’s just not clicking, it’s just not, it’s not coming in, I say, ‘let’s stick with it for three’. And to see that light, light-up in them, and finally they get it; they’re making these wonderful 3D projects or 2D projects and laying out whole floor plans and just getting excited. It’s just really neat to see.”

“I’m grateful for having the option to have this kind of class,” says class member Israel Lopez. They have electricity. They have carpentry, which are things that I already know. So, this was something that I didn’t know that I now have a knowledge of…I feel like I’m benefitting, and every day I learn something new.”

“It’s a great tool,” adds class member Miguel Hernandez, “that’s going to help me a lot in the future…New stuff is going on out there that we don’t know. He’s trying to bring more information to us.”

“I’m just happy to have something like this as an option,” adds Israel. It’s something that we can definitely use, once we get released from here.”