Grady Wallace was the warden at the Lindsey State Jail in Jacksboro, TX. He is now warden at another MTC-operated Texas facility, the Sanders Estes Unit in Venus. He supports the Logistics Class offered at the Lindsey facility, where those who complete it receive national certification in warehousing.

“They’re almost guaranteed employment once they complete that course,” Warden Wallace states. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the inmates to have a career waiting for them when they get out.”

The Logistics class is made available through a partnership with Weatherford College. David Larson, a retired navy officer, is the instructor.

“Here, you have gentlemen who are going to be released,” explains David. “They need to have an opportunity to go out and be productive members of the workforce, and help with society, and I think that’s all part of my responsibility to be here.”

Warden Wallace is deeply impressed with David Larson. “Mr. Larson is a volunteer through Weatherford College. He is a great inspiration to a lot of those inmates.”

“It’s a good class,” says program graduate Stanley Madison. “Mr. Larson is a great teacher. He’ll help you with anything you can ask.”

The Logistics program has become a popular class for the residents, with many success stories. The Lindsey staff do all they can to make the arrangements to make the course possible.

“The warden has always made himself available,” David reflects. “And a few times I’ve had to call him about something, and I hate to interrupt him, but he would be the only one I could contact. And he would take care of it. Any of the guards, any of the other people when I need something, they jump in and help me out, and I appreciate that very much.”

“The way he explains things,” Stanley says about David, “and the way he teaches the class, he connects with you. He’s not going to sit there and ‘blah blah blah’. He’s going to make sure you understand what you’re learning.”

David sums up how he feels about the opportunity to teach at Lindsey.

“I enjoy it a lot. I don’t just say that; I’ve taught in various colleges, part-time, over the years, and I enjoyed that. And I think there’s a little special thing here, because I think – the Bible talks about – we’re supposed to care for widows and the prisoners. Guess what? I get to come here and help these men.”