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Catherine Rohr Built Hope But Fell From Grace

Posted on October 15th, 2009 3:09pm by Jeanne Prejean
Filed under Business, Education, Heroes

In the past few months the elite crowd and area journalists have had the name “Catherine Rohr” on the tips of their very active tongues. The 32-year old, former venture-capital glory gal had created PEP (Prison Entrepreneurship Program), a five-month, nonprofit program that teaches felons how to start a business and get employed. Since 2004, 500 of society’s “rejects” have graduated from PEP, creating a frenzy around the country for such a remarkable program.

Though based in Houston, Catherine was gaining quite a following in the Dallas area. It was almost magical. Those who heard her speak fell under her PEP spell.

Ah, but that spell has come to a movie-of-the-week end.

It seems the elite folks or journalists did not know that Catherine had been “seeking emotional comfort” from a number of her “students” since her December divorce. Last month she owned up to her inappropriate behavior to the PEP board resulting in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s banning her from working within the prison system. Tuesday she notified her PEP followers that she had resigned as CEO and would be replaced by PEP COO Phi Tran.

While Catherine’s behavior was not illegal, it was a betrayal of the trust that her passionate followers, the prison system, and the “recovering” felons had placed in her. Too bad that Catherine wasn’t more like Caesar’s wife. . . . above reproach.



5 Comments to “Catherine Rohr Built Hope But Fell From Grace”
  • DGirl @ October 15th, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    This is sad. I’m a PEP contributor since the beginning and have met and sponsored several of the inmates. I’m still in awe of Catherine and what she created. She had a lapse in judgement but I pray that won’t destroy her legacy or undermine in any way what she’s done for these inmates, their families and society as a whole. PEP is all about giving people a second chance. Whether you’re a convicted felon or a lonely woman who sought emotional comfort in the wrong places, everyone deserves a second chance. I hope she gets it. I look forward to seeing her land on her feet so she can run with another great program.

  • Daily Digest for October 22nd @ October 22nd, 2009 at 8:42 am

    [...] SweetCharity Blog | D Magazine » Blog Archive » Catherine Rohr Built Hope But Fell From Grace [...]

  • Daily Digest for October 23rd @ October 23rd, 2009 at 8:36 am

    [...] SweetCharity Blog | D Magazine » Blog Archive » Catherine Rohr Built Hope But Fell From Grace [...]

  • Dale Biddy @ November 27th, 2009 at 12:32 am

    I have personally witnessed the interactions between Catherine Rohr and her “students”. There is no doubt in my mind that the bond established between Rohr and students would lead to personal conversations, since the entire premise and foundation of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program is Honesty, Integrity, Transparency, and Trust. I DO however, doubt that Rohr ever crossed even an “ethical” line, because the entire PEP system is built on the premise that people are constatntly observing and making judgements on every action taken by everyone in PEP, whether convict, volunteer, or executive. There are those who hate the idea of anyone coming into the prison system to show compassion toward the “wards of the state they refer to as rejects”. I know for a fact that PEP maintains its standards on both sides of the fences and bars, because every individual involved has great interest in seeing this program succeed. To qualify my statement, I add that “I” was a prisoner who did not pass muster to make it into PEP; but although I am critical of PEP, I will not be dishonest. I have no connection with PEP, but I dare not pass judgement on Catherine Rohr, a spiritual powerhouse who sacrificed daily to make successful entrepreneurs out of the very lucky and talented “convicts” who DID make the cut to get into PEP. I hope everyone judges HER as they would hope to be judged…honestly and compassionately. She deserves nothing less.

  • david jones @ January 28th, 2010 at 9:42 pm

    The environment the ROhr was working in was obviously totally male andmale “confined”.How can any young attractive bright woman stand up to that indefinitely.Ive seen one video of Rohr without her ring and she seems abit subdued.She will be back i feel certain,maybe in a marriage and a with a new life.Christ allows that to happen.