Breaking generational cycles of incarceration
One Diploma Trade Certificate Family
at a time
Our Story
Former warden Percy Pitzer saw inmates donate earnings for their kids’ tuition and knew education—not punishment—was the way out. In 2012 he launched PFEF to fund futures for children of the incarcerated and returning citizens.
Mission
Provide scholarships and training that end recidivism.
Vision
A future where incarceration never dictates educational destiny.
Our Focus
The Pitzer Family Education Foundation (PFEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarships and financial aid to children of the incarcerated and individuals on parole, helping them pursue college, trade school, or certification programs. By breaking cycles of second-generation incarceration, PFEF aims to reduce crime and create safer communities. Many incarcerated individuals actively support this mission by donating to help fund scholarships for their children—fostering pro-social values and aiding in their own rehabilitation. Donations from inmates are used exclusively for student aid, never for salaries or overhead. PFEF partners with multiple state corrections departments, including Texas, Ohio, New York, Virginia, and more, to facilitate this support. Scholarships are typically distributed in August, and qualified applicants are placed on a waiting list based on state-level funding availability.
The Pitzer Family Education Foundation (PFEF) provides financial aid and support to ex-offenders on parole and at-risk young adults in Southeast Texas—including Beaumont, Nederland, and Port Arthur—helping them enroll in trade certificate programs and build a path toward stability. PFEF partners locally with Lamar State College Port Arthur and the ABC Training Academy in Nederland to make this possible. In addition to financial assistance, PFEF offers national support by helping individuals navigate community college enrollment, ensuring they have access to the resources and guidance needed to succeed in their education and reentry journey.
Scholarships
Parolees Graduated
Donated by Inmates
Our
Leadership
Percy Pitzer
Co-Founder / Board President
Anthony Haynes
Executive Director
Marsha Pitzer
Program Administrator
Mary Williams
Administrative Assistant
Board of Directors
Percy H. Pitzer
Co-Founder/President of the Board
Founder and Managing Director of Creative Correction LLC, Retired Warden
Jeanine Hadnot
Board Member, Treasurer
President & CEO of Creative Corrections LLC, currently manages the affairs of the company and serves as the Facility Security Officer.
James Rich
Board Member
Retired President of the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce, Retired Warden. Executive Director at Southeast Texas Economic Development Foundation.
Jeff Wydeven
Board Member
Correctional Consultant and FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialist, Retired Correctional Services Administrator.
Wayne Scott
Board Member
Correctional Consultant for forty years and former Director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Paige Augustine
Board Member
Retired Senior Executive Service Warden Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons.
James Dean
Board Member, Director of Solutions Reentry Project
Founder and Director of a nonprofit supporting incarcerated adults before and after release. After 30 years of incarceration, Jim launched the program in 2012, helping thousands with housing, jobs, and reentry.
Stan Stojkovic
Board Member
Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Sheri Norman
EDS, Board Member
Retired Elementary Teacher & School Administrator
Note: Secretary duties will ordinarily be performed by the Executive Director or Administrative Assistant of Pitzer Family Education Foundation.
25% of Funding Comes from the Incarcerated
Nearly 25% of all funding for the Pitzer Family Education Foundation comes from currently incarcerated individuals. These men and women, despite their limited resources, choose to give because they understand the problem firsthand—and believe deeply in the solution: education. Their contributions are a testament to the power of second chances and the desire to break the cycle of incarceration for future generations.
The Reality
On any given day, more than 2.1 million children in the United States have a parent behind bars.
Losing that parent to incarceration shatters a child’s sense of safety, strains household finances, and buries dreams that were never theirs to lose.
Children of Incarcerated Parents (CIPs) are five times more likely to enter prison themselves. PFEF exists to rewrite that statistic by turning potential into promise through education and career training.
Magnitude
America imprisons more people than any nation on earth—1 in 100 adults—and two-thirds are locked up for non-violent offenses.
Impact
Up to 50 % of juvenile offenders have an incarcerated parent, proof that second-generation crime is real and rising.
Cost
Taxpayers spend $40–50 k per inmate per year. A full year at a public college averages $17 k; trade school costs even less.
Solution
A credential means stable income, strong families, and safer neighborhoods—education is cheaper and far more transformative than incarceration.
Scholarships That Open Doors
First-year awards with up to three annual renewals of $1,000 each—so long as students remain in good standing.
Funds Paid Directly to Schools
Tuition, fees, and books are remitted straight to accredited campuses—every dollar goes to education, never cash in hand.
Strategic Partnerships
We work with correctional institutions, counselors, teachers, and community leaders to spot talent early and mentor it forward.
Education vs. Incarceration ROI
A year in college costs a fraction of a year in prison and reshapes taxpayer burden into societal gain, while showcasing incarcerated parents as investors in their children’s futures.
The Solution
We break the cycle before it starts. PFEF funds college, community-college, and trade programs for children of the incarcerated—so prison isn’t their only path, opportunity is.
Sponsors
Fuel Education, End Recidivism
Help us bridge the gap: with our grant ending September 1, 2024, your gift keeps kids of the incarcerated and returning citizens on track for college and trade careers—turning second chances into thriving futures.