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Courtney Weatherburne reporting
Rosalilia Castillo is an entrepreneur. She owns a small corn tortilla factory in Santa Elena.

Castillo is one of 15 participants who graduated from a 5 week BTEC training on business development.

Rosalilia Castillo, Participant
"I have learned a lot about it, I got a lot of skills and tools, to open my small business marketing, how to produce my products, how to price it and how to do the packaging."

But Castillo isn't an ordinary graduate - she is an inmate at Kolbe Foundation serving a 12 year sentence for manslaughter.

On a normal day Castillo and her fellow inmates would all blend in with these guys - wearing their loose orange jumpsuits.

But today they swapped their prison uniforms for casual wear to celebrate their accomplishment - one that will give them another chance at a productive life.

Tracey Panton, Minister of State, Trade & Investment
"It is very important because it helps the inmates to prepare for re-entry into the community, it gives them the tools that they need to make a meaningful living for themselves which is very important so that they don't go back to same activities they were involved with before so Beltraide is very pleased to be able to partner with Kolbe for initiatives like this."

Sarita Bejerano, SBDC Belize, Beltraide
"The way the participants were selected were those who have been actively involved in small business enterprises previously before they came to the prison to now be actively involved so and also one of the criteria was that those participants who almost serve their sentence in prison."

25 year old Pedro Moran is one of those inmates whose more than half way through their prison sentence. He is serving a 12 year sentence for manslaughter. He has served 7 years so far and he says he has made the best out of his time by helping out and working at the prison medical center. And Moran says this training has further enhanced his skill set.

Pedro Moran, Participant
"I really did enjoy the training what I really enjoyed about the training was that it thought me a lot of new stuff that I really did neglect which really helped me out and it is really helping me out in every way , it mean in my work environment, communicating with people."

Adrian Morris, who is also serving a 12 year sentence for manslaughter was grateful for the invaluable experience.

Adrian Morris, Participant
"This is my first time participating in this type of program, first time in prison on a whole. And over the past 12 years that I have been in this prison I met a lot of nice people, some not so nice people, you know? And when I come in contact with these people from BTEC and Beltraide, and SBDC, I have to thank God for you all, you really taught me a lot."

But it certainly hasn't been an easy road for these inmates. Many of them had reached rock bottom. But Moran says it is all about learning one of the most important lessons in life.

Pedro Moran, Participant
"First you have to realize that you are in jail and you made a mistake and learn from it but if you don't come to a reality that you made a mistake you will forever live in denial so that was my turning point for me that I need to make better for myself but not only for me but for people in society because once you come to prison they look at you as just another jail person coming out here but I want to go out there and show society that good things do come out of prison."

The training program started on April 15th and ended on May 25th. Beltraide and the Kolbe Foundation will continue to partner on initiatives like this.