Earning Freedom with Michael Santos

Anyone exposed to time in prison should learn about how the disciplinary process works. In today’s Earning Freedom podcast, I spoke with Agustina. She is a Fulbright Scholar from Argentina who is studying at UC Berkeley. Agustina is particularly interested in the disciplinary system that exists in America’s prison system. I spoke with her on several occasions to assist her understanding of how our system operates. We discussed constitutional protections for people who are charged with violating disciplinary codes. I was not too optimistic that people in America’s prisons would receive Constitutional protections. 

Do you know how many people face charges in federal court each year? More than 75,000 people each year see a document that says The United States of America versus their last name. Of those 75,000 people who face a federal criminal indictment, more than 10,000 do not consider themselves criminals. They believe that they will never see the inside of a federal prison.

Unfortunately, most are deluding themselves. 

According to a Department of Justice website, more than 90% of all people charged as criminal defendants in federal court are found guilty. That means they must proceed through a presentence investigation. They proceed through a sentencing hearing. They find themselves having to say goodbye to family and serve lengthy sentences in federal prisons.

Where do they turn for guidance? 

Through the MichaelSantos.com and Prisonprofessor.com, I’ve provided an abundance of content. Recently, I established a formal partnership with my friend Justin Papery to merge my websites with both FederalPrisonAdvice.com and Etikallc.com. Together, Justin and I intend to broaden our services to reach the 10,000 people each year who need to prepare for prison. We’re going to initiate an out-bound marketing campaign that will more defendants understand the different services we provide, including prison consulting. Justin will serve as the prison consultant, while I work on more macro issues to serve the needs of our clients.

Authorities began investigating Paul in 2010. He didn’t do anything about it. One year later, authorities indicted Paul for wire fraud. He hired council. The lawyer wooed him for the retainer. Paul paid a substantial fee. The case dragged on for five years, culminating with a 27-month prison term for wire fraud. Paul surrenders to prison in six days—more than five years after he initially learned that he had become a target of a criminal investigation. 

Paul and I spoke about the importance of preparing for federal prison. As a prison consultant, I frequently encounter individuals who could’ve made better decisions. The truth, it’s never too early and it’s never too late to begin preparing for the best possible outcome. It’s like the old adage, the best time to plant an oak tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today. 

It’s the same with the criminal justice system. The earlier an individual takes action by educating himself about the journey ahead, the sooner an individual can begin preparing. Paul began his search to educate himself 10 days ago. He hired my partner, Justin Paperny, at Federal Prison Advice. Justin has been coaching him, providing Paul with lesson plans, speaking with him over the phone. Now Paul knows a lot more about the journey ahead. 

If you’re facing a challenge from the criminal justice system, you should consider hiring a competent prison consultant. Visit Federal Prison Advice.com, or contact me. Justin and I work together. When it comes to prison consulting, sentencing mitigation, or preparing to emerge successfully, we’re the best in the world at what we do. 

Today I read about the 18-year prison term a federal judge in North Carolina imposed on a real estate developer. Keith Arthur Vinson attempted to develop a 1,400-acre luxury golf-community in North Carolina. He retained legendary golfer Arnold Palmer as a designer and sold more than 125 lots in the range of $400k. A lot of glitz when into the marketing of the development, apparently. Unfortunately, the recession resulted in the dream turning into a failed land deal. Authorities charged Vinson with fraud.

A jury convicted Vinson and he has been in custody for several months. He appeared for sentencing on in late June, 2015. Yet instead of expressing remorse, Vinson made excuses. The judge cited Vinson’s statements during the sentencing hearing as being part of the reason for the 18-year sentence imposed.

If the federal government charges an individual with a crime, that individual had better do everything within his or her power to understand the system. No one wants to stand before a judge for sentencing. Yet if the federal government brings charges, the vast majority of times, a sentencing hearing will follow. Defendants should prepare themselves for that possible outcome. They can begin by educating themselves on the presentencing investigation report, and then on sentence-mitigation strategies.

If Keith Arthur Vinson would have known more about how the process operates, he could have invested the time and energy to prepare better. He should have known that any type of finger pointing or blaming of others would only exacerbate his problems. I suspect that Vinson’s statements during the sentencing hearing cost him several additional years in prison. Had he understood the essence of sentence-mitigation, he may have succeeded in persuading that judge to understand that he was something more than the criminal charge.

As a prison consultant, I help those who retain me to prepare. For those who choose to prepare themselves, I offer an abundance of free or inexpensive content on MichaelSantos.com and PrisonProfessor.com.

Scott became familiar with my work while I was in the final decade of my prison term. As a small business owner from Canada, Scott didn't have any problems or troubles with the criminal justice system. Somehow, he found writings that I published. He became a fan and followed me through the journey.

He reached out seeking guidance. Although he didn’t have any challenges from the criminal justice system, Scott said that he felt stuck. He didn’t have much direction for his life, didn’t know how to find fulfillment. While searching for help, or guidance, Scott returned to my work and he reached out.

During our conversation today on the Earning Freedom podcast, I spoke with Scott. While he described the course of his life, I questioned him. I wanted a better sense of Scott’s direction, or purpose.

Our discussion resulted in us talking about avatars and purpose. My success through prison differed from the journey that others had through adversity because I always had an intended outcome. I knew how to define success. As I told Scott, and as I tell those who retain me from prison consulting, we advance our journey to success when we define it. Without that clarity, we struggle. We’re always lost.

Scott asked if I would provide that type of guidance to people who don’t have any involvement with the criminal justice system. He found authenticity in my story and sensed that the story differed from others who marketed themselves as “life coaches” or “personal consultants.”

The challenge for me in providing that type of guidance is the time commitment. As a prison consultant, I explained, I help people prepare for the most challenging times of their lives. I need to figure out a way to package my products and services for the broader market, and I invited Scott to become a test case for me. We will conduct a series of podcasts to explore whether there is a need in the marketplace that I can fulfill.

I’m excited to share the final part of the story that describes Miguel Zaldivar’s amazing return to society. In part one of this series, listeners hear of Miguel’s background. He grew up in a family that earned its living through drug trafficking. After his arrest, a conviction followed. A judge sentenced Miguel to 30 years in prison. While incarcerated, Miguel learned strategies that would help him emerge successfully.

In part two, we learn about his initial adjustment to society. In part three, we learn how Miguel cultivated new relationships, how he established credit, and how he began to prepare a life of stability and contribution. In part four, Miguel and I discuss steps he can take to build his career going forward.

Today, I spoke with Miguel about the MasterMinds program and how he can utilize the skills and values from it moving forward.  One of the things that’s been key to Miguel’s re-entry is his process of setting goals.  In order to define success for himself, Miguel and I talked about accountability locks as part of taking incremental steps to accomplish one’s goals.  I’m excited to collaborate and work with Miguel further. His experiences and outlook are positive examples of successful re-entry.

I invited him to become a part of the PrisonProfessor team, and I’m hopeful that others will find as much value in his positive message as I have found.

Those who want more information from Miguel may contact him directly by email:

[email protected]

I’m thrilled to present part four of the story that describes Miguel Zaldivar’s amazing return to society. In part one of the five part series, listeners hear of Miguel’s background. He grew up in a family that earned its living through drug trafficking. After his arrest, a conviction followed. A judge sentenced Miguel to 30 years in prison. While incarcerated, Miguel learned strategies that would help him emerge successfully.

In part two, we learn about his initial adjustment to society. In part three, we learn how Miguel cultivated new relationships, how he established credit, and how he began to prepare a life of stability and contribution.

In today’s podcast, Miguel and I discuss steps he can take to build his career going forward. I invited him to become a part of the PrisonProfessor team, and I’m hopeful that others will find as much value in his positive message as I have found. 

Those who want more information from Miguel may contact him directly by email:

[email protected]

As a prison consultant, I strive to help people through every phase of the prison journey. Individuals who must endure time in prison should learn about the process. They can learn great lessons from people who’ve gone through federal prison successfully.

Today I offer the third podcast that features Miguel Zaldivar. In the first podcast, Miguel provides insight into his background and the decisions that led to his 30-years in federal prison. He talks about advancing through high security federal prisons and moving his way down to low security federal prisons. Miguel describes his experiences with the residential drug abuse program (RDAP), sharing how his completion of that program resulted in his being released from prison one year earlier.

In the second episode, we learned about Miguel’s initial adjustment in society. Today’s podcast continues Miguel’s story. We learn about his success in security housing, nurturing relationships, building credit, and getting ready for the next phase of his life.

Those who want more information from Miguel may contact him directly by email:

[email protected]

We learned about Miguel Zaldivar's conviction for drug trafficking that led to a 30 year prison term in yesterday's podcast. He helped us understand an initial adjustment that included an attempted escape attempt and his transfer to the high-security penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. While in the penitentiary, Miguel made a commitment to educate himself.

In today's podcast, Miguel continues with his story. He tell us what it felt like to transition from a federal prison to an open halfway house in Miami after decades of being locked up. The preparations that Miguel made led to his deliberate readjustment in society.

Those who listen to Miguel will learn how he positioned himself for a job. They will learn about his the initial challenges he faced and they will learn how he overcame those challlenges. Most importantly, they will learn that if a man can conquer decades in prison, an individual can conquer just about any hurdle.

For more information on Miguel, contact him directly:

Email: [email protected]

In the late 1980s, a federal judge sentenced Miguel Zaldivar to serve a 30-year prison term. Today's podcast is the first of five episodes. Miguel tells us how he felt to begin serving such a lengthy sentence when he was only 25. Initially, he made an escape attempt. Then, after authorities transferred him to the high-security penitentiary in Leavenworth, Miguel took a fresh look at life. He made the decision to transform his life.

From Miguel we learn that an individual who makes the choice can work toward becoming more than past bad decisions. While incarcerated, Miguel earned a university degree and he became a published author. Although he served multiple decades in prison, he emerged with his dignity intact, ready to begin living as a contributing, law-abiding citizen. 

We'll hear more of Miguel's story tomorrow.

Those who would like to contact Miguel may connect through email:

Email: [email protected]