Earning Freedom with Michael Santos

A prison consultant should offer more than boilerplate information. With that end in mind, I share both depth and breadth of information in a variety of ways. Through PrisonProfessor.com I offer guides that individuals may follow to prepare for success. Regardless of whether the individual is a white-collar offender, drug offender, or facing any type of criminal charge, the individual should educate himself more on:

In addition to the guides, those who want a personal prison consultant will find enormous value in working with me. In addition to the prison consulting services I offer, each day I produce a new podcast for free.

Prison Consultant speaks with Ryan Ryskamp:

Today’s podcast is the first of two episodes with Ryan Ryskamp. Ryan shares how he served 37 months inside of the federal prison camp in Morgantown, West Virginia. He entered prison as a college graduate. While in prison, however, Ryan describes how others mentored him. He served time alongside many white collar offenders who had worked as physicians, business owners, and investors. From those individuals, Ryan describes how he learned a great deal that would contribute to his success upon release. His initial transformation, however, came while he was in the county jail and he read the self-help classic, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

Ryan’s episode shows how an individual can derive a wealth of knowledge by learning from others. Although his lawyer didn’t prepare him for the challenges of confinement, he was able to navigate his way through by learning from others.  He said that he would’ve found that knowledge invaluable before his time in confinement began. 

If you’re looking for more information on the challenges of confinement, you’ll find expert guidance at PrisonProfessor.com, or through personal prison consulting services that I offer.

Tomorrow, we’ll offer part two of my interview with Ryan. 

Ryan offered the following contact information for those who would like to connect:

How can a prison consultant help you? If you’re facing a criminal charge in federal court, you may want to consider working with a competent prison consultant. Your defense attorney will lead you through the guilt and innocence phase of the judicial proceedings. A prison consultant will help position you to serve the lowest possible sentence in the best possible environment. Equally as important, a prison consultant will help you develop a strategy to emerge successfully. Prison consultants accomplish such goals by helping you prepare for challenges that include: 

At PrisonProfessor.com, visitors will find inexpensive guides as an alterative to personal prison consulting. Also, the Earning Freedom podcast on MichaelSantos.com offers free insight with daily podcasts that provide insight into living in prison. Today’s podcast includes an interview with James Anderson, the second of two podcasts of leaders within the Anti Recidivism Coalition.

James Anderson

James Anderson describes his journey through the criminal justice. As a child, he experienced severe trauma. His brother, an inveterate gang member and meth user, influenced him. His father beat him routinely. Before James reached his teen years, interactions with law enforcement became routine. In the eighth grade, authorities cited James for bringing a weapon to school. As a teenager he faced a life sentence when authorities charged him as an adult.

A mentor came into James’ life while he awaited the outcome of his criminal proceedings. In her love and genuine concern for his welfare, James describes how he began to work to prove worthy. He made a 100% commitment to reject the gang lifestyle and to begin preparing for a better life. At the conclusion of his criminal proceedings, a judge saw fit to limit James’ exposure to the criminal justice system to seven years. During the 3.5 years that he served, James received mentoring and support from Scott Budnick, founder of the Anti Recidivism Coalition.

Upon his release from confinement, James became the first fulltime employee of the Anti Recidivism Coalition. In that role he has traveled across the United States to speak about the injustices of mass incarceration and to speak about steps we can take to improve juvenile justice programs. He enrolled in community college. After two years of outstanding grades, he received news that UCLA accepted James and he is now UCLA bound. Upon graduation from UCLA, James anticipates a life of leadership and contribution. He aspires to prove worthy of the enormous support that he has received from so many. James lives as the change that he wants to see in the world.

If James can overcome a childhood of trauma, gang influences, and crystal meth to become a leading citizen that influences change, just think what you can do.

What value does a prison consultant provide? People who don’t have any experience with the criminal justice system sometimes ask that question. They believe that a defense attorney would serve as the solitary ally for an individual who faces criminal charges. In reality, an individual wanting to overcome the challenges that accompany a criminal indictment should prepare. If the journey ahead includes prison as a possibility, then the individual should learn from a prison consultant.

Although the Internet includes a lot of boilerplate information of questionable value, an effective prison consultant will offer more. That information would include:

Individuals looking for that type of information will find a valuable resource in the self-directed guides available through PrisonProfessor.com. Those who want to invest in a personal prison consultant will find enormous value in working with me. Those who want to listen and learn from individuals who experienced prison will find some value in listening to the free daily podcasts available on MichaelSantos.com. Today I feature Kent Mendoza.

Anti Recidivism Coalition

Kent Mendoza tells his inspiring story about creating a life of meaning and relevance while climbing through the juvenile justice system. As an undocumented immigrant, he said that he began living a destructive lifestyle when he was very young. He faced life in prison before he was even old enough to vote. He talks about serving time as a young gang member inside of California’s youth prison system. While in that challenging environment, Kent met his mentor, Scott Budnick.

Scott, a well-known Hollywood film producer, has a passion for improving outcomes of our nation’s juvenile justice system. To further that mission, he launched the Anti Recidivism Coalition. The ARC has been instrumental in changing laws that influence thousands of lives.

Today’s podcast of Kent Mendoza provides insight into the first of two young men who transformed their life while they served time inside of California’s juvenile justice system. Tomorrow we will feature James Anderson.

If these young men can overcome the trauma of spending their adolescent years being locked in cages, just imagine what you can do.

Each year, more than 750,000 people return to society after spending time in jails and prisons. Statistics show that more than half of those people will struggle after release. They will face challenges with employment, credit, and housing. An effective prison consultant can help those who want to help themselves.

Through PrisonProfessor.com, I offer a number of prison-consulting products. Individuals can download lesson plans to help them understand the presentence investigation, the residential drug abuse program (RDAP), and strategies to prepare for sentence mitigation or alternative sentencing. For those who want to invest the time to work with a personal prison consultant, I’m available. I wrote a number of books to teach strategies that empowered me through 26 years of confinement, and through Amazon, I offer a downloadable MasterMind program.

Each day, I publish a free podcast on MichaelSantos.com. Those podcasts offer strategies to empower people through prison, or they offer guidance from community leaders. In today’s episode, we hear from Adam Vine, CEO of LeadLaunch.io, a startup that offer Internet marketing services for small business.

I invited Adam onto the program because I wanted him to provide insight about the thought process that goes into building a successful startup company. He spoke about the importance of having a deliberate strategy, about using goals to guide, and about executing a plan relentlessly, in a methodical manner.

Listeners will find that the strategies Adam spoke about are unique to the startup world. Launching a startup requires the same type of deliberate aforethought that an individual must take to resume a life of success after confinement. Listen and learn from the guidance that Adam Vine provides.

He can be reached at [email protected]

Twitter: @leadlaunchio

From my perspective, a prison consultant should offer much more than boilerplate information. The culture of confinement differs in fundamental ways from anywhere else in America. It’s crucial to understand that culture and to prepare in spite of the negativity that exists. Through PrisonProfessor.com, I offer a number of inexpensive prison consulting products that will prepare individuals for such complexities as:

For those who want a personal prison consultant, I’m available on retainer. On Amazon.com, I offer a self-service prison-consulting MasterMind course that elaborates on strategies anyone can use to emerge from prison more successfully. At MichaelSantos.com, I offer daily podcasts to share strategies that empowered me through the journey or I interview other formerly incarcerated individuals who emerged successfully. I also speak with community and business leaders to share their visions of leadership. Presenting regular content from different perspectives and in different formats helps me serve others as a prison consultant.

In today’s podcast, I have the privilege of presenting views from Ashley Greenway and Pedro Arroyo. Both Ashley and Pedro serve their community by working to help at-risk youth build self-esteem.

Ashley was a student in The Architecture of Incarceration, a course I taught at San Francisco State University. After she graduated from the university, Ashley was able to begin fulfilling her passion of working in the field of juvenile justice. She introduced me to Pedro Arroyo, who has built a career with San Luis Obispo Probation.

Both Ashley and Pedro told me about the innovative approaches they’re taking to help students make better decisions. Rather than giving them direction, they strive to inspire them through combinations of role playing and story telling. They measure the impact they’re having on the youth through pre-tests and post-tests that a clinical psychologist administers. I’m hopeful that the Earning Freedom podcast and webinar series may become a useful tool to practitioners who work with at-risk populations.

Many individuals who serve time aspire to reconcile with society by working at-risk youth. Both Ashley and Pedro offer insight that those who want to serve may take into consideration.

White collar offenders search for a prison consultant when a criminal indictment or the possibility of a prison sentence derails they’re sense of balance. I understand. They do not come from a criminal lifestyle and they don’t have many places to turn to for guidance. As a prison consultant, I offer services in a number of ways.

Through PrisonProfessor.com, I offer guides to prepare individuals for challenges. They may learn how to prepare for the presentence investigation. They may learn best-practice techniques to prepare for sentencing. They may want to read how the residential drug abuse program (RDAP) can result in their being released from prison early. Each of those prison-consultant guides provide an enormous amount of content at a modest price.

In addition to the prison consultant guides available at PrisonProfessor.com, I have an author page at Amazon where I offer several books and a prison-consultant MasterMind course. Further, each day, I offer a new podcast at MichaelSantos.com that I call Earning Freedom. All of that work supplements the private one-on-one prison consulting to assist individuals in preparing for the lowest possible sentence in the best possible environment. 

In today’s podcast, I feature Dr. Thomas O’Grady, a top-ranked professional coach who offers guidance to business professionals. He has advised such superstar business leaders like Lee Iacocca, the former CEO of Chrysler, and Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Dr. O’Grady’s guidance is both timely and relevant to anyone who faces struggle, including those in prison. I invite business leaders like Dr. O’Grady onto the show because the guidance they dispense can strengthen anyone. An entanglement with the criminal justice system will derail those who fail to prepare. Yet those who know how to confront the challenge head on can position themselves to emerge stronger, with a recalibrated life and a fresh start. As Dr. O’Grady advises through his mentoring and coaching, an individual has the power within to build a new path and a better future. In fact, he uses that subtitle to advertise his podcast: Life Unsettled.

Read more of Dr. Thomas O’Grady’s wisdom in his upcoming book, The Mechanics of Breakthrough Success.

For more information on Dr. Thomas O’Grady, please visit the following links:

Thomas O'Grady, PhD

Bio: http://www.lifeunsettled.com/about/little-background-thomas-ogrady/

Author: “Mechanics for Breakthrough Success” (forthcoming) ; “Database Developer’s Guide to SQL Server 7”

Podcast Blog: http://www.LifeUnsettled.com

Podcast: http://www.LifeUnsettled.com/foritunes

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasogradyphd

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThomasOGradyPhD

[email protected]

Inspire! Motivate!

Dream! Create!

As a Prison Consultant I routinely field calls from individuals who’ve been indicted. They may have a defense attorney, but they want to learn about subjects like the presentence investigation or whether they qualify for early release through the residential drug abuse program RDAP. With a depth and breadth of experience that is unmatched in advising people as a prison consultant, I offer a number of options. Some choose the do-it-yourself approach through inexpensive guides I offer at PrisonProfessor.com. Those guides require a far lower investment as compared my prison consultant services. But I also offer an abundance of free content through the Earning Freedom podcast. 

Ordinarily, I share strategies that empowered me through 26 years in federal prison. Or I interview other formerly incarcerated individuals who emerged successfully. Or I share strategies with community leaders and CEOs.

Prison Consultant speak with Matt McWilliams, The World Changer

Today’s episode features Matt McWilliams, an expert online marketer. I appreciate Matt for sharing insights with our audience. Business owners pay Matt hundreds of thousands of dollars each year so that he will teach them how to build effective affiliate marketing services. Instead of charging us, Matt generously gave his time and to provide an impromptu lesson on affiliate marketing services.

People in prison or the formerly incarcerated will find real value in Matt’s message. Employers may not be so willingly to hire an individual with a criminal background. Yet individuals who prepare can overcome those challenges if they learn the skill set that people pay Matt to teach. As a prison consultant, I encourage you to listen and learn from leaders who offer such expert guidance.

Those who want to communicate with Matt directly may reach him at the following email:

[email protected]

He also hosts The World Changer Show, where he podcasts under the motto that life is all about finding the inner world-changer inside of you, because everyone is created and born to be a world changer.

Twitter:

@MattMcWilliams2

When I’m working as a prison consultant, helping defendants prepare for the journey ahead, I suggest they begin writing. Writing helped me enormously during the 26 years that I lived as a prisoner. Equally important, the body of work that I created while serving the sentence helped me emerge with numerous opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t have existed. If you’re facing a prison term, then you may consider writing your prison memoirs as a plan to make it through.

LifeStoryTelling.Com

In today’s podcast, you’ll hear from Stacy Curtis. Stacy is a college writing instructor who also leads the Write of Your Life Podcast. Through her podcast, Stacy profiles people who are passionate about writing. I met her through the community at Podcasters Paradise. After a brief conversation, I invited Stacy to share her insights and strategies for people who may want to learn how to write.

She cited academic research showing that writing could help anyone through challenging circumstances. When individuals take the time to reflect, or introspect, they develop a sense of empowerment and they restore confidence. Without a doubt, writing can bring clarity of thought and purpose—useful skills for someone in prison.

Identifying 10 or 15 milestones in life would be a great place to start the writing process. Another list might include eight to ten areas of conflict. Evaluating where those conflicts and milestones intersect could provide inspiration for the memoir. She also suggested “free writing,” anything to get the process started. Rather than obsessing over grammar or structure, Stacy suggested that simply putting words on paper could help. As the story unfolds, the writer can spend time developing scenes, providing details that will help the reader experience the story through all senses.

Obviously, good writing takes a lot of time and work. The investment, however, can prove enormously therapeutic. It worked for me and it can work for others who want to restore their sense of dignity after challenging times. 

For more information on Stacy Curtis’ work, her contact information follows:

Lifestorytelling.com

Writeofyourlife.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/WriteOfYourLife

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriteOfYourLife

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/WriteOfYourLife/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WriteOfYourLife

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Writeofyourlife/posts

Instagram: https://instagram.com/writeofyourlife/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacycurtis

How can you receive an early release from prison through RDAP? What is RDAP? Part of my job as a prison consultant is to explain the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). The RDAP program is relevant to any individual who has been sentenced to federal prison. Why? Because RDAP is the only program available in federal prison that can result in an administrative time cut. 

If RDAP is the only program that can result in a time cut, then why doesn’t every federal prisoner participate?

As a prison consultant, I answer those questions through a variety of ways. On my Earning Freedom podcast, I provide guidance on all aspects of living in federal prison. Through PrisonProfessor.com, I offer do-it-yourself guides that individuals can use to prepare for a journey through prison, including qualifying for RDAP. And through one-on-one prison consulting, I share strategies that empowered me through 26 years in federal prison. Those who choose to invest in working with me will position themselves well to advance through prison and emerge successfully, in the soonest possible time.

Today’s Earning Freedom podcast presents a follow-up interview with Salvador Castaneda. I met Salvador while he was serving a lengthy sentence in federal prison. At the time that I met him, he identified as member of the Paisa prison gang. Salvador transformed his life during his final years in confinement. He participated in the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), resulting in his earning a 12-month time cut.

Salvador explains the structure of the RDAP program and offers insightful guidance that for anyone who anticipates time in federal prison.

Serving as a prison consultant allows me to work with people from every sector in society. Why? Because our nation’s criminal justice system will take anyone. Our country incarcerates more people on earth than any other nation. White-collar offenders with advanced degrees and multi-million dollar fortunes serve time in communities with people who don’t have any education and may be illiterate. Prison authorities may assign former corporate CEOs to serve time alongside prison gang members. How do individuals with such disparate backgrounds thrive in such communities?

As a prison consultant, I teach strategies that any individual can use as they strive to navigate the challenges of a criminal indictment. Through free podcasts available on Earning Freedom, people can ascertain the depth and breadth of my experience. Through lesson plans available at PrisonProfessor.com, people can pursue the self-study programs that will help them under the presentence investigation, the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), sentence mitigation strategies, and more; PrisonProfessor makes those course available at a really low coast. Those who want to retain a one-on-one prison consultant will derive value from the investment. They’ll get the benefit from all I learned during the 26 years that I lived as a prisoner.

On today’s podcast, listeners will learn from Salvador Castaneda, a former prison gang member who transformed his life while in federal prison. He has since been released and he is enjoying success in society as a law-abiding citizen.

Salvador Castaneda, Jr.

I met Salvador Castaneda during my 25th year of imprisonment. In his interview today, he tells our audience that he formerly considered himself a member of the Paisa prison gang. Salvador worked alongside me as I was developing the Straight-A Guide program. I’ve since modified that program for the MasterMind course available on MichaelSantos.com. Salvador tells the Earning Freedom podcast how adhering to a values-based, goal-oriented strategy resulted in successful return to society. Immediately upon his release from prison, he secured full-time employment. Success led to his receiving a full scholarship in a vocational program, a full scholarship to a local college, and advancement in his career. 

If you face challenges with the criminal justice system, you will find inspiration in listening to Salvador’s story of success.