Earning Freedom with Michael Santos

Strong Prison Wives

This weekend I had memories of prison visiting rooms. Carole and I married inside of a prison visiting room on June 24th, 2003. I’d been incarcerated for longer than 16 years and I still had another 10 years to serve. When Carole came into my life, my journey became infinitely more fulfilling. We were able to grow together. Despite the years that would separate us, my love for Carole grew stronger every day.

When I emerged from prison, after more than a quarter century, Carole stood in her beautiful yellow dress. For the first time, we kissed and held each other outside the scrutiny of prison officials. We’d grown incredibly close over the course of our relationship. And we would continue growing closer in the months to come, especially after I transitioned from the halfway house to home confinement. We were married for longer than a decade before we ever shared a bed.

It’s now been more than 20 months since I returned to society. And coming back, I now have infinitely more appreciation, admiration, and respect for Carole and for all prison wives. I know the sacrifices wives and family members make when they love a man who is incarcerated. Frequently I’ve written that prison is much harder on the family than it is on the prisoner. After all, while inside, a man is surrounded by others who proceed through similar challenges. Wives, on the other hand, live without much in the way of support or understanding.

I’m dedicating the next three episodes of Earning Freedom to Strong Prison Wives. It’s a support group for women and family members who love incarcerated men. I learned about Ro, the founder of Strong Prison Wives after speaking with Karen, a woman who will appear on tomorrow’s episode. Ro is in love with a man who unjustly serves a sentence of more than 200 years. I consider the sentence unjust because it serves no purpose and it is inconsistent with an enlightened society. 

The absurd sentence that Ro’s husband serves is the result of mandatory-minimum sentencing laws. They require increasingly longer consecutive sentences for people who were convicted of felonies that involved a firearm. Ro’s described her husband’s crime as carrying an eight-year sentence. Yet since he carried firearms while in the commission of his crimes, the judge imposed multiple consecutive terms that stretched the term to the absurd length of more than 200 years. Those who would like to learn may visit Help Free Adam, a website that Ro has built in support of her husband. Those read through the well-written work will see how hard Adam works to earn his freedom and to prove worthy of the support he receives. He has been incarcerated for 16 years, and Ro has stood by his side as a strong prison wife.

In our first interview that features Strong Prison Wives, Ro talks about the complications that accompany her love. You will hear a remarkably strong woman who does everything within her power to strengthen her husband. She is an inspiration, showing the power that love can bring. Anyone can feel inspired by her passion, her energy, and her commitment. With more than 2.3 million people in prison, there are millions of others in society who can use the benefit that Ro’s organization provides. Supporting the incarcerated and their families is one way to sow seeds of hope, and that hope can lead to a safer, more enlightened society.

Support Strong Prison Wives cause by visiting the social media channels that Ro and her team put together, including: 

Strong Prison Wives / Facebook / Twitter

Prison Reform in California 

Karen is a student at Grossmont College in San Diego. She studies criminal justice and wrote:

“Mr. Santos: I am a big fan of yours and have read a couple of your books. Your life is a testament to fortitude, discipline, resolve, and what the human spirit can achieve and endure.”

When I received Karen’s message, I felt immediately moved. While serving 26 years in prisons of every security level, I aspired to work toward connecting with society and contributing in any way that was possible. As a university student who aspired to improve outcomes of America’s criminal justice system, Karen reached out with some questions on massive prison-reform legislation that has taken place in California. She wanted me to provide my thoughts on AB 109 and Prop 47. 

Although I served my entire sentence inside the federal prison system, rather than the state of California prison system, I had some insight to both of those laws. In fact, I published a few articles on AB 109 for the Huffington Post.

Both of those laws resulted as a correction to the wrongheaded commitment California made to mass incarceration. This state once led the way in building prisons and prison population levels. When the recession hit, legislators began to rethink the wisdom of mass incarceration. The Supreme Court forced California’s hand with a ruling that indicated California violated the constitutional rights of prisoners. The high court ordered California to reduce its prison population by a massive amount. That led to reforms like AB 109 and Prop 47. 

In today’s podcast, I responded to Karen’s questions about prison reform and explained my perspective on why every American citizen should be concerned with reforms that would lead to a more effective criminal justice system. It’s my hope that she found some value in my response and that listeners will as well. 

Goals Lead to $100 Million Real Estate Development Company

In today’s episode, I’m featuring Keaton and Chris Scerri. Keaton is six years old. At this young age he learns from the Shark Tank television series. He spoke about following a deliberate path to success: Staying close to his mommy and daddy and preparing himself to lead, like his father, Chris Scerri.

Chris Scerri is partners with Seth Nobmann. Together they own Advanced Building Solutions, a real estate development company with more than $100 million in projects under construction. Chris spoke with our audience about his career. Eight years ago he did not know much of anything about real estate development. With hard work and discipline, however, Chris and his partner have built an extraordinary company. We can learn a lot from his story.

As a real estate developer, Chris said that he adhered to the same principals that we teach in our MasterMind program at the Earning Freedom network. He looks at properties and determines whether he can develop the property into something more valuable. Rather than simply talking about what he is going to build, Chris takes a deliberate, methodical approach. He considers the project from a micro perspective, taking every detail into account. By building spreadsheets Chris can estimate costs and determine whether the project will bring a worthwhile return on investment. He uses spreadsheets to create accountability logs and to stay on track. When conditions arise that change markets, Chris makes adjustments. By being completely transparent, Chris overcomes obstacles and persuades others to invest alongside him. He is a man who is in control of his life and business. He knows how to pursue the type of values-based, goal-oriented decisions that lead to success.

I find Chris’ story inspiring and I look to him as a role model. In eight years Chris went from not knowing much of anything about real estate development to building a company that brings more than $100 million in properties to market. It’s no wonder that Keaton wants to follow in his father’s footsteps. I do too.

Six-year old Keaton talks about learning from Shark Tank and from his dad. He is on a deliberate path to success. We'll hear from his dad, Chris Scerri, next, who will tell us his strategy of using goals to build a $100 million real estate development company.

Molly Gill is the government affairs counsel for Families Against Mandatory Minimums. She spoke on the Earning Freedom network to discuss crucial work FAMM does to educate policymakers, members of the media, and ultimately, members of Congress on the injustices associated with mandatory-minimum sentences. Mandatory-minimum sentences treat everyone who is convicted of a particular crime the same. In her brief time assisting with the prosecution of cases, Molly had an up-close and personal view of the injustices associated with mandatory-minimum sentences. She took action to bring meaningful change.

Since Congress began to make widespread use of mandatory-minimum sentences in the late 1980s, our country’s prison population has surged. We lead the world in the number of people we incarcerate. As Justice Anthony Kennedy and Attorney General Eric Holder have said, our country incarcerates far too many people, and prisoners serve sentences that are far too long. Mandatory-minimum sentences represent part of the reason that our nation’s prison population levels have grown at record numbers.

When Molly joined FAMM eight years ago, few members of Congress had any interest in supporting legislation that would lead to sentencing or prison reform. Times have changed. On today’s podcast, Molly spoke about unprecedented support all political parties offer for meaningful reforms. Still, reform is a heavy lift.

The Smarter Sentencing Act is one of the most promising bills that Molly is striving to advance in Congress right now. Sponsors of that bill include Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians. If Congress passes the legislation, and the President signs the Act into law, the reform would result in a 50% cut to some federal mandatory-minimum drug sentences. Further, the new law would provide retroactivity to earlier legislation that would benefit 8,000 people who qualify for relief from draconian crack-law sentences.

Despite the need for sentence and prison reform, Molly and her team at FAMM need more support. They need people to contact members of Congress and express why our nation’s commitment to mass incarceration and mandatory-minimum sentences represent the greatest social injustice of our time. The Earning Freedom network can help. Please visit FAMM’s website’s “Get Involved” tab. Simply follow the prompts. You can sign an online petition that will result in your voice being heard by members of Congress. Please join us in being the change that you want to see in the world.

Jethro Jones discusses his Passion for Education

Jethro Jones inspires me. After listening to a mentor speak about the importance of building strong communities, Jethro devoted his life to education. He now serves as a principal of a junior school in Kodiak, Alaska.

Jethro and I connected when he invited me to participate on his podcast, the Transformative Principal.

He has produced more than 70 episodes in an effort to rejuvenate the passion of other educators. Jethro mostly interviews other principals or educators. They share experiences about making a difference in the lives of students. When Jethro and I spoke, we ventured into the challenges teachers face when working with young people who are at-risk of exposure to the criminal justice system. Since I know that many people in prison want to redeem their own past bad decisions by working to contribute to schools, I asked Jethro how school administrators would respond to such offers.

I appreciated Jethro’s guidance. He pointed that school districts would have reservations about bringing people with felony backgrounds onto the grounds. Each individual who works with children will need to undergo a background check. A felony conviction would raise flags. Jethro advised our audience about alternatives. He suggested that people who were serious about wanting to contribute to schools could take some action steps such using the new media. People with felony backgrounds could offer real value to teachers if they could deliver a message of personal transformation through mediums that might include podcasts, webinars, or written material.

In light of Jethro’s guidance, I’m going to create a series of podcasts on the Earning Freedom network specifically for educators.

After I record a sufficient number of those interviews, I’ll create lesson plans around the content. I’ll make the lesson plans available on a Google doc, and I’ll write them at an age-appropriate level. Then I will offer the lessons to schools, in a downloadable format. That way, teachers could offer the lessons without having the complication of having to bring people with felony backgrounds onto the school grounds. 

For those who would like to learn more about Jethro Jones and his leadership programs, please visit the following links: 

Website

http://www.jethrojones.com/home/

Itunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/transformative-principal/id770942472?mt=2

Twitter

 https://twitter.com/jethrojones

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jethro-jones/6/ba/b03

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/jethrojones

PrisonProfess.com is a website I created to help defendants understand the challenges of a criminal prosecution. More importantly, PrisonProfessor offers guidance that will empower them. The lessons teach strategies that will position a defendant for the lowest possible sentence, that will allow him to serve the sentence in the best possible environment, and that will set him on a course to return to society most successfully.

Kevin Boardman: Preparing to Surrender to Prison

Kevin Boardman built a career as a private jet pilot for Fortune 100 companies. He flew the best corporate jets in the world. After pleading guilty to federal charges for fraud, Kevin now prepares himself to surrender to prison.

Kevin and I connected because he works with my friend and partner, Justin Paperny of Federal Prison Advice. He had some questions about the journey ahead and I devoted today’s episode to help Kevin understand more about what he could expect from a journey through federal prison.

Kevin told me that when he spoke with Justin Paperny, he began to restore a sense of hope and meaning. Kevin acknowledged that he had made some bad decisions. He is eager to use his time in prison to begin preparing for a better life upon release.

Today’s episode will help others identify with the challenges and anxieties that white-collar offenders face prior to surrendering to federal prison.

Wall Street Lawyer Goes to Prison

Michael Kimelman isn’t the type of person anyone would expect to experience imprisonment. He graduated from top-tier universities and began his career as an attorney with Sullivan and Cromwell, one of the most respected law firms on Wall Street. In pursuit of higher earnings, he transitioned to finance, working with hedge funds. Then Michael launched his own proprietary trading firm to manage investor’s money.

Michael’s career in finance grew, with more than $200 million in management. All went well until market reversals led to a rise in white-collar crime prosecutions. FBI agents raided Michael’s home, with guns drawn. They arrested him for violating securities laws. Rather than cooperating, he chose to exercise his right to plead not guilty and he went to trial. The outcome of that trial brought a prison term.

In today’s episode on Earning Freedom, Michael spoke about his experience in prison. He faced challenges, even though he served his sentence inside the minimum-security prison camp at Lewisburg. Michael describes his experience in the Residential Drug and Alcohol Program (RDAP) and other aspects of his journey.

After concluding his time in prison, Michael transitioned to a halfway house in the Bronx. He offers tips for people in prison, with suggestions that can ease their transition into the halfway house. Following his completion of time in the halfway house, Michael began to resume his career. He is succeeding in triumphing over challenges that complicate the lives of others who proceeded through prison without a plan. Michael has launched new ventures in the entertainment world and real estate investing.

Despite having a felony record, an individual can prepare in ways that lead to success. Michael Kimelman serves as an example to others. An individual can choose to allow external forces to derail possibilities for success, or an individual can choose to carve out a new path. Listen and learn from this success story that emerged from federal prison. 

Contact Michael through Twitter: @MikeKimelman

Crips Gang Leader to Community Leader 

Jerron Jordan used to be a leader in the notorious Crips street gang, and a leader in prison gangs. As a young man, authorities arrested him for armed robbery. He set out to make a name for himself while locked inside high security prisons in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He fought, he stabbed people, and he faced disciplinary proceedings that included a two-year journey in the hole. While in the Special Housing Unit, Jordan transformed his life.

Another prisoner’s question pushed Jerron into deep introspection. As a young black man of 25, with two strikes against him, he began assessing the decisions he had made. Those thoughts led him to conclude that he was on the wrong path, bringing nothing but pain to his family and community. Wanting something better, Jerron chose to change.

He began to educate himself while locked inside that SHU cell, reading every book that he could. When he returned to the prison’s general population, Jerron quit participating in gang activities and started focusing on how he would emerge from prison. He changed the vocabulary he used. He stopped sagging his pants. He chose to associate himself with other people that were rejecting the criminal lifestyle.

Jordan emerged from prison and he began a completely new life as a law-abiding citizen. That approach resulted in the world responding differently to him. Instead of fearing him, others began to invest their time and resources to help Jordan achieve new goals. He associated with community council members, law enforcement, and other community leaders. Jordan persuaded a business owner to mentor him, and he persuaded others to invest in him. With a few hundred dollars he launched his first venture, a vending machine company. With ingenuity and hard work, Jordan grew that business from a single vending machine to a company with more than 100 vending machines.

Wanting to contribute to his community, Jordan sold his vending machine company for a healthy profit and began devoting his time to improving opportunities for young people of color in the Stockton community. He became a force in his community, launching a number of initiatives that made the former gang member a partner of leaders in Stockton. In 2015, Jordan relocated to Los Angeles to become a contributing leader to a larger nonprofit that improves opportunities for people of color. He truly embodies the concept of redemption, and we all can find inspiration in Jordan’s story. I encourage you to listen to his podcast if you want to hear about a young man who moved beyond a troubled past that included gang life and imprisonment to become a contributing citizen.