Prison Consultant Released from Federal Prison

I’m Michael Santos and I help people prepare strategies that lead to their release from prison at the soonest possible time. I wrote the articles on this news blog during the final years of the 26 years that I served in federal prison camp. Now I’m a federal prison consultant and you can view my offerings at the following websites:

• MichaelSantos.com
• PrisonProfessor

If you need assistance, contact me at 949-334-9119 or send me an email at Michael@MichaelSantos.com

Michael Santos in the Media

• PBS NewsHour Television Profile
• NBC Bay Area Proud Television Profile
• San Francisco Chronicle Profiles
• Forbes – Power in Prison
• Seattle Times Profile
• Los Angeles Times Profile
• New York Times Profile
• Huffington Post
• Rate My Professor

• Business Insider
• Quora
• TEDx
• Gizmodo
• The Daily Dot
• Ethics Daily
• Santa Maria Sun
• California Forward
• Business Insider

• Google
• Yahoo
• Bing
• Wikipedia
• Ask
• Amazon
• AOL
• Silicon Valley Joint Venture
• iTunes

I returned to society on August 12, 2013, with values, skills, and resources that few would expect for a man who served decades in prison.

• I earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.
• I published 15 books.
• I built a savings account that allowed me to return to society with more than $100,000 after 26 years of imprisonment.
• I married the love of my life and nurtured that marriage through my final decade in prison.
• Within three weeks of my release from prison, I was an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University.
• National media covered my work and transition into society.
• I built a multiple-income stream business that provides a life of abundance for my wife and me.
• I work to improve outcomes of our nation’s criminal justice system.
• I teach others how to empower themselves.

Through free podcasts available on the iTunes network, you’ll learn from my story and from successful people who live by the strategies that empowered me.

If they empowered me through decades in prison, just think how they can benefit you!

Be The Change You Want to See in The World!

Listen to daily podcasts so that you can learn how others use these principles to enjoy lives of fulfillment and meaning. Adhere to strategies we teach through the Earning Freedom network to live your best life now.

If you’re facing an indictment or criminal charges and want expert guidance, then download your free ebook now.

If you’d like to learn strategies to overcome struggle, inquire about our MasterMind group.

Click Here to Subscribe

The post Prison Consultant Advice appeared first on Prison News Blog.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-santos/what-happens-to-cameron-d_b_558229.html

The post Cameron Douglas’ Prison Sentence appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Why I read Black Boy:

My friend, Steve Urie, recommended that I read accomplished nonfiction writers.  Although Steve said that he was not a fan of Richard Wright, he told me that his wife, Peggy, an English professor, admired Wright’s work and they both recommended that I read Black Boy.  I’m glad they gave me a copy of the book, because I admire the skill Wright used to tell his story.

What I learned from reading Black Boy:

Black Boy is an autobiography that describes Richard Wright’s life from his earliest memories as a child of the Jim Crow south. He shows the readers how encounters with poverty, racism, segregation, and low expectations shaped the man he would later become.  Although Richard Wright’s formal education was minimal by today’s standards, he educated himself by reading, and trained himself to become one of America’s leading black writers, memorializing the tragic consequences of oppression through his art.

By reading Black Boy, I learned more about what it was like for a black people living the Deep South during the early 1900s, and I was inspired by Wright’s tenacity. He understood the system and he figured out how to navigate his way around the obstacles in order to reach his own ambitions.  I admire the way he responded to his struggle, and I learned from the skillful way he shared his story.

How reading Black Boy will contribute to my success upon release:

When my imprisonment ends, I will build a career around what I learned about conquering adversity.  To communicate this message effectively, I continuously strive to broaden the depth and breadth of my knowledge on the subject.  In reading, Black Boy, I recognized similarities between Richard Wright’s struggle to become one with society and the challenges that I have faced as a prisoner for the past 22 years.  By becoming familiar with Richard Wright’s story, I have more experiences to draw from, and that investment of time will yield results in making me a more effective communicator.  I expect to use what I learned by reading Black Boy in conveying messages to others on how best to triumph in spite of adversity, struggle, or oppression.

The post Black Boy appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Despite my inability to join in festivities, I certainly have much for which I can feel grateful. I express gratitude for the many blessings of my life every day, and today I bow my head with special prayers for my loving wife, for my family, for good health, and for the opportunities I have to appreciate life.

Yesterday I met Leighton, a young man who self-surrendered to Taft Camp from the San Diego area. New to prison, Leighton brought a fresh perspective as he experienced his first full day in federal prison. He had spoken with my friend Justin before he self-surrendered, so Leighton had an idea of what to expect. Yet he stood in amazement when he saw the amount of waste firsthand.

It’s true that the easy atmosphere of federal prison camps would astonish most taxpayers. At first impression, the prison camps look like recreational resorts, with grown men spending all of their time lounging, exercising, or wasting time. Prison camps truly waste taxpayer resources and human lives.

Certainly, the “punishment” comes with separation from family and community. But taxpayers suffer a high cost for this brand of justice. As Leighton observed, an enlightened society could do so much more than operate these prison camps that separate nonviolent and non-threatening people for years at a time.

The post Twenty-Three Thanksgivings in Prison appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Check out: http://www.openmediaboston.org/node/990

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F34p0YiSp8g&feature=player_embedded

What it’s about:

1. Alienation of people: We are creating refugees amongst our own people. Inmates come back not feeling like they are part of their own community; not knowing “we the people” means them too.

2. Break up of families: unreasonable prison policies and a culture of oppression is further tarring up families and communities. How can this system support fathers in taking responsibility?

3. Transparency in government: We are turning one group of people to another (great majority of inmates are minorities) With Media barred from facilities and no independent oversight there is no accountability in Massachusetts DOC. Why isn’t media allowed in? If they want to investigate abuses and mismanagement why are they are constantly denied access.

4. President’s Leadership needed: How can President go and see Guantanamo Bay but doesn’t look into his own prisons? Can he assume that everything is right here? How come he can address schools, Middle Eastern countries, but will not address prisons?

5. System accountability: Every prison is different; there is no “system.” So who is responsible for outcome? Each State should be accountable about its prison system to the President. Focus on one place at a time. Find what’s wrong in MA to pass it on to another institution.

http://obamaanswerthis.com/

The post President Obama… Answer This appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Why I read Writing With Style:

This was the second of two books on writing style that Peggy, a professor of English from Nevada sent for me to read. I met Peggy through a written correspondence that her husband, Steve, made possible. Peggy has helped me by reviewing chapters of my manuscript, Earning Freedom, as well as another chapter I wrote for a corrections book. Her comments helped me strengthen the work, and I read these books on style she sent because I hoped they would help me improve my writing skills.

What I learned from reading Writing With Style:

Although many technical rules govern the craft of writing, style helps writing flow more smoothly. I learn from reading authors critically, by considering choices in punctuation, paragraphing, cadence, word choice, sentence lengths, and other decisions writers make in expressing their ideas. This book offered suggestions that may help my writing come across more smoothly, at least that’s what I’m hoping.

Reading books like Writing With Style and Style make me more conscious of rules that govern writing. They also reaffirm my thoughts about writing – that writing is work, a job that requires many hours. I enjoy the work of writing , as I find it a creative and a fulfilling use of my time. Writing helps me think more clearly.

How reading Writing With Style will help me upon release:

Writing With Style adds to my continuing education on improving my communication skills. While living in prison, I’ve found that developing communication skills requires a constant effort, as the rules of confinement separate us from society in many ways. Without effort, a prisoner loses his communication skills over time. His vocabulary becomes polluted with profanity and vulgar expressions. By studying books on English, however, prisoners can improve their eloquence and skills at persuasion. This book has helped my ongoing efforts to improve my communication skills.

The post Writing With Style appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Each session begins with 30 students, but by the time we finish the class, three to four students have dropped. For prison, a 90 percent retention rate was exceptional. I attributed the reason participants stuck with the class was because it introduced them to strategies that would assist them in leading more fulfilling lives. Although Scott designed the curriculum for the broader community, when leading the course at Taft, I adapted the lesson plan to meet the challenges unique to prisoners.

Many prisoners found it difficult to sustain motivation. They missed their families, their communities, the sense of independence and freedom they had taken for granted as Americans. While serving time in prison, even at a low-pressure facility like Taft Camp, it was easy to slide into patterns of lethargy and loneliness. During the more than 21 years that I’ve served as a prisoner, I developed strategies to conquer those debilitating adjustments and through the course I hoped to motivate other participants.

The first class began with a film Scott played a role in producing. He and his partners called the film Pass It On. Through the use of brief presentations from several motivational speakers, the film expressed the importance of mentoring, setting goals, making plans, fueling passion, living in a state of gratitude, and contributing to the making of better communities. Through each two-hour class, I related these concepts to the unique challenges we all faced as prisoners and suggested steps we could take to apply them to our own adjustments.

In leading the class, I was not only able to pass along strategies I have learned over more than two decades of confinement, I was also able to refine presentation skills that I expected to build my career around upon release. As prisoners, we needed to anticipate the challenges that would await us and create our own strategies to prepare for them. Since I intended to find fulfillment upon release by introducing others to concepts that will help them reach their highest potential, I take advantage of every opportunity to practice communications and inspire others.

The post Teaching the Entrepreneurial Compass Class at Taft Camp appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Although Jeff did not want to reveal too much personal information, he responded to questions from Professor Schrenkler’s questionnaire on ethics. His answers follow:

Ethical Development: 

1. Do you feel you had/have a good understanding of your core values? How did those core values guide your decisions while on the job?

I do not believe I had a sense of my core values at the time I committed my crime. I had been raised with values, but they were not “core” in that they did not pervade every aspect of my life. While on the job I used values that were what I thought the accepted values in business. These were values I had seen my supervisors use and seen other people use on me over the course of my professional life.

2. What was the most important aspect of a career in business for you? (bottom line, wealth challenge, etc…) What motivated you the most while working for your company?

For me the most important aspect was wealth. I was motivated by getting a better role within the company or getting a better job outside the company.

3. Who do you think is responsible for the ethics of a company?

I think the leaders of a company are responsible for the ethics of a company. If the leaders are the Board, officers, upper management or whatever, it’s the people who make the decisions. However, every person is responsible for their own ethical behavior. If your morals differ from what you see practiced around you, you need to probably find another job.

Ethical Decision Making:

4. Did you have a written code of ethics at your company? If so, did you base your decisions around those codes?

I do not recall a written code of ethics at the company when I committed my crime. In my opinion I saw a lot of unethical behavior as the norm.

5. Did you believe that your business decisions followed your particular company’s core mission, vision, and values? Explain.

To answer that, I would have to know what my company’s mission was. I suppose it was to provide good customer service, and shareholder value. I was trying to earn a higher yield for my company, but I invested in something that was outside the investment policy. I suppose I could argue that I was making decisions that fit with the mission, but the decisions did not fit with my values. I should have seen that and reevaluated if I was working for the right company.

6. Did you think you should have been held to a higher ethical standard, given that you were in a position of great power? Explain.

The prosecution certainly felt I should be held to a higher standard. I felt more like I was the scapegoat for people who had more power that failed in their ethical duties. It’s easy to blame someone lower than you, but it takes some moral fortitude to take responsibility for the errors of someone you supervise. I made mistakes, but it was impossible to make them completely on my own. Yet, that’s how it was painted by the company and the prosecution.

7. Do you feel your employees were equipped to recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas? Explain.

In the company I worked for employees and supervisors were not equipped to resolve ethical dilemmas. That seemed to be something reserved for Human Resources and I don’t think they always resolved things ethically. Resolution to them was to avoid litigation.

Corporate Environment:

8. Please explain the corporate culture within your company during your involvement.

In my opinion the corporate culture was convoluted. Regularly during audits I recall people hiding information from auditors and only providing to the auditors was they specifically requested. I recall issues that involved employees that I supervised being handled with very little concern or compassion for the employees, again, with the objective being to avoid any possible litigation. I saw bad decisions being made that were explained away by upper management and bad decisions by lower level management punished with termination or with the common practice of making the job so miserable the employee would quit.

9. Is it possible to have a very aggressive corporate culture, yet foster an ethical environment?

First, a company has to define what ethics, integrity, honesty, etc are. If you say that you won’t break any laws, then I would say that your ethics are the bare minimum. I’ve seen a lot of unethical behavior that was legal. If you say that your ethical standards are to follow the golden rule, Do business the way you would want others to do business, your company will probably fail. Unfortunately, the best check and balance on capitalism is morality. Laws can only do so much to prevent unethical business practices. I would say that you cannot have a “very aggressive” corporate culture and foster an ethical environment. This is not to say that you cannot have a profitable company without ethics.

Reflection/Advice/Future:

10. If you could choose to redo anything, what would it be?

I would have pursued the right thing rather than pursue money, success and a higher paying job.

11. Do you think anything good came out of this?

I suppose that there is some good that has happened. Unfortunately, I think there was a lot more pain and suffering when the government got involved. This could have been resolved with a lot less pain and financial burden for all of the parties.

12. What is your biggest regret?

That I did not act with integrity and honesty in my business dealings right from the start.

13. Do you plan on taking on the business world once again when you are released? If so, do you think you will encounter any roadblocks getting back into the business world? Explain.

I do plan to go back into the business world, but with different goals. My primary goal will be to act with integrity and honesty regardless of the outcome. I know that there will be roadblocks. The business world will always view me with skepticism. That’s part of the punishment. You have to accept that people are biased and prejudiced against you. The hope is that you can change that by your actions.

14. What advice would you give to a business student about to embark on their chosen career path?

If you can be honest, think outside yourself and be willing to accept not always getting / what you want, your reputation will be much stronger as you progress through life. I believe this is an investment and that you will achieve to higher aspirations by applying some integrity into your business life.

15. How do you feel about a business class questioning you on your ethics?

I think it’s good to get some real world perspective. I had an ethics class in college and we didn’t discuss anything about honesty, humility and selfishness. It simply told us to consider all impacted parties of a decision. Well, that leaves the decision open to all sorts of justifications. I never thought I would commit a crime. I didn’t think I was committing a crime when I was doing what I did. The problem was I did not follow my values. At the time I was not willing to accept that I had to be humble, that I was making enough and didn’t need more money. Everyone is on the precipice of committing a crime. Application of solid values is the only thing that will prevent it.

The post Corporate Treasurer Responds to Ethics Questions appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Ethical Development:

1. Do you feel you had/have a good understanding of your core values? How did those core values guide your decisions while on the job? 

As a physician, my core values are to cure when I can, to otherwise relieve functional deficits, and to first of all do no harm guided my conduct while on the job.

2. What was the most important aspect of a career in business for you? (bottom line, wealth, challenge, etc…) What motivated you the most while working for your company?

 The most important aspects of a medical practice for me was both patient satisfaction, personal lifestyle/comfort and profitability.

3. Who do you think is responsible for the ethics of a company? 

I think a company should establish broad and general ethical standards for its directors, officers and employees. I believe each individual is responsible for ethical conduct.

Ethical Decision Making:

4. Did you have a written code of ethics at your company? If so, did  you base your decisions around those codes?

 I did not have a written code of ethics at my company.

5. Did you believe that your decisions followed your particular company’s core mission, vision, and values? Explain.

 I believe my business decisions followed my company’s core mission, vision and values (see #1 above).

6. Did you think you should have been held to a higher ethical standard, given that you were in a position of great power? Explain.

 I think licensed and certified experts should be held to a higher ethical standard because they are in positions of greater power. Ethical conduct and its culture thereof should flow from the top to the bottom.

7. Do you feel your employees were equipped to recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas? Explain.

My employees initiated and propagated the unethical conduct in a clandestine manner. Although they should have known better, greed seems to have clouded their judgment.

Corporate Environment:

8. Please explain the corporate culture within your company during your involvement.

During my involvement, the corporate culture within my company emphasized patient satisfaction, mutual respect and profitability.

9. Is it possible to have a very aggressive corporate culture, yet foster an ethical environment?

Although it is possible to have a very aggressive corporate culture and to simultaneously foster an ethical environment, aggressive cultures ten to trample ethical boundaries.

Reflection / Advice / Future:

10. If you could choose to redo anything, what would it be?

If I could choose to redo things, I would avoid employment of a management company until I have completed a thorough background investigation of the people involved.

11. Do you think anything good came out of this?

As a result of my period of incarceration, I developed a high level of skill in the craft of screenplay writing. Furthermore, I have been able to identify characteristics in other people to avoid.

12. What is your biggest regret?

My biggest regret is that I did not focus all my attention on a medical sub-specialty, so that I would have a higher rank in the field of medicine.

13. Do you plan on taking on the business world once again when you are released? If so, do you think you will encounter any roadblocks getting back into the business world? Explain.

I plan to rekindle my career in medicine upon release. I am positive that my conviction on charges of aiding and abetting health insurance fraud will cause me to encounter roadblocks. The federal government has already notified me that I am barred from billing state or federal heath insurance programs. I surrendered my medical license in August 2007, and I will be able to apply for its reinstatement after August 2009, but this process can take 3-6 months of professional rehabilitation.

14. What advice would you give to a business student about to embark on their chosen career path?

I advise any student about to embark on a chosen career path to diligently develop a strong foundation and persevere in building on that foundation over time. Don’t rush!

15. How do you feel about a business class questioning you on your ethics?

I believe that ethics play a very important role in all businesses, so Business Ethics classes should be required curriculum.

The post Physician Responds to Ethics Questions appeared first on Prison News Blog.

David Muniz and Michael Santos

David is 29 years-old, and together with his wife, Gabriella, he works hard to build a better life for the couple’s two children, Brendon and Priscilla.  Earning his GED represented but one step David is taking to demonstrate his commitment and love for his family.  Since receiving his diploma, David has enrolled in courses at Taft Community College, and he has been working as an apprentice to develop mechanical skills repairing wheelchairs.

Few young prisoners demonstrate such commitment to improving their lives.  Being separated from family and community causes many prisoners to lose hope.  When I asked David what motivated him to work so hard, he told me that the love he has for his wife and children requires him to work hard every day, as he feels a duty to live as a strong role model, even through these times of difficulty.  When David returns to his family, he wants to ensure that he has every skill and credential possible that will help him overcome the stigma of his confinement.  He intends on making meaningful contributions to his family and community, thus David expresses an urgency in using his time at Taft Camp to prepare.

When I walked into the visiting room, the efforts that I saw staff had invested in making David’s graduation memorable amazed me.  Speakers stood in the corner to broadcast music appropriate for the occasion; chairs were aligned neatly in rows that faced a lectern; typeset programs were printed to announce the order of ceremonies.

David and his colleagues wore black gowns over their clothing, and each had the graduation cap complete with tassel.  Then the graduation ceremony began, they marched in formed strides toward the honored seats at the front of the room.  Then the chaplain from Taft Camp, Mr. Maurseth, stood at the lectern to bless the ceremony with a brief prayer.  Mr. Ochoa, the Director of Education at Taft Camp, then toasted the graduates and introduced the ceremony’s keynote speaker, Dr. Jose Reyna.

Dr. Reyna, who chairs the Department of Modern Languages and Literature at California State University, offered an enlightening history on the importance of education.  He urged each graduate to continue the journey, as striving to develop our understanding of the world is a lifelong pursuit.

When the professor concluded his remarks, Ms. Puentes, who presides over the Taft Camp as the Associate Warden, shook each graduate’s hand while simultaneously issuing their high school equivalency diploma.  Later in the ceremony, a photographer snapped a picture of David and me together.

After all the prisoners received their diplomas, a reception followed. The staff ordered turkey and roast beef sandwiches from a local delicatessen. along with chips, cookies and two large graduation cakes – one chocolate and one vanilla.  The effort administrators put into the graduation ceremony encouraged me as I know that such gestures go a long way toward inspiring prisoners to reach their highest potential.

David Muniz may have to live separated from his family for a while longer.  Though I share a cubicle with him and I’m certain he will continue hhis admirable efforts of preparing for a law-abiding, contributing life upon release, his family, he says, gives him all the motivation he needs.

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