As I was running this morning I thought about all the quarterly reports I’ve written, and the ones I still have remaining to write. If the Bureau of Prisons’ sentence computation is accurate, I’m scheduled to serve 40 more months. That means I’ll write 10 more quarterly reports before release. I can manage.

This step-by-step approach to release requires that I make some adjustments to the goals I set at the beginning of this year. I’m particularly concerned about the quantity of books that I pledged to read. During the first quarter of 2010, for example, I’ve only read two books. My commitment to several writing projects requires that I sacrifice the time I would normally spend reading. It’s not that I’ve abandoned literature. Rather, I’m in the final stages of my sentence and I must channel my time into projects that relate directly to my career upon release.

For many years I’ve written about my aspirations to build a career that would allow me to write, teach, and consult. The best preparations I can make for that career compel me to gather content. Every prisoner with whom I serve time has a story that I can use to teach others. I spend many hours every week interviewing other prisoners, and I write their stories in the early morning hours between 1 and 6 a.m.

When I’m between interviews, I gather more content from reading through case law books. Those books offer a wealth of information. The more I read, the more versed I become in the types of behavior that can lead people to prison. The case books interest me, but I also educate myself by reading the criminal code books and the code of federal regulations. Even the Bureau of Prisons policy statements interest me. The more I read about this system, the better prepared I feel to teach others.

All of the content I collect provides documentation that will help me illustrate the complexities of America’s criminal justice system. But the work means more than explaining it. I aspire to help people live more fulfilling lives, and the lessons I’ve learned coupled with all that I gather from books or researching others will prove useful. I look forward to continuing this work in the months that I have remaining to serve. The efforts will assure that I have a full schedule upon my release, as I will package all that I have learned and prepare it for the national market that I will create.

In previous quarterly reports I wrote in more detail about my activities and my plans for the upcoming quarter. Yet in these 10 remaining quarters that I’m scheduled to serve, I may not write with as much clarity. It’s not that I want to shield my activities, but the writing projects take most of my time. I have to be conscious about prison rules and the business of writing. Some staff members in the prison system object to my continuous writing. I will not publish again until my release, but to avoid conflict—or to minimize the possibility for conflict—I will not elaborate with too much detail on my work. It keeps me busy, and once I’m free from the grips of the prison system, I’ll publish and write more freely. Suffice it to say that I invest more than 60 hours each week working toward the success I expect to realize upon release.

Besides gathering content that will assist my career, I’ve been more active with my contributions to the Taft Camp community. Each week I participate in the Taft Toastmasters Club, I attend the youth outreach program to help at-risk adolescents make more responsible decisions, and I spend time mentoring other prisoners. My days remain full and productive.

I remain fully committed to daily exercise. Maintaining an excellent level of physical fitness remains a top priority for me. To that end, I have continued a daily running and strength training routine without a day of rest since December of 2008, and God willing, I intend to continue exercising every day until the day of my release. In the first quarter of 2010 I’ve run 807 miles, which beats my record of running 788 miles during the first quarter of 2009. Besides the running, so far in 2010 I’ve done 32,900 pushups. I’m feeling fit at 170 pounds, which was the same weight I had when I began serving my term in 1987.

Despite a high level of fitness I was reminded of how no one can take life for granted. Andrew Altchek was a friend of mine at Taft Camp, and despite his commitment to many years of daily exercise, he passed away unexpectedly on 21 March 2010. I have known many prisoners who have died while serving time, and I’m always saddened that they were unable to rejoin their family members. Andrew was someone I knew well, as we worked side-by-side for more than two years and sometimes exercised together. I’ll miss his company.

In the months to come I will remain active in Taft Camp, primarily with writing projects. I expect to finish writing three manuscripts before the end of this year, each of which will contribute to my successful adjustment and return to society. I’ve been in prison for 23 years so far, and a wise friend I’ve made from India said that since I’ve been away from society for 23 years, I must work 23 times harder than the average American. That level of productivity, he assures me, would help me catch up. But if I work 24 times harder, I can move ahead.

Since I intend to move ahead, I had better return to my work.

The post First Quarter Report, 2010 appeared first on Prison News Blog.

The first goal that I listed was that I would devote a minimum of 40 hours each week of the year toward preparing for my career as communicator upon release.  Certainly, I’ve devoted significantly more than 40 hours each week. During the year I wrote Earning Freedom, a manuscript that chronicles my process through my first 22 years of imprisonment.  Although I finished the first solid draft during the third quarter, the editing continues.  This project will contribute in significant ways to the career I lead when I walk out of prison boundaries, and I spent several hours each day during the fourth quarter working to advance the project.   

Besides writing and polishing the manuscript, I consider all my other activities as integral part of my preparations for release.  This includes my exercise schedule, the books I read, the efforts I make to build my support network, and my daily routine, especially sleeping early and beginning my work before 4:00 am every day of the year.

On the first day of 2009, I wrote that I would read at least 25 books in 2009.  I did not consider that reading 25 books during the year would be an insurmountable number.  Since I read more than 50 books during each of my early years in prison, and more than 40 books during the latter years in prison, I expected to breeze through 25 books in 2009.  But adjustments that I made to my schedule once I began the writing project hindered my ability to reach this modest goal of reading 25 books. I only read and wrote book reports for 21 books during 2009, adding seven books to the tally in the fourth quarter.

Since I expect to continue my focus on writing during 2010, I’m reducing my quota of books to read even further for the New Year to 20.  Each book I read, however, will have some relevance to my career upon release. In addition to reading 21 books in 2009 I also stayed current with world events by reading my subscriptions to Time, Newsweek, and my favorite magazine, The New Yorker.

In setting my 2009 goals, I wrote that I would run an average of at least 50 miles each week, expecting to surpass the 2,600 miles in ran in 2008.  During the first quarter I ran 788 miles; I ran 806 miles in the second quarter; I ran 830 miles during the third quarter; and during the fourth quarter I ran 804 miles for a total distance of 3,228 miles during the year of 2009.  More importantly, I ran every day of the year. Physical fitness represents an important goal for me, and I’m proud of this record.

During the fourth quarter, I also began keeping a tally of my pushups.  My purpose in doing so was to hold myself accountable.  It’s one thing to tell my wife that I want to emerge from confinement in excellent physical condition, but it’s another thing to take regular, measurable steps toward that end.  In the fourth quarter I recorded 20,170 pushups, and made a commitment to record 100,000 pushups in 2010.

Besides physical fitness, writing, and preparations for the contributing life I intend to lead upon release, the fourth quarter of 2009 has been a consolidation and conceptualization. When I write “consolidation”, I mean that I’ve taken time during the fourth quarter to appreciate the many blessings of my life.  Although I write openly about my activities in prison, Carole and I have the blessing of a support group outside that I’m not at liberty to write about.  Nevertheless, those in the group work hard on my behalf, and we’re both grateful for their efforts.  As of now, however, I’m not able to write about unresolved issues that, potentially, could influence our life.

The fourth quarter has been a time of “conceptualization.” I’m moving into the last 10 percent of my imprisonment phase, and acknowledging this latter stage of the journey requires that I create a new plan I can follow as I navigate my way through it. I must use every day effectively, and during the past three months I’ve ruminated over my various options. 

In my Values and Goals for 2010, I outlined some broad strokes to follow as well as some specific goals to achieve during the next year.  I invite readers to visit my daily journal and my future quarterly reports to hold me accountable.  It feels good to begin a New Year, one that will bring me another step closer to home.

I appreciate the support I receive from so many and reaffirm my commitment to prove worthy of that trust.

Sincerely,

Michael G. Santos

The post Fourth Quarter Report–2009 appeared first on Prison News Blog.

I began thinking about this project during the second quarter of this year. With the end of my sentence approaching, it’s time to begin writing the story, documenting my deliberate adjustment strategy that successfully brought me through more than two decades in prison. It’s an intensive effort, requiring many fits and starts, many hours staring at the wall. It took several weeks and several drafts before I felt comfortable enough to share my first chapter with my mentor, Carol Zachary. After she reviewed and approved the sample chapter, I began writing the full manuscript. The writing became therapeutic for me, carrying me through the summer.

By the beginning of August, I advanced the manuscript to page 258. That didn’t reach the halfway point, but by then I felt firmly in control of the effort. I found a friend in Taft Camp whose wife, Peggy, is an English professor in Nevada and she became a new writing mentor for me. Mentor relationships have helped me throughout my term, and I’m especially grateful to have the privilege of Peggy’s assistance. After writing my manuscript pages in longhand, I sent them home to Carole for typing. Carole then sent the chapters to Peggy, and she returned them with suggestions on how I could strengthen the writing. I appreciated that guidance, and I learned lessons that will stay with me always. I’ve been blessed with many mentors who’ve helped me grow through all these years.

Besides Peggy and her husband, Steve, Carole and I have built a friendship with David and Judy during the third quarter. Like Carole and I, David and Judy visited every Friday at Taft Camp. They’re active in the Jewish community, and during one of their visits, they introduced me to a rabbi from the prestigious Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance. I wrote to the rabbi and introduced him to my work, and I’m grateful because the introduction from our friends David and Judy led to an invitation for me to speak at the Museum of Tolerance upon my release.

Since my release will likely come before 2012, I continue soliciting speaking engagements that will be scheduled after my release. The invitation to speak at the Museum of Tolerance was an honor, and I’m focusing on securing many more invitations to keep me busy through the first year after release. I want to share with audiences all that I’ve learned as a long-term prisoner, as I’m certain the lessons that have guided me can help  others as well.

My closest ties are to academia, so I began writing letters to professors who have given their support to me. Those letters I wrote, together with my work over the past 22 years, have led to speaking invitations at Stanford Law School, The City University in New York, Mercer University, New Mexico State University, Lauder University in South Carolina, and others. I will continue reaching out, as I hope to build a career through speaking, writing, and consulting upon my release.

On the first of September, I began page 454 of my manuscript. I was writing about the latter stages of my imprisonment, a much more fulfilling time because Carole had become the center of my life. Every morning I woke with enthusiasm, eager to advance the story and to relive the memory of our unconventional romance through sentences and paragraphs. By the middle of September, I reached page 581, completing a solid draft of the entire story through that moment.  

Carole launched a new version of our website in September too. The demands of my manuscript have consumed all of my writing energy. I’ve kept current with my daily blogs but I’ve had to suspend writing additional content for the Web. In late October, after I finish my edit of Earning Freedom and submit the manuscript to my agent, I’ll reserve more time for writing Internet content.

I’m still running every day, keeping my pledge to run every day of  2009. During the first quarter I ran 788 miles. In the second quarter, I ran 806 miles. During the third quarter I’ve run 830 miles.  This has been my longest stretch of running in my life, and I intend to continue.

My reading schedule has not been as impressive. During the third quarter I only read four books including Ten, Feu, Ten; Movable Feast; Death in Venice; and One Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich. My writing responsibilities interfered with the reading schedule I usually kept. I woke every morning to begin writing before three, and I usually slept before 5:30 in the afternoon after only a page or two of reading.

As I advance into the fourth quarter of 2009, I intend to continue my daily exercise, and I will continue writing. These efforts prepare me for the challenges that await my release. My hopes are to secure a new publishing agreement in the fourth quarter, as I want to see Earning Freedom in print.

I’m grateful for the support I receive from so many, and I will continue these efforts to prove worthy of the trust I receive. My journey to earn freedom continues.

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

The post Third Quarter Report, 2009 appeared first on Prison News Blog.

I’ve now served nearly 22 years in prison. This ought to bring me an air of credibility and authority when I write that a positive attitude can lead to a positive prison adjustment. This year, I’ve begun more significant efforts to document the steps I take to thrive through prison.

As I have done for the past several years, I began 2009 with an announcement of the values and goals that would drive my adjustment. Those guides help me stay on focus, though when conditions require me to modify the goals I set, I do not hesitate. My objective is to emerge from confinement with the skills and resources necessary to succeed. All of my decisions flow to that end. As a consequence of my having clear direction, I still wake each morning with a high degree of energy and an eagerness to make progress toward the goals I set.

Rather than limiting readers to quarterly reports, in 2009 I began recording my daily activities. Through my prison journal entries, I invite readers to follow the steps I take each day to triumph over the adversity of imprisonment. Although I do not have access to computers or typewriters, through the discipline of waking early, I succeed in writing considerable amounts of content to help others learn more about prisons, the people they hold, and strategies for growing through confinement.

With the inauguration of President Obama, and the more liberal Congress, I deem this effort of writing about the prison experience more crucial than at any time during my imprisonment. I hope to advance the call for prison reform. My sentence is nearly complete, so I may not receive any relief from the prison reform that I feel confident our new leadership will bring. As an American citizen, however, I feel a responsibility to share what I have learned with hopes of contributing to a more enlightened society.

Carole and I continue to make investments in our Internet strategy. Through our newly updated blog at prisonnewsblog.com, we’re striving to connect with thousands of citizens each day. As my daily journal shows, I began writing each day of 2009 well before 4:00 AM. In January I posted 92 blog articles. In February I posted 110 blog articles. In March I posted 144 blog articles. My total blog posts in the first quarter was 346.

Besides publishing for my own blog, I’ve begun writing for change.org. During the second quarter of 2009 I hope to create additional opportunities that will expand my reach. The more I publish about the prison experience, the more I can help others grasp the urgency of prison reform. Further, by working to expand my network of support, the more I can enhance my preparations to conquer the challenges that will follow a quarter century in confinement.

These efforts to reach beyond prison boundaries has led to more interest in my work. Producers from Good Morning Americacontacted Carole for assistance with a story they were putting together on the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. And the distinguished research professor Joan Petersilia invited me to contribute a full chapter for her new book Oxford Handbook on Sentencing and Corrections; I’ll be writing about living in prison. These opportunities opened because I continuously reach out.

Prison policies have become more restrictive during the first quarter. I cannot use typewriters anymore to type my manuscript pages. This restriction has exacerbated Carole’s challenge of publishing all the content I write. We’re fortunate to have the support of Josh who has been a saint to assist us with typing and web support. During the first quarter we also began working with a new web design team. They are working diligently to build us a professional platform and to educate Carole and me on effective blogging strategies.

During the first quarter I opened a new mentor relationship with Professor Jana Schrenkler. She coordinated a visit with me here at Taft Camp in February and gave me an opportunity to contribute to the literature on ethics. Each month I expect to write at least one article on ethical lessons I’ve learned from white collar offenders who serve time with me.

Besides making contributions to Professor Schrenkler’s work, I concluded another semester of working with the students in Dr. Sam Torres’ class at California State University, Long Beach. They used my writing as a resource and I responded to questions they asked through the blog.

Since I turned 45-years-old during the first quarter, I scheduled a physical with health services. The end result revealed that I’m in great health, and I attribute that to my exercise routine. In January I ran 284 miles; in February I ran 256 miles; and in March I ran 248 miles. I’ve run every day of 2009 so far, and accumulated 788 miles to date. This puts me ahead of schedule for my goal to surpass the 2,600 miles I ran in 2008.

As a consequence of the heavier writing schedule, I have fallen behind with my reading schedule. Thus far I’ve only completed reading six books, and I should have read more. I’ll need to catch up in order to reach my goal of 25.

My marriage to Carole continues to thrive through our eighth year together. I may have served nearly 22 years in prison, but I feel more blessed than most.

I appreciate the support of all.

Sincerely,

Michael G. Santos

The post First Quarter Report, 2009 appeared first on Prison News Blog.

We still do not have clarification on exactly how much more time I must serve. As an old-law prisoner, I have issues to resolve concerning good-time calculations and parole eligibility; besides those matters, it is too early to determine how much halfway house placement I will receive. Either way, Carole and I expect that we will enjoy the holidays of 2012 together as husband and wife. In light of the 2008 elections, however, we feel optimistic that my release will come much sooner.

The fourth quarter of 2008 has kept me busy with preparations for release. Those who follow my work know that I hope to build a career as an author, speaker, teacher, and consultant upon my release. The Internet and the Web sites that Carole maintains on my behalf serve as key components of my strategic plan. During the fourth quarter, I read several books that broadened my understanding of Web technologies Carole and I can use to build my brand.

I continued my work with Dr. Sam Torres of California State University. He is a professor of criminal justice and Dr. Torres uses my book Inside: Life Behind Bars in America as a teaching resource. The students he teaches are pursuing careers in law enforcement. As part of the course work, Dr. Torres requires the students in his class to write letters with individual questions about my book or my perspectives on prison. I wrote more than 90 responses to the university students, and to preserve the dialogue, Carole published those responses on prisonnewsblog.com. I appreciate these opportunities to contribute to the students’ understanding of America’s prison system. Although I give them a long-term prisoner’s perspective, I am confident that my work adds value.

During the fourth quarter I led a group of 30 other inmates in a 10-week class designed to help them prepare for success upon release. The class is part of a course called The Entrepreneurial Compass, designed by Scott Evans, a motivational speaker from Los Angeles. Through the class, I facilitate the participants in seeing steps they may take to overcome various challenges or obstacles in their lives.

During the latter portion of October, I joined several other inmates on two separate field trips to Bakersfield. We were under staff supervision as we drove to schools where at-risk adolescents were waiting for our presentations. Our group, which operates under the acronym of TOAD, discusses the bad decisions we made as young people and how those bad decisions led us into lengthy prison terms. We perform a few skits to help dramatize the ways that peer pressure can lead to the loss of freedom and devastation. These projects provide a real value to society, as we prisoners have a degree of credibility with the students. Together, we can help them make better decisions and avoid the tangled web of the criminal justice system.

In November, of course, Barack Obama won the Presidency of the United States. Carole and I followed his candidacy from the first primary election that happened in Iowa during the first days of 2008. I subscribed to several news magazines and I read the newspaper daily to watch his progress in the campaign. Although the President does not influence the lives for most Americans in the same way that he does for a prisoner, this year the entire country had an interest in politics. I felt a surge of hope with candidate Obama became President-elect Obama on November 4th.

Our country is in a financial crisis and we remain at war on two fronts. Clearly, President Obama will have issues to confront that are of far greater importance than prison reform. Yet his leadership brings the real possibility for reforms that could have an immediate influence on my family. Namely, he could sign legislation that would result in my release to Carole. That is a huge deal for us; even the possibility of freedom buoys our spirits.

Besides release, President Obama could appoint a new Director of the Bureau of Prisons that may ease some of the struggle in maintaining family relationships for prisoners. Prior to the election of George W. Bush, for example, we had a policy that did not limit telephone access for prisoners. At the very least, I am hopeful that President Obama will restore more telephone access so that Carole and I can speak for longer than 10 minutes per day, and so that I can resume phone calls to extended family members and friends.

In an effort to influence the possibility for prison reform, Carole has launched a new platform for me at prisonnewsblog.com. This new site launched on December 11, 2008, and I have made a commitment to write at least one blog post each day for the site. My hopes are to build an audience and persuade readers of the need for prison reforms that will lower recidivism rates. By allowing prisoners to work toward earning freedom, prison reforms would vastly improve the system of corrections in America. Through my work, I hope to influence that legislation.

In late November, I saw that President Bush commuted the sentences of two prisoners. Surprisingly, the news left me feeling somewhat sad and neglected. Perhaps I am biased, but I feel as if I have worked harder than any other prisoner toward earning freedom, and with more than 21 years of being locked inside prison boundaries, I feel that the greater crime is to continue my separation from Carole and my family. After a difficult evening, however, I woke early to resume my work, knowing that I had a duty to continue preparations for the challenges that await my release. Unemployment rates were reported at 6.5 percent in November, and I’m sure they are significantly higher for people with prison records. Perhaps it’s best that I wait out a few more months inside the comfort of a prison camp.

During the year of 2008 I ran more miles than I have run during any other year of my confinement. In October I ran 182 miles, in November I ran 230 miles, and in December I ran 282 miles. My total mileage for the quarter was 694 miles, and for the year 2008 I ran 2,600 miles precisely. That will be tough to beat, though I feel up to the challenge.

Besides all of my work with the blogging and writing updates for my Web sites, I am working as a ghost writer to help another prisoner with a biography that he is writing. This work has required that I wake well before four each morning, as I write best when the other prisoners are sleeping. All of this work, however, is helping me to hone my discipline and my skills. I feel confident the efforts condition me well for the challenges that await my release.

In 2009, since I feel that I am moving much closer to home, I have decided to publish weekly updates. Those updates will come in addition to the quarterly reports, which I will continue. The weekly updates will help readers understand how I spend each day in confinement, and they will memorialize the journey. I am sure the record will prove useful to me when I begin my speaking career upon release.

I appreciate the interest and support, and hope readers will continue to follow the progress Carole and I make as we continue these final preparations for my release.

The post Fourth Quarter Report, 2008 appeared first on Prison News Blog.

My wife, Carole, and I must prepare for the possibility of my imminent release. The goals we set for the calendar year 2009 reflect our belief in the possibility that we may begin our lives of living together as husband and wife, as a real family, much sooner than my currently scheduled release date. Although we remain grounded in reality, and we stand fully committed to growing through whatever adversity the bad decisions of my early 20s created, we have been infused with the audacity of hope.

As I wrote on the first morning of 2008, I remain committed to focusing on five areas for personal growth, but for 2009, I have added a sixth. These values reflect my commitment to lead a balanced, goal-oriented life. To achieve that end after a quarter century of confinement, I am convinced that I must define my goals clearly; further, I must invite others to both evaluate my progress and to hold me accountable. By doing what I say I will do, I empower myself through the struggle of confinement.

The value categories on which I concentrate follow alphabetically:

• Faith
• Family
• Finances
• Fitness
• Friends
• Community

Faith:

My faith in God has been the cornerstone of my adjustment through this journey of imprisonment over the past 21-plus years. Since the gates first locked me inside, in 1987, I have felt strengthened because I accepted that I was living God’s plan. With God’s grace, I embraced the opportunities that came my way, and I feel as if I have grown because of the many blessings I have received.

Although my faith in God powers me through every day, and sets my mind at ease before I sleep each night, I consider this value personal. Since I build my faith through silent prayer and living in a continuous state of gratitude, measurements of spiritual growth are internal. Through my contributions to society and the lives of others, I hope to live as an example of the blessings that come to those who allow faith in God to guide them.

Family:

More than 21 years in confinement has hindered my ability to live and interact closely with extended family members. Since my imprisonment began, my father and my grandfather have passed away. I was not able to participate in their funerals, and imprisonment has hardened my ability to grieve.

My mother married, lived with her husband for longer than 15 years, and divorced, though I had minimal presence in their lives. My younger sister has enjoyed a long marriage and reared two lovely daughters, though my imprisonment has meant that I hardly know my younger sister’s family. My grandmother, thank God, advances into her eighties with a lucid mind and excellent health, through travel distances and restrictions have made it difficult for her to visit me in prison. My older sister and her husband have made nurturing a relationship with me a priority in their lives, and they have brought their two children to visit me regularly each year. Yet state lines have always separated us. Distances and prison restrictions limit my interactions with her to no more than a few times each year.

Despite family wishes that I could have played a more integral role in their lives, I remain imprisoned, a stranger to the next generation. My primary connection, for which I am eternally grateful, is to my wife, Carole.

Carole has now passed through seven holiday seasons with me, and her love makes me feel whole. Limitations imposed by the prison system restrict my telephone and visiting access, so I reserve all of my phone and visiting privileges for Carole. We are authorized to speak an average of only ten minutes per day, and rules prohibit us from visiting for more than a maximum of a few hours, one day each week.

Despite the complications wrought by a rigid prison system that effectively discourages and limits family ties, Carole and I continue to nurture our marriage in every way possible. She is my link to society and my hope for a better future. Through her, I find the strength to persevere. Together we set the goals and commitments that will carry us through these remaining months or years of my imprisonment.

With Carole’s love and commitment to our marriage, I feel a driving inspiration to push myself harder through 2009. I must prove myself worthy of all she sacrifices to endure the challenges of imprisonment that she accepts alongside me.

Finances:

Included among the many ridiculous obstacles erected by prison policies that effectively block those striving to emerge successfully includes a rule that prohibits inmates from “conducting a business.” As a long-term prisoner, however, I have always considered it my responsibility to prepare for a successful transition into society. After more than a quarter century in confinement, I will need financial resources to transition from the life of a prisoner into the life of a stable, contributing citizen.

Expenses for clothing, shelter, transportation, insurance, and sustenance to carry me over until I am stable will require that I build a substantial savings account. I will have to draw from those savings to launch my life upon release. I estimate that I will need to accumulate a sum somewhere in the mid five-figure range to fund a stable transition into society without stress; after 25 years of imprisonment, I do not want to endure financial stress. Plans that Carole and I have made together keep us on track to reach the necessary savings we will need upon my scheduled release. With hopes that my release could come sooner, Carole and I must make adjustments and sacrifices in 2009.

Through earnings generated by my work during imprisonment, I created the resources necessary to fund Carole’s nursing education. She earned her first nursing credential in the summer of 2008, which enabled her to begin working in a respectable career that pays her a livable wage. We are both grateful that she now lives a life of stability. With Carole’s national nursing credential, she is able to contribute to our family savings plan and to continue studies that will lead to advanced nursing credentials. We expect Carole to graduate as a surgical nurse in 2010; her earning capacity will assure financial stability in our lives.

The detailed financial goals that Carole and I set will enable me to pursue a career as an author / speaker / teacher / and consultant upon my release. Such a career choice will require that I work independently, without the certainty of a steady paycheck and benefits. Yet I have worked to build a career that would not require shame or hiding from my past since the beginning. I intend to live as a testament to each individual’s ability to thrive through adversity, and I expect to build a career that will inspire others to reach their highest potential. Such an aspiration requires that Carole and I create the financial strength to sustain us, and the goals we set reflect our commitment to this life plan.

Fitness:

On January 15, 2009, I will celebrate 45 full years of life. I have been blessed with excellent health, though I am convinced that a disciplined exercise commitment contributes to my tip-top physical conditioning. In the year 2008, I ran 2,600 miles. That was the longest total distance I have run in a single year. I intend to continue this commitment to long-distance running and strength training in 2009. This commitment reflects a deep sense of responsibility that I feel, as I owe my wife a duty to do all within my power to emerge healthy and fit. I will renew that commitment to Carole on the first day of each month for the rest of our lives.

Friends:

As a long-term prisoner, I have few genuine friendships that precede my confinement. I feel the generous support of one childhood friend and his family, though other than the Karis family, the friendships Carole and I have built are with people who came into my life through this prison journey. We both are grateful for the love we feel from so many. Yet prison restrictions interfere with the type of intimacy that grows with most long-term friendships. I do not have the freedom to make phone calls or to visit, and I am prohibited from accessing modern technologies like e-mail that people take for granted in contemporary society.

Despite limitations, I try to stay connected through my access to writing paper, pens, and postage stamps. I am grateful for the friendships with which I have been blessed. I feel as if I am building the final steps of my ladder. It will lead me out from the caverns of imprisonment I have known since 1987. With my eagerness to emerge into the light, I feel myself devoting more of my energy to the preparations I must make, leaving less time available to keep us with personal correspondence. I ask those friends who stand by me to continue their support, as it has been a great source of strength for me.

Community:

To carry me through 2009, I have added a sixth value: community. In making this addition, I acknowledge the increased time I am investing in broadening my reach into society. As a long-term prisoner, I feel as if I have an obligation to help American citizens understand this growing subculture of imprisonment. Our country confines more than 2.3 million people, and it releases 650,000 people each year from places of confinement. Statistics show that more than six of every ten people who serve time return to confinement after their release. We need prison reforms that will lower those recidivism rates and thus make society safer.

<>In an effort to influence improvements to America’s prison system, Carole has launched a new platform to publish my work at PrisonReformBlog.com. Through that Web site, I intend to build a larger community and make regular contributions to the debate on the need for prison reform. Since I have served considerable lengths of time in prisons of every security level, and I have built a sustained record of working to reconcile with society, I feel well positioned to help others understand the need for prison reform.

Below is my list of clearly defined and measurable goals for 2009. Each of these goals relates to the advancement of my six values, including faith, family, finances, fitness, friends, and community:

1. I will devote a minimum of 40 hours each week toward preparing for my career as a writer/speaker/teacher/consultant.
2. I will read at least 25 books in 2009 that contribute to my preparations for success upon release.
3. I will publish weekly and quarterly reports that describe my progress toward the goals that I set.
4. I will average at least 50 miles of long-distance running each week of 2009.
5. I will thank God every day for the blessings Carole and I receive, and I will pray for guidance to reach our highest potential.
6. I will work closely with Carole to preserve our savings and to achieve year-end savings goals.
7. I will nurture my relationship with Carole and continue striving to live as a better husband and partner to her.

Personal growth and development do not come by accident. As I wrote in prior years, by living a goal-centered life, I am confident that I am doing everything within my power to emerge successfully. I encourage readers to follow my progress through the quarterly reports I publish in 2009.

Thank you for your interest in these preparations I make for release, and please visit my daily posts at prisonnewsblog.com.

The post My Values and Goals for 2009 appeared first on Prison News Blog.

I keep track of my daily progress by recording my activities in a weekly planner. When this year began, I knew that we would have several events to help the time pass faster. This being an election year, my daily entries show that I’ve been following the primary elections closely. I subscribe to several news magazines to keep me current with political events, and most evenings I watch the national television news or listen to reports on NPR. This year there has been so much to follow.

As a long-term prisoner, I am especially hopeful that Barack Obama wins the White House. After the first three months of the year, his candidacy is the strongest, despite recent controversy over remarks from his former pastor. With Obama, I am convinced that America would end Bush’s war in Iraq, bring health care to all Americans, enjoy a better economy, and perhaps most important on a personal level, move toward real and meaningful prison reform.

Besides the legislation that an Obama Presidency may inspire, I’m pleased to see that the 2008 Congress has passed The Second Chance Act of 2007. According to a press release from the Bill’s sponsor, Representative Danny Davis, President Bush will sign this Bill into law at a signing ceremony on April 9, 2008. To me, this historic legislation bodes well for the possibility of programs that will enable those of us in confinement to build stronger ties to family and community. I have written an article and a speech that describes why the Second Chance Act encourages me. Readers who are interested may review those writings.

This quarter has given me several speaking opportunities as well. In mid-February I was able to travel to Bakersfield with our outreach program to speak with at-risk adolescents about the perils of criminal lifestyles. Besides that outing, I enjoyed the privilege of making presentations to audiences here at Taft Camp. In one speech, I spoke about the development of leadership skills and in another I described the Second Chance Act from a historical perspective. Speaking before large groups opens opportunities to build upon skills that will help my transition to society. I value those opportunities and devote scores of hours to preparation. For my speech on leadership I pulled information from several books that I recently read, and for my speech on the Second Chance Act I took detailed notes from many sources. After writing each speech, I practiced my delivery, devoting many hours in an effort to come across in a lucid, polished manner. Regardless of what career I pursue upon release, I am convinced that the development of effective communication skills will prove a valuable resource.

To that end, and as I outlined in my goals at the beginning of this year, I devote a significant amount of time to reading and writing each day. In the first quarter I read 12 books, each of which had a direct influence on my preparations for release. I’ve written a brief report on each book I read, and for some of those books I recorded detailed notes that will advance my writing projects.

I also spent hundreds of hours writing a new manuscript. Previously I wrote about that book with a working title 25 Years to the Door. I have written three versions of an opening sequence for that memoir. Each version had at least 15,000 words, but none satisfied me. I chucked them all. This memoir will be an important component of my release plan. Since I will not submit the manuscript for publication until I am much closer to release, I intend to continue working on the manuscript with hopes of creating a compelling memoir. I have changed the title, though, to The 45-Year Gift.

My exercise has been progressing in accordance with the schedule I set. In early March, I attempted to add evening tennis games to my routine. On my second night of playing, however, I snapped the muscle in my right calf. That injury has been plaguing me since. The pain put an immediate suspension to tennis. Worse than the loss of tennis games, it stopped my ability to run on the track. The pain is too severe. Fortunately, I’ve been able to exercise by running on the elliptical machine and exercise with the stair climber; as long as there is no heavy impact, I’m able to keep up with my goal of logging more than 40 miles each week, and more than seven hours of weekly exercise. My weight remains constant between 173 and 176 pounds.

In light of the Second Chance Act, I expect release to a halfway house no later than August of 2012. Release could possibly come as early as 2011, depending on a decision from the parole board. If Obama wins the Presidency, I anticipate prison reform could result in my release as soon as 2010. Because of these developments, my wife and I have had to make adjustments to our plans for my release.

Carole graduates from nursing school in May. Our original plans had been for her to continue advancing her professional credentials, however, as a consequence of my anticipated earlier release, Carole and I have decided that we should change those plans. Rather than continuing with another year of schooling, Carole will sit for the board exams to provide her with nationally recognized nursing credentials, followed by relocation to Kern County. That way, she can begin working and contributing to a savings plan that will help my transition to society. Her relocation will ease her commute for weekly visits as well.

I am immensely proud of both Carole and our daughter Nichole. Together we have set a plan in place, and this June Nichole will graduate one year ahead of schedule from high school while Carole brings more stability to our family with her nursing degree. We’re all enthusiastic about the opportunities we will open through the remainder of 2008 and beyond. The hefty monetary fine I received at sentencing in 1988 expired during the month of March, so Carole and I are free to make progress toward our financial security. Life is really moving forward in meaningful ways as I finish these final years in confinement.

Although I expect legislative changes that could advance my release date, the bottom line is that I have nearly 21 years of imprisonment behind me. I am moving closer to home, and I feel better than ever. The support I receive from so many is a blessing, and for that I am grateful.

The post First Quarter Report, Taft Prison Camp 2008 appeared first on Prison News Blog.

I have been in the Taft prison camp for more than three months now. By far, this prison camp offers the best living conditions that I’ve ever experienced since my confinement began in 1987. Some of the prisoners complain, of course, but complaining seems to be a part of confinement. Wherever I have been, prisoners complain. I can understand it, as the people with whom I share space have not experienced as much as I have. They miss their families and communities, and confinement under any kind of circumstances is difficult. Since I have known so much worse, I can say that I wake every morning with enthusiasm and gratitude for the blessings God has bestowed upon me.

During the three months that I have been at Taft Camp, I’ve been very busy. My primary work has been the completion of two new Web sites that I’ve been instrumental in designing. One of the Web sites is called PrisonSuccess.com, and the other Web site is called PrisonAdvice.com. These sites have different purposes from each other, and from my primary site at MichaeISantos.net. I’m optimistic about the opportunities that will open because of my work on these projects.

I designed PrisonSuccess.com in response to a project that I began with my friend Lee Nobmann, of Golden State Lumber. While we were confined together at Lompoc Camp, Lee and I frequently discussed the need for programs that would encourage more offenders to use their time wisely. Together we published two books, one for at-risk adolescents and another to encourage prisoners to step up and accept responsibility for their lives. PrisonSuccess.com has become a component of the Step Up program that Lee’s company sponsored.

Through PrisonSuccess.com, we offer an opportunity for any prisoner to open his own Web site. PrisonSuccess will become a social networking site prisoners may use to document their efforts to grow and prepare for success. This Web project is completely free of charge to all prisoners who sign up to participate. They may post articles, short stories, resumes, goals, book reports, journals and photographs on their personal sites. My hopes are to encourage hundreds, and then thousands of prisoners to participate in this project. I am convinced that those who begin to document their commitment to succeed will have a better chance of overcoming the obstacles that are certain to follow confinement.

The other site I designed, PrisonAdvice.com, will offer content to help people who anticipate a problem with the criminal justice system. Through that Web site, I will publish content regularly that helps others under some of the complexities that accompany prosecution and time in prison. I have written the initial content for PrisonAdvice.com, and I will continue writing profiles of other prisoners and articles during these remaining years that I expect to serve. PrisonAdvice.com differs from MichaelSantos.net because I will use the new site to focus on the prison system rather than on my own journey through confinement. For stories or articles that relate to my own adjustment, I will continue to use my personal Web site at MichaelSantos.net.

I am enthusiastic about these new Web site opportunities because they allow me to continue publishing useful information for people who are in need. Over these remaining years that I expect to serve, I will add significant amounts of content to all of my Web sites. Through this work, I hope to build both a brand and a platform that may help me launch a career as a speaker and consultant for those looking for information about overcoming adversity.

Besides the Web site projects, I’ve also completed my first series of courses with Taft Community College. At Taft Camp, and at the adjacent low-security Taft Correctional Institution, inmates are authorized to study independently with the local college. We have a computer lab with Microsoft programs. I recently completed a course that helped me understand Word and Excel. Previously I had studied courses in both electronic spreadsheets and word processing, but I have never used these popular Microsoft programs. The knowledge I have gained will be helpful upon my release. In fact, it is helpful right now as I am able to use what I have learned to better communicate my needs to Carole.

I’m also participating in the Toastmasters club. While I was confined at USP Atlanta, much earlier during my sentence, I was instrumental in bringing the Toastmasters club to that institution. I really enjoyed participating, as it brought me experience in the art of public speaking. We’re building a vibrant club with the population here at Taft, and I look forward to continuing my participation. This past week I delivered a 30 minute speech that I called Thriving Through Adversity. I spoke without notes, adhering to the following outline: Introduction, describing my own experiences (3 minutes); Values, and Goals, describing the importance of clearly defining both values and goals in order to succeed (8 minutes); Strategies, describing the seven habits that Stephen Covey described in his bestselling book (15 minutes); Benefits, describing the ways these patterns lead to success and happiness (3 minutes); and Conclusion, in which I challenge those in the audience to use this same pattern to succeed.

Another group with which I have signed up to participate at Taft is called T.O.A.D., which is an acronym for Those Outspoken Against Drugs. This group uses inmates at the camp to travel into nearby communities for the purpose of speaking to at-risk adolescents. The TOAD group has been active for several years, and I look forward to the next opportunity to speak with troubled youth. My hopes are that I can help some make better decisions than I made when I was a younger man. My exercise routine continues. I am able to workout regularly. We do not have free weights at this facility, but that is not a problem for me. I am running at least 40 miles each week, and strength training with push ups and dips. We also have several high-quality machines for aerobic training, and the weather is superb. Now that the hot months have passed, I must say that Taft has the best weather that I’ve ever experienced. It’s sunny every day, with low levels of humidity. I really am grateful to be serving my time here.

Over the coming three months, I do not expect to enroll in more classes at Taft College. Instead, I will focus on writing more content for the new Web sites that I am developing. I also will spend time exercising, and watching CNBC. As I write this quarterly report, the market indices are approaching very high levels, and this surprises me. I subscribe to both Business Week and News Week magazines, and I read the Wall Street Journal daily. The news on the sub-prime credit fiasco suggests that millions of people soon are going to face substantially higher mortgage payments, and the credit crunch makes it unlikely that they will be able to refinance. Although the Fed cut interest rates by an unexpected 50 basis points, and the market has gone straight up since then, the economy is going to have to soften. I enjoy watching the pundits on CNBC, even if they are expecting the market indices to continue surging to new highs. My wife, Carole, continues her commitment to nursing school. We both look forward to her graduation next May, when she and her daughter will relocate to the Bakersfield area. Nichole is now an official senior in high school; she completed college-level course work over the summer in order to graduate high school one full year ahead of her class. Both Carole and I are very proud of her. She expects to enroll in a pre-med curriculum when she begins her university studies, in 2008. Beginning in October, I will initiate more regular postings of my daily activities with a Blog that Carole is activating. I encourage readers to follow my progress as I move through these final years of my confinement.

Thank you for your continuing support, and may God bless you all.

The post Thriving Through Adversity: 3rd Quarter 2007 appeared first on Prison News Blog.