Readers with a spouse in prison understand the challenge of sustaining a marriage through imprisonment. Nurturing love over time does not happen by accident under any circumstances, but when imprisonment separates the couple, each partner must invest time, energy, and creativity to keep the romance alive. Carole’s total devotion to our family enriches my life in ways that negate the pains of imprisonment. She fulfills me, and she brings a love that liberates and inspires me to work toward becoming a better man. Carole is my reason for wanting freedom.

Other prisoners sometimes ask how I keep my marriage alive and growing while I serve a lengthy prison term. I give all the credit to Carole, as she carries the burdens of my imprisonment without complaint, helping me to focus on the reality that each day brings us closer to that magical moment when we will begin living together. I recognize that my imprisonment is much harder on her than it is on me. She lives in the world, without companionship or support, yet she works hard to help prepare for my release, and wakes early each Friday to relieve all of my problems with the freshness of her kiss. Carole has not committed a crime, but because of her love, she serves this sentence with me.

I don’t know how many months or years still separate me from living with Carole, but even though I’ve been incarcerated, her love has made these past years we’ve shared together the best of my life. With an eagerness and enthusiasm, I look forward to exceeding all of Carole’s expectations as her husband. I give her all that I have, all that I am, and all that I will become. Her love is worth it, and I look forward to marrying her again when I walk out from these prison boundaries.

The post Our Sixth Anniversary in Prison appeared first on Prison News Blog.

 Re: Michael G. Santos, #16377-004

Dear President Obama:

I write this letter in support of the Petition for Commutation of Sentence submitted by my husband, Michael G. Santos, federal registration number 16377-004.

President Obama, you will find no better candidate deserving of a Presidential commutation.  Michael lives as an extraordinary example of leadership, of hope, and of accomplishment despite the adversity and obstacles erected by the prison system. Michael deserves to have his petition granted. He is well prepared to lead a law-abiding, contributing life as a taxpaying citizen.

Michael has been imprisoned since 1987. During the past 21-plus years of his confinement, he has built an extraordinary record of accomplishments that is unmatched by any other prison inmate. He educated himself, earning both undergraduate and graduate degrees. He is a respected contributor to academia, and a published author of six books describing prisons, the people they hold, and strategies for growing through confinement. Michael writes about the need for those who are in prison to accept responsibility, to make amends with society, and to earn their freedom by preparing for a contributing, law-abiding life upon re-entry to society.

Michael is a different man today than he was in 1987. His commitment to values, to discipline, and his efforts to grow into the best human being possible motivate and inspire those around him as well as those who study his work. With determination and discipline, his commitment to contribute to society-despite two decades of confinement in prison-is evident in everything he thinks, everything he says, and everything he does. Michael receives hundreds of letters and electronic messages from university students, leaders in business, leaders in society, academic scholars, citizens of America, and citizens of the world that are written in support of his efforts to earn his release from prison.

Michael is now 45-years old. He embodies the concept of rehabilitation in tangible ,extraordinary, and incomparable ways. He is no longer a reckless twenty-two-year old. In me, he has a loving, supportive wife. His family has remained by his side throughout his imprisonment, and the expansive network of academic, professional, and community support he continues to attract during his confinement includes solid offers for employment upon his release. We all will be there to assist him upon his release.

What benefit to society and to taxpayers is achieved by Michael’s continued confinement? Please grant my husband a Presidential commutation so that he may come home now.

Yours truly,

Carole Santos

The post An Open Letter to President Obama from a Prison Wife appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Throughout my prison adjustment I’ve thought about the steps I could take to earn a living after my release. I began serving my prison term when I was 23 and my lengthy sentence suggested that I would remain incarcerated until my late 40s. By working to educate myself I hoped to create opportunities that would lead to a meaningful life. The one thing I knew was that I would not want to return to prison once I was released. I made all decisions pertaining to my prison adjustment with hopes of preparing for the challenges that awaited me.

I had never been confined before, so I didn’t know what type of obstacles I would face. The responsibility would be mine to overcome them. My prosecution and imprisonment had resulted in the loss of all my belongings. I knew that meant I would leave prison without financial resources, clothing, or shelter. Now I am advancing to within three or four years of my release, and the economic crisis suggests many challenges await me.

I heard a commentator on CNBC announce that more than 24 million people were out of work in our country. Although economists predict the recovery is beginning, and we should resume growth in 2010, I still see reports of tent cities in Sacramento, Phoenix, Seattle, and other metropolitan areas. The unemployment rate for California is even higher than the national average, at more than 10 percent.

As a newly released long-term prisoner who does not have a work history, I may not find a job upon release. In fact, I’m preparing for that likelihood. Instead of searching for work, I’m trying to position myself for a career as a writer/speaker/consultant and teacher. My loving wife, Carole, helps me work toward this vision. We visit each week and together we plan for such a career.

Through my writing, Carole and I have earned an income that was sufficient to support her through nursing school. That was a plan and investment we made as a team to ensure our family would have stability. Carole works as a nurse now, and she will maintain the earning capacity to sustain our family as I work to establish my career.

Between now and my release date, I will work every day to enhance my chances for success. Soon I may submit another book proposal to my literary agent, as I want to have a new book ready for release when I walk out from prison boundaries. I must continue this prison adjustment of preparation, as I know the responsibility is mine to triumph over the challenges that await me. Carole is my inspiration, and through the work we do together, I feel confident that we will build our happiness to enjoy through the fall and winter seasons of our life. Our loving marriage is not an accident, but a deliberate choice we make each day.

The post Preparing for Happiness Through Adversity appeared first on Prison News Blog.

The U.S. Congress made specific findings in The Second Chance Act. One of those findings was that prison administrators fail to make effective use of the family structure to prepare offenders for re-entry. The obstacles that prison culture erects to block family and community ties play a significant role in influencing high recidivism rates.

Jon-Daniel, a bright criminal justice student, asked how society could implement reforms that would strengthen family ties. It would be simple. Administrators could simply provide prisoners with more access to speak with family members over the telephone. The 300-minutes per month BOP phone policy limits prisoners to speaking on the phone for an average of less than 10 minutes per day.

As Jon-Daniel observed in his comment, prison makes it difficult to nurture marital bonds. I am a long-term prisoner, and as such I must invest myself totally in my relationship with Carole. She serves this prison term along with me, and struggles every day as a consequence of the oppressive prison rules that block family ties.

To overcome the challenges of confinement, I must make every effort possible to nurture and sustain my marriage to Carole. That means I must reserve all of my telephone and visiting privileges for her. As a consequence of forcing me to prioritize how I will use my minimal access to family ties, prison policies cause me to sacrifice my relationships with extended family members. This absurdity contributes to high recidivism rates and higher prison operating costs. Prisoners who have strong family ties are more likely to adjust in positive ways. Those who lack strong family ties are more susceptible to the negative influences of the prison. They join gangs and engage in disruption.

 Administrators could implement prison reforms that would offer prisoners access to more privileges and mechanisms that would help them strengthen family ties. They could offer privileges as incentives, making the privileges conditional upon positive adjustment patterns. For example, by educating himself, working, and avoiding disciplinary infractions, a prisoner ought to earn more access to family. Administrators could dispense telephone access, visiting privileges, even e-mail to prisoners who demonstrate a commitment to redemption. Those changes would bring many advantages, including:

*lower recidivism rates

*lower incidences of gang corruption

*lower prison operating costs

*safer communities

*stronger family ties

Incentives would improve America’s prison system.

The post Utilize the Family Structure to Prepare Offenders for Re-entry appeared first on Prison News Blog.

That wasn’t a subject I usually thought about. I am now in my 22nd year of continuous confinement, and I rarely meet a prisoner who has served more time than me. I received a question from John, however, and he asked whether I thought about what my life would be like if I had not been convicted. When I read John’s question, rather than thinking about my own predicament, I thought about the lives of the millions of Americans who languish inside of prisons.

The Pew Report suggests that our country relies on imprisonment far too much. In my own case, I serve a lengthy sentence on account of my convictions for having distributed cocaine. I do not have a history of violence or previous imprisonment, but I was guilty of the crimes for which I was charged.

I read a recent blog suggesting that Governor Patterson, of New York, intends to lead legislation that will abandon the lengthy sentences imposed under the notorious Rockefeller Drug Laws. Perhaps we will see similar reforms in the federal system. If not, I expect to serve between three and four more years.

In my case, I cannot imagine a life outside of prison. To do so would be akin to imagining my life if I were a woman, or if I were reared in Australia, or some other unknown concept. I’ve been a prisoner all my adult life. Sometimes I feel as if I’ll always be a prisoner of some sort. I look forward to release, but for now, I feel as if I’m where God intends me to be.

John asked other questions about my marriage to Carole. I responded to those in a separate post, under Maintaining a Thriving Marriage from Prison.

The post If I Weren’t a Prisoner appeared first on Prison News Blog.

Jessica is a criminal justice student who asked several questions about my prison adjustment. I’ll respond through separate posts, but I begin with her questions about my marriage to Carole. I began preparing for my marriage to Carole many years before she came into my life. In some ways, it feels as if my entire prison adjustment was about preparing myself for love.

I entered prison when I was 23, and the sentence I received made it abundantly clear that I would serve many years inside. I didn’t know how long I would serve, but I knew that I wanted to adjust in a way that would make me a viable candidate to attract the love of a woman. I did not want to live alone. Knowing that, I thought about what I would have to achieve in order to overcome the stigma of my confinement. Those musings led me to commit to education, to fitness, to character development. Although I was locked in a community of men, I thought about the marriage I wanted and the kind of husband I wanted to become to the woman who eventually would come into my life. After 15 years of imprisonment, God blessed me with Carole.

She was my inspiration even before our romance began. Together we have created a story that empowers me to endure the challenges that complicate the lives of so many other prisoners. As the Second Chance Act shows, most prisoners lack the family and community support that Carole and I work so hard to build. We are a team, true partners, married in every way.

Because I have always been preparing for Carole, I’ve never considered a negative adjustment. She was always my pursuit, to live as a great husband to her. The complications of confinement of our life separate us physically, though our marriage brings us closer in other ways. Carole is an extraordinary wife, my inspiration to live as a better man. I strive to emulate her strength every day, as her commitment is a virtue I admire. I don’t know anyone who could walk in her shoes.

Prisons are dehumanizing not because of their physical conditions, but because of the emotional afflictions they induce. They cause unnecessary harm on families by erecting barriers that obstruct communications. Carole and I are prohibited from visiting more than once each week and rules limit us to fewer than 10 minutes of telephone time on average per day. Prisons have required that Carole and I overcome many obstacles, including several transfers. We persevere because of a commitment we make to nurture our marriage each day. Prisons do not facilitate family ties, we know, so we must work harder. We love with enthusiasm, each with a readiness to give more. That commitment is why our marriage thrives.

The post Maintaining A Thriving Marriage From Prison appeared first on Prison News Blog.

I felt surprise at the shift in emotions. My imprisonment began in 1987, more than 21 years ago. I began serving the sentence when I was 23, and I have nearly crossed the fulcrum that would disperse the greater weight of my life in prison than in society. This term has been my only period of confinement and I have no history of violence. For the most part, I have grown numb to the boundaries that surround me, and the stigma of my predicament. Prison has been my life.

From the beginning, I have worked hard and consistently to reconcile with society for the bad decisions I made as a younger man. During the early years of my sentence, I lived with the idealism that I could earn my freedom through merit. With that goal as my beacon, I worked for years to educate myself, to contribute to society, and to prepare in every way so that I could emerge from confinement as a contributing citizen.

When Bill Clinton won the White House, I naively clung to the beam of his campaign. Slightly more than five years had passed since steel gates locked me inside prison walls. By then I had earned an undergraduate degree and was enrolled in graduate school. With dreams that my transformative adjustment would influence a favorable decision, I submitted my first petition for clemency.

In 1995, Hofstra University awarded my Masters Degree and I was beginning a PhD program at the University of Connecticut. I was 31-years-old, and well educated. After more than eight years of prison, I felt as ready as possible to begin living in society as a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen. In 1996, however, my prison case manager delivered a terse statement from the Department of Justice. For reasons that did not merit an explanation or review, my petition for clemency had been denied.

With the beginning of my second decade in prison, I resolved myself to the reality that I would serve several more years. The new Congress, led by Newt Gingrich, passed more punitive legislation. The hope for relief that carried me through my first decade vanished. I settled in to the likelihood that I would serve longer than a quarter century in federal prison.

In letting go of dreams that I could somehow influence the advancement of my release date, I had to change my adjustment pattern. I committed to the pursuit of activities that might bring meaning to my life while I served a lengthy prison term. In some way, I hoped my work would contribute to society.

With help from mentors, I worked to develop writing skills. Those efforts comforted me through my solitude. Simultaneously, writing offered opportunities to help others understand prisons, the people they held, and strategies to grow through confinement.

Since that adjustment shift, I have come to accept my imprisonment. I passed through all of the Clinton years, and now we have come to the final days of the Bush years. With so much prison behind me, I believed myself immune to the disease of despondency. Yet when I read that President Bush had commuted the prison terms of two others, I felt a terrific sense of loss.

I called my wife, who has endured nearly 10 years of this journey beside me. She had not yet heard the news of the commutations. I asked her to research the prisoners whose terms had been cut. I wanted to know if they had done more to earn freedom. Carole, as always, expressed her unyielding support. She could sense my sadness and offered her characteristic encouragement to lift my spirits.

“Your release will be much more magnificent,” she said. I didn’t know what my wife meant, but I loved her for helping me through an unanticipated difficult moment. I put an end to the day quite early, stretching out on my steel rack of a bed before 7:00 in the evening. I read for a while, prayed for strength, and drifted into sleep. When I awoke this morning, I felt more in control of my emotions. The Thanksgiving holiday was only two days away. Many years of prison were behind me and more were ahead, but I could still feel gratitude for the blessings in my life.

The post A Long-term Prisoner’s Reaction to Bush’s Clemency Orders appeared first on Prison News Blog.

My status in prison did not play such a role in the decisions I made. Indeed, prisoners do not truly embrace the man who strives to reconcile with society. The infrastructure of prison is one that perversely encourages negativity, violence, and antisocial values. The key that enabled me to grow through my confinement was a sincere desire to emerge successfully, and a will to carry my plans through. More than 20 years ago I committed to an educational program. That educational program led me to open new opportunities that would not have been possible if I would have adjusted in the ways that most prisoners choose. The choices I made, with God’s guidance, mean that I am well prepared to emerge from prison as a contributing citizen. Rather than fears, I feel inspired to work hard so that I can prove myself worthy of the love I’ve received from my wife Carole, and the support I’ve received from so many.

The growing network of support that I nurture enables me to interact with society in ways that few other long-term prisoners enjoy. During my imprisonment I have been blessed with opportunities that brought meaning to my life. The adjustment pattern I pursued has made all the difference, though it has not been an accident.

Because of my total focus on emerging successfully from prison, I have felt as if I was in prison but that I never became a part of the prison. Through my work I feel as if I am contributing to the broader society. The work has enabled me to accumulate resources that will assist my transition into society. Most importantly, my work has brought me into contact with a beautiful woman who has become my partner by marrying me in a prison visiting room. Together we are able to make plans and work toward goals. With her support, and the network I have built, I do not have the fears that paralyze so many others who have served lengthy sentences.

The post Does Prolonged Prison Exposure Leave a Negative Influence? appeared first on Prison News Blog.

More than five years have passed since Carole and I married, yet our romance continues to thrive. The reason for our growing love affair, I am convinced, lies in the deep commitment we have made to each other’s life. I am totally into my relationship with Carole, and she demonstrates time and again that she is totally into her relationship with me. Our love affair amazes many, as Carole and I have never shared more physical intimacy than the kisses we exchange at the beginning of every visit, and at the conclusion of each visit.

Both of us understood the challenges of what we were building. I still had more than ten years of prison ahead of me when Carole and I married. That meant Carole would have to accept the continuous upheaval of my life if she wanted to build forever with me. She moved from her comfort zone in Oregon to a new community in Fort Dix, New Jersey, where I was confined so that we could visit regularly. One year after her move to a community where she did not know anyone else, administrators relocated me to a prison in Colorado. Carole packed her belongings and moved to the prison town where I was confined in Florence. After 18 months in Florence, administrators moved me to California. Carole made the transition again. We both placed our marriage as our highest priority, and that meant we had to make every effort to stay as close as possible.

To love each other through all of the complications that come with imprisonment, Carole and I must commit to each other time and again. People who live together fall out of love because they take each other for granted. They fail to communicate their hopes and dreams after a while. Rather than nurturing love through expressions of the heart, couples rely only on sexuality. Although I do not deny that sex should play an integral part of a love affair, when there is nothing more than sex, relationships can wither. Carole and I may not enjoy the privilege of a sexual relationship, yet we have our hopes, dreams, and commitment to each other that powers us through the struggles.

Carole and I have built a history together that ties us ways that other couples lack. She has made it possible for me to reach beyond boundaries to build a career as a writer. Through our work together, we have made meaningful contributions to society. Our work as husband and wife has enabled Carole to earn an income, and with that income, she has been able to earn a degree in nursing. Her nursing degree now enables us to save and make investments toward the future that we are building together. Every day, we create more ties that bind us closer. That is the privilege of our love.

Because of Carole, I have a life that few other long-term prisoners ever know. She is close enough to visit at every opportunity. I am severely restricted to the telephone by prison rules, but I devote every privilege I have to her. Together we are focused on the life we are creating, on the future we will enjoy as husband and wife. Both of us look forward with eager anticipation to my release.

In many ways, freedom came to me with Carole’s love. I may have had to serve an additional decade before we could consummate our marriage physically, yet every day that she has been in my life has been a blessing. I thank God every night before I sleep, and every morning when I wake. My wife has brought an incredible sense of meaning and value to my life, and I am grateful for every breath she has given me. At the same time, I have felt empowered by the love that flows so effortlessly from her to me.

Carole and I are now in our mid-forties. Perhaps an Obama administration will preside over changes that could bring me home sooner. Either way, we know that my release will come no later than our late forties. We are committed to building the rest of our lives together, and we both embrace the joy in knowing that soon we will live together as husband and wife.

For me, the thought of living outside of prison boundaries is surreal, and I cannot imagine the changes that freedom will bring to my life as easily as Carole can. She describes to me how we will share our lives together. After more than 21 years of imprisonment, those thoughts are akin to looking through a magazine of celebrity lifestyles. I know we will build our lives together, but it is sometimes a challenge for me to think of life outside of these boundaries.

Despite the challenges that will come, I feel certain that my commitment to Carole will strengthen with my release. She has been my oxygen, my lifeline to the world. I feel so at one with her, that freedom has no meaning to me if I cannot share my life with Carole.

I am committed to spending every day of my life, in prison and upon my release, working to prove myself worthy of the love she has given to me. Our total commitment to each other’s dreams and hopes is what makes our marriage thrive. In time, Carole and I will work together to help others reach their own highest potential.

Because of my magnificent and beautiful wife, I have no struggles with love, and I am eager to begin living with her upon my release from prison.

The post Love affair grows in a prison marriage based on love and commitment appeared first on Prison News Blog.

I first heard of Barack Obama in 2004, when my wife, Carole, sent me a transcript of the speech the young Senator delivered at the Democratic National Convention. As I read of him calling for a more inclusive America, I felt inspired and expressed my wish at that time that a voice like his could lead our country.

Then I read his books. Both revealed a thoughtful, intelligent man. Those on the right side of the political spectrum tried to disparage Obama as being irresponsibly liberal. Yet with courage, character, and conviction, Senator Obama did not run from the liberal label. He embraced the principles of liberalism, and I admired him for his unshakable confidence in the promise of humanity.

Rather than practicing the politics of divisiveness, of us-versus-them, Senator Obama personified leadership. He validated the notion that people could transcend circumstance and reach their highest potential. As a long-term federal prisoner, I watched Senator Obama’s ascent to the national and then global political scene with unbridled optimism.

After Senator Obama won the Iowa Primary last January, I became a true believer in his potential to win the Presidency. Over subsequent months, I watched every newscast and read every article that described his progress. The more I learned about him and his positions, the more I admired his strength, his judgment, his leadership. Every week, my wife and I grew more hopeful of his election.

The President of the United States wields the power for our country. Carole and I know the decisions President Obama makes will have a profound influence on our prison family. We married in a prison visiting room many years ago. Despite proclamations on the importance of family, community, and compassion, the policies of the Bush administration have perpetuated failure inside our nation’s prison system. High recidivism rates validate this observation. Carole and I stand confident that the liberal mandate voters have given President Obama will lead to changes that bring certain improvements to our family.

Americans rightly concern themselves with important national issues such as energy dependence, health care, economic policy, and foreign policy. Yet after more than 21 years of my continuous imprisonment, Carole and I have a deep, vested interest in both prison reform and sentence reform. President Obama and the newly elected Congressional leadership give us an optimism of such magnitude that few others can appreciate.

Within the next 5 months, President Obama will appoint leaders who reflect the new administration’s vision. Among those leaders will be a new Pardon Attorney, and a new Director of the Bureau of Prisons. I expect those new leaders to purge the present policies that extinguish hope, policies that have thwarted my growth since 1987.

President Obama’s team will shed empty platitudes about a kinder, gentler, more compassionate America. Instead, my readings on Obama convince me that both administrative and legislative improvements will come. They will replace the barriers that block progress, instead providing a bridge to lead those of us striving to reconcile with society back into the mainstream of American life.

A Pardon Attorney under Obama will not reserve petitions for clemency for friends of the President, like “Scooter” Libby and Mark Rich. Rather, I expect the new Pardon Attorney will review applications for clemency with earnest. Individuals who have worked for years to atone for their bad decision and redeem themselves through contributions will receive appropriate consideration for relief.

With a new Director in the Bureau of Prisons, we need new policies that encourage more prisoners to earn their way to freedom through merit. We need new programs that help offenders bridge their ties to society. Those programs will replace the Bush-type policies that obliterate all hope for redemption. Opportunities to earn furloughs, work release, and home confinement will replace administrative barriers to personal growth.

Rather than a focus on preserving the sanctity of the prison industrial complex, President Obama will appoint leadership that strives to prepare offenders for successful re-entry to society. We will see an end to limitations on telephone and visitation access. New leadership will rely upon the promise of incentives instead of the threat of further punishment to shape human behavior. Those are American values.

Besides the administrative changes that President Obama will bring, Congressional leadership ought to introduce sentence reforms that encourage offenders to work toward earning freedom. By mid-2009, I expect to see legislation that reintroduces parole and expands opportunities for offenders to earn freedom.

For more than 21 years, I have worked to build a record that would demonstrate my commitment to live as a contributing citizen. With President Obama’s election, and the newly elected Congress, I am more hopeful than ever. This election freed me to believe that I am more than a prisoner. I feel like an American, and I am eager to join my wife, Carole, in the real world.

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