In 2018 I spent 6 months analyzing the FSA, page by page.
You see when my judge, McBride, sentenced me to 30 years, I knew that could not be my fate.
At the very moment he said it in the court, 360 months, I heard my mother gasp for air, I knew I had to look for opportunities for early release. It didn’t take long for me to realize the 5th District was unforgiving and unwilling to budge, so I needed to find other options.
The FSA seemed like a possibility.
I finished reading with a clear vision of EXTRAORDINARY AND COMPELLING.
As a person who spent much of my time teaching classes, I noticed a shift was coming as the FSA created new guidelines, placing parameters for programming which required the BOP staff to be more involved in the facilitation of the classes which were FSA credited. Previously, we had been allowed to run education ( GED, ACE and RECREATION ) classes. This meant a shift in my game plan.
You see one of my post-conviction strategies was a two-fold WIN from teaching; community contribution ( sharpening the saw was an added bonus ) but in the spirit of full disclosure you should know, here in the feds the waiting list of pretty much any class is generally long. There was time when you literally had to pay $5 to get in a class.
Pay attention now, they chose the roster based on outdate. If I am not mistaken, policy called for facilitators to include students with ” farther out ” release dates, to represent 35% of the class. I realized I could work as the facilitators clerk and basically run the classes, while making a positive contribution to my community and receiving credit for taking the class.
I remember thinking, based on the fact that it seemed to be a struggle here at Aliceville simply to keep the toilets running at recreation, that this document, the FSA, seemed riddled with impossible tasks, deadlines and change. It seemed like a bit of a stretch.
So I studied closely, looking for two main roads: one which would allow me to fulfill the role of EXTRAORDINARY AND COMPELLING so that I may earn a sooner freedom.
Familiarity with this verbiage is what tipped me off that Santos was a genuine article. The FSA gives administrators / wardens the jurisdiction to seek out local talent, vetting them for mentorship roles.
I had left RDAP having been trained as a mentor in the Peace Corps., tasked with paying it forward. I was compassionate, I had conviction, and a strong sense of self.
I stayed out of trouble, I followed the rules. I dealt with much adversity, mostly from those who were envious of me.
I journaled my struggles instead of responding with violence’s, I wrote about it my journey.
Santos says that extraordinary individuals define success with specificity.
He asks for questions, the first being: What will I accomplish while I am here?
When I look back over the past 11 years I am pleased with my accomplishments:
– I built and maintain beautiful connections
-Completed RDAP and the year follow-up
-Peace Corp member ( mentor in RDAP )
-INSIDE/OUT
-Teacher’s Assistant for INSIDE /OUT
-Voices United ( think tank )
-Collaborative writing
-Various journalistic contributions
-Women of Wisdom ( collection of poetry and writings ) sponsored by APBP
-NCCER ( vocational program )
-site orientation
-core safety
– electrical
-Strafford Career Institute CONTRACTING / CONSTUCTION MANAGEMNT
-over 1,500 hours of fitness instruction
-Co-authored THE WOMEN’S REFORM TO SUCCESS RECITIVISM PROGRAM
-Created, hosted, facilitated endless workshops, events etc.
-Created and directed the PEER SUCCESS MENTOR PROGRAM
-Began the COLLECTIVE, Aliceville think tank which is responsible for running the PST
-Translatable Skills Workshops ( teaching landscape, emotional intelligence and teamwork )
Mostly, it was my daily schedule that set me apart as extraordinary!
Tools and Skills:
In retrospect, I was always a leader but I came here needing to be :
-more authentic
-responsible
-accountable
-assertive
-kind
with better:
-boundaries
-active listening skills
and more patience
I have now mastered all of these traits and more.
Adding these tools and skills to my pre-existing tool belt:
-organized
-motivated
-creative
-staunch work ethics
-natural networker
-ultra resilient
-well balanced
SELF CONFIDENT
All of this shall equate to a productive re-entry.
Santos then asks how I can position myself for success after prison:
-remain balanced
-honor the plans in place
-network in a new direction
-build bridges for others
-maintain my brand: HEALTHY, WELL BALANCED, AND KIND!
My favorite question, ” How can I build a record that shows the world who I truly am, inspiring them to view me for more than the crime I served? “
I have spent many years telling my story to FAMM, Can-Do-Foundation, Mother Jones Magazine, Nathalie Peel and more.
I have journaled for years, done audio and video podcasts and participated in many online publications.
I have written daily, but in addition, I have sketched, drawn, planned for future publication, and installations.
I have labored as a mentor, life coach for many years.
I currently have 2 large boxes of unpublished content, ready to walk out with me.
The reason I love Santos and consider his presence in my life to be divine, is that he inspires me. In true fashion, this email was no exception:
He shares a proverb, ” the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today “
and so I illustrated the quote and put it in my book that is called, PAUBLO THE TROUBADORE, the real life adventures a little monkey doing time in the feds. He is hugging a giant tree above the quote.
Growing up in Aliceville, he has never seen a tree up close.
The proverb is a perfect summation of how I did my time here. Never wasting a minute.
Thank you Michael, for all you do for us and the inspiration you have provided in this intellectual desert.
