When we face the challenges of incarceration, it’s common to feel disconnected from the world outside. To stay connected, I paid attention to all the lessons I learned from leaders. They taught me how deliberate actions could create pathways to a brighter future.
Empowering Through Free Resources
At Prison Professors, our nonprofit has built and funded PrisonProfessorsTalent.com to improve outcomes for people who get tangled up with the criminal justice system. We focus on the results we want: more people living as law-abiding, contributing citizens. To get there, we need to build tools that will incentivize people in prison to work on developing skills that translate into income opportunities.
The platform we build works amazingly well as a free tool for self-advocacy and growth. By participating, individuals document their commitment to personal development. They show stakeholders how they’re preparing for success upon release.
Our team has worked tirelessly to launch and expand this project. We began building with an idea, not quite knowing how we would get it off the ground. We invested at least $100 thousand dollars to build. As of today, our impact page shows that more than 1,400 people have built profiles. They’re using the site to showcase all the reasons why:
- The skills they’ve been working to develop,
- The pathway they’ve taken to prepare for success,
- The reasons why they’re worthy of a higher level of liberty,
We’re now preparing to launch the second version of our platform, and I’m super grateful to every member of our team. Together, we can influence the lives of millions. We can create better outcomes for those in the system.
We are working to grow the number of active participants on our platform to more than 10,000 engaged users. To achieve this, we invite creative strategies like our point system and tribe system. Participants earn points by developing their profiles with content. Ambassadors in the tribe system gain rewards for bringing others into the community. These features encourage collaboration and momentum.
Three Reasons We Built PrisonProfessorsTalent.com
PrisonProfessorsTalent.com exists for three primary reasons. Each one aligns with our mission to provide free resources that prepare people for the job market and a law-abiding life.
- First, the platform acts as a utility for people in prison to document all the ways they’re using time today to prepare for higher levels of success tomorrow. Users build profiles that showcase self-directed efforts, like completing courses, journaling mindset shifts, or learning new skills. This creates a living record. It demonstrates focus on becoming a contributing citizen.
- Second, we use these stories to persuade policymakers and legislators. By highlighting real examples of merit-based progress, we advocate for more mechanisms that incentivize excellence. We push for reforms that reward positive behavior with earlier liberty.
- Third, the profiles help build relationships with employers. They create pathways for transitions into jobs upon release. Companies see documented growth and resilience. This reduces barriers and opens doors to meaningful employment.
My Journey Inspired This Platform
Let me share how this project draws from my own experiences. During my 26 years in federal prison, I focused on deliberate choices to prepare for success. From solitary confinement in 1987 to various facilities across the country, I documented my progress through journals and reports. This record attracted mentors who advocated for me. It led to opportunities like earning degrees and publishing articles. Post-release in 2013, that same discipline helped me build financial independence through investments and real estate. It allowed me to found Prison Professors and provide free resources without charging a penny.
I am an ambassador of the message that I learned from leaders. I consider it crucial to show this strategy to others. Participants create profiles that memorialize their journeys. They turn time served into proof of readiness. Many users build personal stories that connect them to opportunities. We’re building pathways to resilience and reconciliation.
The CEO Mindset in Action
Our three promises guide everything we do. We always tell the truth. We never ask anyone to do what I didn’t do in prison or aren’t doing today. We never charge for resources. We offer a space to apply the CEO mindset. Users define success through profiles. They set goals like skill-building. They develop tactics such as writing book reports or logging daily actions. They measure progress with points. They adjust based on feedback. They execute consistently to earn rewards in the tribe system. This fosters a community of ambassadors. They spread the message of self-advocacy.
Teachable Points
PrisonProfessorsTalent.com turns documentation into action. It creates accountability. It builds a portfolio that stakeholders respect. Here are teachable points in a step-by-step approach to get started and thrive:
- Create Your Profile Intentionally: Sign up and describe your current stage. Outline why you’re committed to growth. This sets the foundation for a record that shows self-directed preparation.
- Document Daily Efforts: Add content like course completions, book reports, or skill logs. Explain how each step prepares you for success. This builds points and demonstrates focus on a contributing life.
- Engage the Point System: Earn rewards by updating regularly. Use points to track momentum. This gamification keeps you motivated and highlights consistent progress to others.
- Join or Lead a Tribe: Become an ambassador by inviting others. Share the platform’s benefits. This expands your network and awards collective points, fostering community support.
- Review and Advocate: Monthly, assess your profile’s impact. Use it to influence policymakers or employers. Share stories to push for merit-based incentives, turning personal growth into systemic change.
These points come from my experiences. Throughout my imprisonment, I made intentional decisions to build networks and document progress. This minimized risks and created opportunities, like collaborations that accelerated my release preparation. Post-release, it led to teaching roles and investment success. Now, it sustains our nonprofit’s reach.
As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Her words remind us that networks and documented efforts amplify individual potential. They turn isolation into collective strength.
At Prison Professors, we see profiles on PrisonProfessorsTalent.com transform lives. They become evidence for clemency or jobs. Our free courses guide this process. They empower self-directed learning without cost. Regardless of challenges, intentional networking today leads to brighter outcomes tomorrow.
Memorialize your journey by building and developing your profile on PrisonProfessorsTalent.com. Show others how to do the same and expand your circle of influence. Use your journal to describe all the steps you’re taking. We built that platform to help people who want to help themselves.
Resources:
- Example: Michael Santos Profile on Prison Professors Talent
- Prison Professors website
- Leaderboard
- Impact Page
- What step will you take today?
