In what ways can you build coalitions that will help you succeed upon release?
At the start of my prison journey, I thought about the people I wanted to interact with upon release. I felt ashamed that I had made decisions that brought me into the federal prison system with a 45-year sentence. I wanted to do better.
Many people serving time alongside me advised me to forget about the world outside and focus on my life in prison. But I hated being in prison. I wanted a better life and to associate with people who would not judge me for my crimes alone. Instead, I wanted them to consider how I responded to the punishment a judge imposed.
At the start of my prison term, I created a release plan. That release plan would help me reconcile with society. Although I didn’t know what I would become in the months, years, and decades ahead, I knew that I wanted to build relationships with influential, law-abiding citizens when I walked out of prison.
The release plan I put in place would require that I spend all my time focusing on three prongs:
- I would work to educate myself and earn academic credentials.
- I would work to contribute to society in meaningful, measurable ways.
- I would work to build a support network of positive role models.
