My name is DaRayl D. Davis and I am a Christian. I was born and raised in Chicago, IL, educated in the Chicago Public Schools system, and in 1991, graduated from Whitney M. Young, Jr. Magnet High School – a selective enrollment college preparatory school for the academically gifted. Beginning in the Fall of 1991, I attended Howard University in Washington, DC, enrolled in the School of Engineering to pursue a degree in Electrical Engineering. After completing two years towards my Bachelor of Science degree, my financial resources were depleted and my collegiate academic pursuits were thwarted. In the Fall of 1993, instead of returning to Howard University for my junior year, I obtained a life and health insurance producer’s license and began my career in the financial services industry. This began my life-long journey of service to others. My initial goal was to help people improve their lives through financial education and in return improve my station in life.
I started as a commissioned insurance salesman and began building my business by cold calling prospects, knocking on doors, and asking for referrals. I earned numerous accolades as a top producer and began recruiting and training other sales professionals to expand the business to have a greater positive impact. Through many years of struggle, driven by determination, discipline and dedication to a shared dream and vision, my team and I eventually built a successful company with multiple offices and hundreds of satisfied clients. Unfortunately, a few bad choices led me to being indicted and convicted of mail fraud.
On May 3, 2021, I was sentenced to serve a term of 160 months in federal prison. Prior to being sentenced, I served 22 months in a federal detention center. During this time (February 21, 2018 thru December 19, 2019) I was introduced to Michael Santos by way of the “Earning Freedom” podcast and “Success After Prison” podcast which were both available on the tablet that my family provided for me through the facility. I was inspired by Michael’s story and the many guests he featured who had all dramatically changed their lives for the better while in prison. I decided to pursue my own personal transformation. I immediately began building my plan for success after prison and developed a daily routine that focused on my spiritual, personal and professional growth and development. I still follow that daily regimen which incorporates set aside time for prayer, meditation, affirmations, intermittent fasting, reading and studying, planning and goal-setting, and rigorous exercise. I call it my daily SPEED (Spiritual Personal/Professional Enlightenment Enrichment Development) System. I am committed to returning to my family, my church, my community and my country a better man than I was when I came to prison.
How I spend my time each day of my sentence is consistent with my commitment to be a better person and achieve the best possible outcome during my time in prison. I presently work in the Education Department of FCI Milan as a tutor in the Advanced GED classes. As an instructor in the Adult Continuing Education Program, I teach the Job Skills Training class and the Small Business Success class. I am also the drummer and a vocalist for the weekly protestant church services (English on Sundays and Spanish on Saturdays). I’m a participant in the FCI Milan band program. During the first six months of 2023, I completed the 30-hour curriculum for ACT WorkKeys, an assessment-based curriculum of widely applicable foundational employability skills centered around applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents. As a result, I earned the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate at the Gold Level. My certificate can be verified at www (dot) act (dot) org/certificate/verify (dot) html using Registered Certificate # WMXQC8495SVF issue date: 4/28/23. I also completed the 30 hour advanced program through the ACT Teserra Workforce curriculum. This assessment-based training helps to develop, improve and measure six important skills for the workplace. The six skills are Leadership, Collaboration, Work Ethic, Resilience, Creativity and Integrity. My BOP transcript will reflect my participation in and/or successful completion of numerous First Step Act qualifying Evidence-Based Recidivism Reduction programs and classes along with other Productive Activities. Included is nearly 1000 hours completed in the Dept.. of Labor certified apprenticeship program as a Stationary Engineer in the Power Plant at FCI Oxford – Satellite Camp. Completed classes include Criminal Thinking, Health and Wellness Throughout the Life Span, Getting to Know Your Healthy Aging Body, Brain Health as You Age, Beginners Piano, and several of The Great Courses (self-paced college level courses via DVD) offered as ACE (Adult Continuing Education) classes. I attended Michael Santos’s presentation of Preparing for Success After Prison at FCI Milan in May of 2023, which is where we first met in person. I am signed up for the inaugural Preparing for Success After Prison class and I’m committed to being a model participant and ambassador for the class. I am a firm believer that my success after prison will be determined by the choices I make today. I choose to be a “purple cow” and a model returning citizen of the Michael Santos ilk.
