Book title:
Earning Freedom Conquering a 45-Year Prison Term
Book author:
Michael G. Santos
Date read:
finished 11-10-2024, Took 10 days
Why i read:
A guy in my unit where i just rode into my designated prison two weeks ago,i began to build with him about my release plans after i told him i will be going home in a few months,He told me that it seems like i got it all figured out and he see i have a detailed plan to succeed. He told me hey i got something to read for you i think you gonna like it, He handed me the book and said if you like it i got something else to go with it.After just a few days of constant reading and enjoying Michael’s story because i seen myself in him in many ways,i came back to him asking what you say you got to go with this book? That’s when he gave me the Release Plan 2024 Guidebook and other publications by Michael G. Santos,Right after reading the Guidebook I immediately signed up for Prison Professors Talent.
What i Learned from reading:
I learned that Michael, Like me had sold drugs and landed himself in federal prison,Like him i didn’t have a love of drug selling nor did i even like it, but unlike Michael I didn’t have parents who where business owners or well off my parents themselves were recovering addicts and my environment was bleak so i began selling drugs to provide for myself because my family was poor.But given his incarceration he still was determined to right his wrongs and knew that his past wasn’t gonna define him that really resonated with me,and He devised a plan to educate himself while doing time so that he could help people who also at one time or another made poor choices.
Summary:
Earning Freedom Conquering A 45-Year Prison Term is about a Man who made some bad choices as a kid to traffic cocaine because he was entertained by the lifestyle or the rich,He received a long prison sentence leaving his him and his family devastated as he prior to his incarceration played a pinitol role in his families business. Never being locked up before at 23 years old he began to navigate the customs of prison life but he didn’t want to master the prison politics but master himself and he began to self examine and analysis and correct his thinking to become a better man.He took steps to educate himself and truly atoned for all his wrong doings. He created network of support through people to ensure he not only stayed on the right track but had the resources to make change for himself and others. Before coming home Michael launch several business including a website to reach outside ears which earned income of over 200,000.When home the returning citizen acquired assets including Real estate that valued millions of dollars.
Conclusions:
This story is very inspiring to me Michael G. Santos mindset could help anyone even those who never faced incarceration like him and myself, HE never gave up even when he was given a 45 year sentence and thought of taking his life after he too troubled his family and caused his ex-wife to be federally charged. His blueprint and courage will forever be etched in my brain and i thank him for that!
How will reading Earning Freedom Conquering A 45Year Prison Term, contribute to my preparations for success upon release?
This book has gave me immense inspiration as Michael himself has been through what im currently going through navigating a federal prison conviction and just so happen I too am using my time to focus on being a better me and also im committed to turning this negative into a positive by going from a gang leader to a gang interventionist which I’ve started here in prison and will continue upon my release,i understand i was apart of the problem now im focusing on being of the solution. I too like Michael am gonna speak to those to inspire change and his strategies of
Step 1 Define success
Step 2 Create a plan
Step 3 Set priorities
Step 4 Execute the plan
will be mended in my thinking going forward. Like they say “if you fail to plan ,you plan to fail”!
‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ excerpt from Michael’s book which is a Gandhi quote.
This report is great for me as reading is my hobby, To date I’ve read 51 books during my 42 months of being incarcerated including both Bible and Qur’an
