One change I would like to implement in the prison system is a real guidance counselor. As in Highschool and College and even outside of college if you have a mentor, there is somebody who actually cares about your success and is trying to guide or help you get to where you need to be for what your trying to be. The counselors they have in here are a joke and only know your name if you cause problems or press them to actually do there job. Prison claims the have the goal to of rehabilitation. From the numbers however they are doing a terrible job and if you or I failed so miserably there are consequences. Prison staffs consequences are job security. There are some staff members out there that care or want to make a difference, but when you look at the culture of Prisons and what they stand for these few individuals are being ostracized as being soft on prisoners or not loyal to their colleagues. As in Michael Santos book, it’s looked upon as being soft on criminals showing compassion to anybody incarcerated. Prison is still considered a place for punishment instead of a place to rehabilitate while being held accountable for your actions. Double jeopardy is not just conducted in courts with strikes and sentencing because upon release convicts are still denied a lot of privileges’, opportunities, and resources that a person with a clean record is able to receive. All these issues just lead to reoccurring problems that need to be broken up and solved in steps, because it is so convoluted that it would take steps to repair the process that has been started years ago to break the cycle.
—–Proffessors Respond, Prison on 9/30/2024 4:36 AM wrote:
>
I was very fortunate at the start of my sentence. I came into the system in 1987, at the start of America’s War on Drugs. The charges I faced carried a potential life sentence. Because of the potential for a life sentence, jailers put me in the hole. While there, I got to know an officer. He passed me several books. Those books changed my life.
I had been a terrible student as a young boy, and I hadn’t been much of a reader when I went into the system. But I wanted to change my life. To change my life, I understood that I would have to learn how to think differently.
If you’re reading this newsletter, I’m wondering what you want.
If you know what you want, then you can take next steps to begin working toward a better future.
Since I hated being in prison, I knew that I wanted to use my time inside to prepare for success outside. By now, I hope that some of you have received the books that our nonprofit sent to you. They include: 1) Earning Freedom; 2) Success after Prison; 3) Prison: My 8,344th Day; 4) Preparing for Success after Prison; 5) Release Plan; 6) Digital Economy. Those books offer more details to show the relationship between the way a person spends time inside, and the opportunities that open on the other side.
If you want to have an extraordinary life on the other side, then you’ve got to follow some basic principles with your adjustment. Some of those principles may include:
One: Be willing to do hard things.
Two: Make sure that what you’re doing aligns with what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
Three: Be willing to do the hard things over and over.
Four: Make sure that you’re memorializing your story, by writing out the ways that you used time inside to prepare for success.
You cannot wait for someone else to change your life. Each person must take the steps today, and the steps you take today should put you on the pathway to new opportunities.
I want to help you get those opportunities. But I cannot help people who do not build clear documentation that shows the various ways they worked on personal development. Today’s question will ask you to think about innovative ways that we could incentivize more people in prison to quit wasting time, and start using time as an investment in personal development.
What thoughts do you have on how we can accomplish such a goal?
Here is my thought:
I need to create a mechanism for more people in prison to write out the reasons why they’re worthy candidates for support.. Building support becomes easier when you have built a record that shows you’re likely to succeed. If you write your story, I will be able to point people in the direction of your story.
With more stories, I will be more successful in persuading business leaders and individuals to support this mission. In time, I hope to raise financial resources that will be available to people who come out of prison but only to people who earned it. People may want to apply for micro loans, venture capital, or scholarships. To apply, they will need to show a record that shows how hard they worked in the toughest of environments.
If you can prepare for success while in prison, and focus on personal development, you will be far more likely to overcome the challenges that complicate life for others.
Today’s Question:
What changes in America’s prison system would you like to implement?
Any time that you feel like responding to one of the questions I present through the newsletter, send a response to the email above and we will post it as part of your profile.
By taking these steps, you can start memorializing your journey and demonstrating your commitment to a better future.
Keep striving for greatness.. Your efforts today will pave the way for your success tomorrow.
READ NEWSLETTER ARTICLE HERE: https://prisonprofessorstalent.com/journal-entries/newsletter-7/
