Why I Started Working on My Release Plan on Day One at Tucson Federal Prison Camp
When I first arrived in Tucson, I already had a full release plan prepared. I did not wait to see how things would go.
Before surrendering, I told my wife and kids I would treat this time seriously. The release plan was part of that promise. It lays out what I intend to do here and what I will be able to show later. I am committed to earning every day off my sentence that I can through Good Conduct Time and First Step Act credits. I will document every program and class I complete. If I am allowed to, I will teach other inmates about building release plans and managing a small business. I will also write book reports to memorialize what I learn and send routine updates home to my wife for our family accountability journal.
This is not something I put on paper just to meet an expectation. It is something I promised my family I would do. They know what I said before I surrendered, and they will expect to see progress each week.
Already this week, I began outlining topics I hope to teach. I also wrote the first section of my accountability journal and sent a copy to my wife. That is the level of transparency I committed to in my release plan—and it is how I will hold myself accountable through this sentence.
My Unit Team will see these updates soon. My probation officer will see them after I transition out. More important, my wife and kids will see that I meant what I said to them when I surrendered.
If you are preparing to surrender, do not wait. Build your release plan before you arrive. Work on it the day you get there. Then follow through. What you do here will matter a lot more than what you say.
One question I wrote today: If my wife and kids read my release plan updates next month, will they see that I kept the promises I made to them?
