J B
Registration 60381-510
FCI Elkton
Release Plan
March 16, 2025
Dear Unit Team:
Before surrendering, I researched the best practices for serving time in federal prison. From that research, I found different websites to help me prepare. As I studied the information, I learned about the role of the Unit Team in the Bureau of Prisons and the importance of developing a release plan.
I pleaded guilty, and I accept responsibility for my failures in this case. I deeply regret downloading and possessing illegal pornography. With my Unit Team’s guidance and the accountability of my loved ones, I will remain committed to making this time productive, reconciling with society, and planning for the next phase of my life.
I developed my release plan as an accountability tool that describes my self-directed pathway to prepare for the best outcomes after my release. I will continue updating and expanding the document as I meet milestones on my journey and set new goals consistent with my commitments.
The plan includes the following information:
| 1. Identifying Information | 7. Community Support |
| Images | 8. Medical Equipment |
| Projected Release Planning | 9. Financial Obligations |
| Background | 10. Risk and Needs Assessment |
| Offense Conduct | 11. Personal Plan |
| Making Amends | 12. Advisors |
I hope the Unit Team finds this plan helpful in guiding me back to my family and community as soon as possible.
Respectfully submitted,
J B
Identifying Information:
- Name: J B
- Date of Birth: I was born on April 28, 1967, and I am 57 years old.
- Today’s Date: I began writing this release plan on March 16, 2025
- Sentence Length: Judge Morgan sentenced me to serve a 60-month term, followed by 8 years of Supervised Release.
- I have been designated to FCI Elkton
- My surrender date is April 1, 2025.
- Registration Number: TBD
- Community phone number:
- My community Email:
Images:
To provide my Unit Team with information, the final page of this document includes images from the following identifying documents:
- Driver’s License: My valid driver’s license from the state of North Carolina
- Health Insurance Card: Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina
- Social Security Card: I have attached a scanned copy of my Social Security Card.
- Birth Certificate: I have attached a scanned copy of my birth certificate.
- Naturalization certificate: I became a United States citizen in 1978.
Projected Release Planning:
My entire adult life, ever since I watched my parents build new careers in the United States, I understood I would have to stay focused and work hard to achieve success. To advance, I always found that a solid plan would help me. Anytime I lost my focus, my plans suffered. I’m surrendering to prison because I downloaded and possessed illegal pornography. I took full responsibility for my actions and accepted my punishment with humility. Even before Judge Morgan gave me a sentence of 60 months, I knew I needed to reckon with the past and start planning for a better future.
To that end, I began studying the Bureau of Prisons’ website. From reading the website, I learned a great deal about the First Step Act and other BOP policies. It is my understanding that good behavior and program participation can influence an earlier transition to home confinement.
I intend to work productively with my Unit Team. With guidance from my Unit Team, I hope to advance as an excellent candidate for consideration of early transition to home confinement.
Various BOP Program Statements helped me understand how I can earn additional credits toward the 60-month sentence Judge Morgan imposed.
I learned that if I avoid disciplinary infractions, my Unit Team will award Good Conduct Time credits that amount to 15% of the term Judge Morgan imposed. On a 60-month sentence, that amounts to a credit of approximately 9 months. According to my understanding, these credits leave me with a potential adjusted sentence of approximately 51 months.
The BOP’s website includes the survey questions for the PATTERN Risk Assessment:
- https://www.bop.gov/inmates/fsa/pattern.jsp
I began working through those questions independently. Based on what I learned, I anticipate that my Unit Team will agree that my PATTERN score will show me as a person with a “minimum” risk of recidivating.
According to a policy statement that I read on the BOP’s website, I understand that my Unit Team will meet with me for an Initial Unit Team meeting within 30 days of my surrender. During that Initial Classification, I anticipate that my Unit Team will agree that I am at a “minimum” risk of recidivating.
I will participate in all programs that my Unit Team recommends.
If I am accurate, I anticipate that during each of my first six months in confinement, I will receive sixty days of Earned Time credit.
The BOP website tells me that after six months, I will have another Unit Team meeting, known as a Program Review. During that Program Review, I anticipate that my Unit Team will conclude that I remain at a minimum risk of recidivating. After two consecutive team meetings, I anticipate that my Unit Team will conclude that my PATTERN Risk Assessment will continue to show a minimum risk of recidivating.
Using those parameters, I projected the potential time that I will serve in prison before I become eligible to transition to home confinement.
Sentence Judge Morgan imposed: 60 months,
- Good Conduct Time: Approximately 9 months for an adjusted sentence of approximately 51 months.
- I understand that I will serve a portion of that time in a secure facility.
- I understand that, at the discretion of my Unit Team, I may qualify to serve a portion of my term in a Residential Reentry Center (Halfway House) or on home confinement.
Based on my understanding of current rules, I will not qualify for First Step Act (FSA) “Time Credits” because of my charges. Otherwise, I would begin to receive 15 days of Earned Time Credit each month that I serve in prison (with a statutory maximum of 12 months). If I did qualify, my adjusted time would come down to 39 months. I intend to participate in programs and comply with rules as if I could qualify for the FSA “Time Credits.”
With this plan, I hope that my Unit Team will learn more about the steps I intend to take to advance my candidacy for early placement on home confinement.
If my projections are accurate, I anticipate owing the Bureau of Prisons between 51 and 60 months after factoring in Good Conduct Time and Earned Time Credits. I am hopeful that the Bureau of Prisons will consider me a candidate for transition to home confinement or a Residential Reentry Center at the earliest possible time.
I seek guidance from my Unit Team to help me understand steps I can take to qualify for maximum placement on home confinement, in accordance with what I read about the First Step Act.
Background:
I was born in 1967 in Moulmein, the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma). My father worked there as a civil engineer and my mother practiced medicine. My older sister and I grew up in a stable household with nannies who cared for us while our parents worked. I have mostly positive feelings about Moulmein, except for upsetting memories of sexual abuse by an older male relative.
Myanmar had been a peaceful home for my Indian family for several generations. Then, after a military coup, our family decided to move to the United States in 1971. At first, my father worked the third shift at a California sheet metal factory. Then, we relocated to New York City where my mother completed her American medical internship and residency. Later, the United States Air Force recruited my mother to serve as a pediatrician with the rank of captain. So, we relocated to Louisiana where my mother served at England AFB and my father worked at a nuclear power plant. I became a naturalized United States citizen in 1978.
I admired my parents’ hard work and determination to succeed in America. I respected my father’s ongoing civic leadership for the Bengali community of New Orleans. However, my parents often took their stress and frustrations out on me. It is painful to recall their aggressive use of corporal punishment and psychological abuse. My father grew particularly angry with my difficulty reading due to undiagnosed dyslexia.
Despite my reading issues, I earned good grades in school. I enjoyed participating in taekwondo, baseball, football, and track. I also joined the debate team and performed in two plays. My family briefly moved to Cincinnati where I finished high school and worked at a local amusement park.
In 1985, I enrolled at New York University where I studied art history and philosophy. I loved my academic courses and enjoyed an active social life. During the summers, I worked for my dad’s environmental remediation company in New Orleans and completed an advertising internship in New York City. I graduated with my Bachelor’s Degree in Art History with a minor in Philosophy in 1989. Three years later, I enrolled in the graduate architecture program at Georgia Tech. I had several excellent mentors there who helped me achieve my potential as a designer. I graduated with my Master of Architecture degree in 1996.
I began my career designing office buildings for a corporate architecture firm in Philadelphia. Then, in 1999, a New York-based firm hired me to work on projects like Cyberport, a massive business and entertainment development in Hong Kong. In 2000, I moved to Beijing, China, to work on a 15 million-square foot new university. I proceeded to move back and forth between China and the United States for several years working on projects like the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas and Silver Towers in Midtown Manhattan.
The Great Recession hit the American real estate business hard. So, I returned to China and resumed work with my Chinese collaborators. I worked in several large Chinese cities on projects like resort hotels. I always liked to work, but I often felt isolated and depressed.
I moved to Hong Kong in 2016 where I worked for a prominent firm then as an independent design director for 22 large projects. Then, in 2018, I moved back to New Orleans to care for my elderly mother who was suffering with dementia. I continued to work remotely as I looked after my parents.
I offer the information above to show that, although I pleaded guilty to a serious crime, and a judge sentenced me to serve a 60-month sentence, I have a strong record as a professional architect and responsible citizen. I grew up with strong role models for hard work and responsible citizenship. I believe I am a good-hearted person who used very poor judgment in this case. I am committed to make amends for my inexcusable conduct. When I return home from prison, I am determined to use my design skills to make a positive contribution to my community.
Offense Conduct:
When I possessed illegal pornography, I crossed a red line. I broke important laws enacted to protect innocent children from predators. Unthinkable harm is done to minors in order to create illegal pornography. Every image of that reprehensible content shows a crime scene and victims.
I hope my story serves as a warning to anyone who downloads and possesses illegal pornography. I am still in shock that I committed such a serious crime. I pray my sentence provides some measure of justice to the victims of illegal pornography production and their families. I am determined to making amends through service for the rest of my life.
Working with a therapist, I examined how my own childhood sexual trauma may have influenced my behavior in this case. We also talked about how this conduct occurred during a short period of time after my parents’ death, when I felt isolated and disoriented. Thankfully, the mental health expert determined me to be at the lowest risk to repeat this behavior.
Had I followed the law from the beginning, I would not be in trouble today. I would do anything to go back in time and choose another path, but that is not possible. Since my case began, my top priority has been making things right. The first step was my total acceptance of responsibility. Now I will serve my sentence with humility and look for ways to learn and grow.
Making Amends:
I am just beginning my journey of atonement and reconciliation. I am grateful for this legal process to reckon with hard truth of my poor choices. After pleading guilty, I started planning for how to move forward in a healthy, productive way. More specifically, I devoted myself to service projects and new real estate developments with a social purpose. The best way for me to give back is to use my skills to make a positive impact. For most of my career, I always felt best when I was focused on meaningful design projects to help communities flourish.
Recently, I volunteered with Prison Professors Charitable Corporation to develop coursework for currently incarcerated individuals. I recorded a course about my professional history, entrepreneurship, and purpose-driven design. This course is now part of their program that reaches 300,000 inmates. In my video, I spoke about my own journey developing major real estate projects in American and overseas. Michael Santos and I discussed specific job skills, work habits, and character traits needed for a productive career.
Prison Professors gave me a chance to combine my professional knowledge and personal story. I have learned many hard lessons and look forward to using my newfound wisdom to help others in the future. I hope my seminar inspires justice-impacted people to find satisfying, productive work upon their release.
I have also been working on a project to convert the Northgate Mall in Durham County, North Carolina, into affordable housing. Affordable Housing is a crisis across America. With over seven million households facing housing insecurity, there have been a raft of policy proposals aired to address the issue. The basic problem that none of these policies addresses is the core of the shortfall in the affordable housing gap; the technology being employed by the development industry does not produce housing units at a cost point that can yield a reasonable profit. As a note to this statement, recently an associate of mine has recently brought to my attention that the Township of Livingston, New Jersey is looking to do something similar with their local defunct mall. We are preparing a strategy package for them as well.
The solution must include three discrete aspects of production: the technology used to deliver units, the availability of easily convertible property, and new models of financing. The Northgate Mall site could be a pilot project for a new type of development that could solve multiple social ills while creating new communities and generational wealth. I am optimistic I can draw upon my extensive professional experience to offer new solutions to the affordable housing crisis in America. I am determined to make a difference in this area. It is my life’s mission and I can use my time in prison to develop my ideas.
I spent a lot of time working to prepare before sentencing. I had never been in trouble with the law before, and I wanted to understand the goals of our judicial system. With time to plan, I studied websites that belong to the Department of Justice and the U.S. Courts. That research led me to learn the purpose of sentencing.
Federal judges impose sentences that should:
- Deter other people from committing crimes,
- Punish people for committing crimes,
- Isolate people while they serve sentences, and
4. Rehabilitate people who commit crimes.
As a defendant, I did not have any way of influencing deterrence, punishment, or isolation. Those goals would serve the interest of justice, but Judge Morgan would impose the term that would accomplish such goals.
When it came to rehabilitation, however, I had to think. I had to consider how that fourth goal of sentencing applied to me as a 57-year-old man with extensive professional experience and a master’s degree in architecture. I thought long and hard about my professional achievements the blessings I received from family, friends, and colleagues.
Then, I realized that “rehabilitation” isn’t only about me or restoring financial loss. It’s about the entire system, the entire country. Judge Morgan sentenced me to serve 60 months. To reconcile with society, I would have to make the most of that term. As stated above, I am committed to developing various plans for affordable housing. I see this as a moral imperative and way to make amends for my poor behavior in this case.
The charge against me read: United States of America v. J B. For that reason, I reaffirm my ongoing duty to make amends to my fellow American citizens. During my term, I intend to work toward that end, and I will continue living in service upon release.
Setbacks are a natural part of life’s journey. I understood that I have been entrusted with unique talents and skills, and it is my responsibility to make the most of them. I have the talent and skill to make positive contributions to my community while rebuilding my career.
When I look back on this chapter in my story, I want it to end with reconciliation and peace. I want to be an example of how to learn from mistakes and help others. I want to serve as a role model for handling painful moments with humility and grace. I look forward to sharing my story to help other people avoid my terrible mistakes.
Seventeen U.S. states have passed resolutions declaring pornography a public health crisis. A study published in 2021 in Frontiers of Psychology outlined how pornography distorts a user’s perception of reality and affects long-term mental health. Pornography was certainly too dangerous for me to view. My life would be immeasurably better had I never seen it.
While incarcerated, with approval from my Unit Team, I hope to accomplish the following tasks:
- Tutor other people serving sentences so that they may advance their education.
- Volunteer in ways that staff members recommend.
- Journal about my progress and share those writings with our community.
- Read books that will help me become more aware of the influences that led me to this problem.
- Engage in programming to advance my knowledge of personal finances.
- Reflect on what I learned from reading, and then I will apply those lessons to volunteer work that I intend to complete upon my release.
I hope my Unit Team will support the personal release plan that I put into place and consider me a good candidate for maximum placement on home confinement for the reasons expressed below.
Community Support:
My family, friends, and colleagues offer the following letters for my unit team to consider. I intend to either return to my North Carolina Condominium or possible move to a property in upstate New York as my unit team and the Bureau of Prisons deem it appropriate to do so. The North Carolina residence is located at:
600 S. Duke Street, Unit 14
Durham, NC 27701
Dear Unit Team:
My name is N B. I am J B’s older sister. I’m 59 and have a 19-year-old daughter, and I live in Washington DC, where I work as an editor at NPR. I am thankful for this opportunity to tell you about my dear brother from my point of view.
J B and I were both born in Burma (now Myanmar) to Indian parents who themselves were born and raised there. But after a military junta took over Burma in the 1960s, our parents decided to immigrate. The government took everything they had, and they arrived in the U.S. with little money and lots of debt to repay for the plane tickets and setting up a new life. Dad was an engineer, and Mom was a pediatrician.
J B and I were regular kids, not especially troublesome. But any small bit of typical kid misbehavior would trigger a shocking amount of emotional and physical violence from our folks. They called us names like pigs, dogs and bastards. They called me ugly and my brother, stupid. My mother would routinely say she wished we’d never been born.
J B also had undiagnosed dyslexia, I now see. So when my dad sat with him to teach him how to write the alphabet, J B would write the mirror image of letters, like a J facing the wrong direction. I have such clear memories of Dad getting more and more frustrated at J B for his mistakes. And then Dad would lose it and beat J B.
There were times in our childhoods when he hit J B so hard that he left a handprint on my brother’s back through his clothing. The beatings happened so much that I told my parents as a 10-year-old that I would call child protective services, but they cowed me into abandoning the idea because they said the city would put us in foster homes.
Anyone who’s been through this could be forgiven for turning away from the people who’d hurt him. But J B never did. I remember J B telling me that Dad was a better man at 65 than he was at 45, and he was right. Over time, we came to forgive them. J B helped them with everything in their lives: finding homes when they moved, setting up their technology so they could keep in touch with us, keeping track of their health and financial needs, keeping up with their friends.
My daughter and I went several times every year to New Orleans to see our family. J B has been a delightful, loving uncle to my daughter. He made sure that our parents’ last years were lived in their homes, comfortably and with kind caregivers. It was a lot for him: managing caregivers, doctors’ appointments and the finances of elderly parents is a job on top of your day job.
In the end, the life J B came to build in New Orleans, as generous as it was to our parents and me, increased the isolation that began when he was working hard in China. New Orleans also wasn’t the best place for him to be professionally. But J B still managed to succeed spectacularly at work: he has designed a set of buildings sure to change the Miami skyline. And before this case happened, he was turning his attention to work on affordable housing with his business partners. I was excited for him to do work that’s so meaningful to him, in part because I hoped that it would bring about a deeper emotional renewal for him.
Despite the fact that I’m writing a letter to you before J B’s surrender to prison, I am as proud of J B as I was before all this occurred, and I love and trust him just as much. My brother took full responsibility for his actions and understands the seriousness of his criminal acts. He has taken positive steps to get mental health treatment to address his childhood traumas. I will definitely be part of his accountability and support system when he returns home.
Sincerely,
Washington, DC
Dear Unit Team:
I am writing in support of my friend and colleague J B.
In 1999, I met J B through my husband. At the time, we were all young architects newly out of architecture school just starting our professional careers. J B and my husband worked at regional architecture firm, while I was pursuing my PhD studies. As young professionals, we forged a strong bond around common approaches to our work and passion for the built environment.
J B and I share a kinship as our families are Indian and we had a lot in common navigating immigrant parents new to the United States. This bond was further strengthened when we moved to Beijing, China the following year. J B and my husband took positions with a newly formed, privately owned Local Design Institute (LDI). At this time in 2000, the community of foreign expatriates was very small in China. Being half a world away from the US and our families, communication with the outside world was still tenuous.
In these conditions, we socialized together multiple times per week, celebrated most holidays together, and even travelled on holidays together. I look back on this time very fondly and cherish the friendship that we had and the close friendship that we have maintained in the 20 years since.
Since returning to the United States for work in 2003, I have remained professionally connected to J B. Our careers have run parallel courses. I returned to New York to lead marketing teams within engineering firms. While J B returned to New York initially to practice architecture and then later returned to Asia working for developers. Our worlds overlapped through our focus on real-estate development of large-scale, complex projects. This has given us opportunity to work together many times throughout the last 20 years.
Through these professional experiences, I understand J B’s approach to business is based on deep market knowledge and a strong awareness of how design can be leveraged to drive value. I have total faith in J B’s future potential to make important professional contributions. I would definitely work with J B and recommend him to others.
It’s not often that you can stand up for friends. I feel very privileged to be able to do so here. J B has always been a consummate friend and all these years we remain aligned in interests, values and direction. When he told me about his federal case, I was shocked. His conduct bears no resemblance to the fine gentleman I know. I respect him for taking responsibility and moving ahead in the spirit of reconciliation.
If there is anything else that I can do or information that I can provide, I am happy to do so.
Sincerely,
Dear Unit Team:
I first met J B in a professional capacity when we were thrown together on an architectural project in Princeton, New Jersey. This chance encounter has led to 30 years of professional collaboration and personal friendship. J B and I have spoken about what went wrong in this case. He made no excuses about his poor choices and explained that he pled guilty. I can attest that these actions were completely out of character for the good man I have known for decades.
In the late 1990’s. J B and I decided to move to China together for work. China was emerging economically, so it was full of possibilities to learn and forge a new path. While I returned to New York to teach and set up a business, J B stayed in China to leverage his professional experiences. Over the years, J B and I were able to collaborate on a number of projects that formed the beginning of the work that we continue together today.
I have come to find that the people that I still value and respect, like J B, are the ones committed to taking on the difficult challenges with a real and passionate view of the world and how we should make it a better place. For example, J B called me during the pandemic to create a round table to talk about finding something good out of that terrible time. So, we gathered professionals from the top of their fields in design, engineering and architecture, all thinking and working together on new ideas forged out of the disaster we found ourselves in.
Today, these past experiences have merged and evolved, leading to work that focuses on creating real value in the world. The older I get the more I realize how rare it is to find people like J B that value real learning and who seek to improve the world against all odds. I am certain he will emerge from this difficult time with new and important ideas. I fully intend to stay in contact with J B and collaborate with him again upon his release.
Respectfully,
Dear Unit Team:
My name is R T and I am J B’s niece. I am nineteen years old and a sophomore at the University of Michigan. I grew up close to my uncle, even when we were not close in distance. It was clear how much my mother loved him, and as a child, I always looked forward to seeing him.
When I was younger, and had dreams of maybe being an artist when I grew up, my uncle never turned his nose up at me for its improbability. Instead, he spoke to me about his education in art history and architecture, and his art that still hung in my grandparents’ home. Every birthday and Christmas, he would carefully research every gift, making sure it was something I would actually like. He got me sketchbooks and art kits when I wanted to be an artist and a microscope when I thought I wanted to be a scientist. He makes his support of me, and whoever I want to be, abundantly clear.
When I was about 10 or 11, my grandparents moved away from the DC area, where I grew up, back down to New Orleans. My uncle J B uprooted his entire life and moved down so he could take care of them. He made that sacrifice so my mother and I did not have to. When they died, first my grandfather in 2021 and my grandmother in 2023, my uncle included me in the funeral rites. Everyone was always honest with me, and my opinion was always heard by both my uncle and my mother.
My uncle is one of the most important people in my life. He is family, he is blood, but more than that, he is a support and a safety that I know is always there. He shows his love through his actions, not just through words. I have never doubted that love for as long as I have been alive. It breaks my heart to know he is going through a difficult time in his life. I will always remember how he handled this challenge with honesty, humility, and grace. I will be there for him today and in the years ahead just like he was always there for me.
Respectfully,
R T
Medical Prescriptions:
Ziac – Bisoprolol Fumarate (5mg daily for irregular heart beat)
Hydrochlorothiazide – 12.5 mg daily high for blood pressure
Financial Obligations:
Besides a 60-month sentence, Judge Morgan imposed fines which I have paid in full.
Risk and Needs Assessment:
From reading the Bureau of Prisons’ website, I learned a great deal about needs and risk assessments. Once I surrender, it’s my understanding that I’ll need to complete SPARC-13 survey that will help staff members measure 13 factors that can influence criminal behavior:
- Anger/hostility: Thankfully, I do not have any anger management issues.
- Antisocial peers: I do not socialize or interact with people who violate the law. I am blessed with a supportive family, good friends in Durham, and lifelong professional colleagues who have stuck with me during this legal process.
- Cognitions: I do not have any cognitive or learning impairments, and I consider myself a good learner.
- Dyslexia: I struggled with dyslexic reading issues as a child, although I was never officially diagnosed.
- Education: I graduated from Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from New York University followed by a Master’s in Architecture from Georgia Tech. I am Currently a registered Architect in the state of New York.
- Family/parenting: I am blessed with a loving sister and niece. Sadly, my parents both passed away recently. I have never been married and do not have any children. Thankfully, my sister and niece have been supportive throughout this legal process and will be part of my life upon my release.
- Finance: I am financially stable and own my own business. I have multiple work prospects and some savings to sustain me.
- Medical: Doctors prescribed medication for high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. I am also pre-diabetic. As a child, I suffered with asthma plus allergies to ragweed and tree pollen.
- Mental Health: I have received mental health treatment for depression. A specialist and I also discussed the long-term impact of multiple adverse childhood experiences.
- Recreation/Leisure/Fitness: I enjoy playing golf and working out in the gym. I also like to cook, read nonfiction books, and go to jazz clubs.
- Substance abuse: Thankfully, I have no issues with addictive drugs or alcohol.
- Trauma: I survived early childhood sexual trauma. Plus, I endured psychological and some physical abuse from my parents.
- Work: I have always been a hard worker, so I’m confident my solid, self-directed work ethic will allow me to return to productive work quickly. I have extensive professional knowledge and experience to offer as an architect and real estate design consultant. With my advanced skill set and background, I am confident I will find new business opportunities in my field. I like to work and look forward to returning to my productive life.
As I prepare to surrender, I have a few projects in process. For example, I am currently working on the lead consultant team to redevelop the existing Hyatt Regency and James L. Knight Center along the river in the heart of Downtown Miami. The new project named Miami Riverbridge is set to be the largest redevelopment undertaking in the City of Miami worth over $1.5bn in total investment.
I am also working on a redesign of the historic East Shore YMCA building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My plan includes a new YMCA facility, event space, and hotel. Other projects include a resort development in the Turks and Caicos Islands plus a condo addition to the Ritz Carlton in Miami.
My partners and I have also come up with an innovative solution to redeveloping abandoned or closed malls into affordable housing. We are engaging the City of Livingston, New Jersey in an effort to explore a solution involving their shuttered Livingston Mall.
Personal Plan:
While serving my sentence, I will follow the guidance of my Unit Team. To the extent possible, I would like to participate in self-help and personal development courses. They should help me work toward repaying society for the problems I created. I would like to volunteer to assist people who advance their education.
To address my needs, I intend to spend time reading to the best of my ability. To the extent possible, I intend to read books on leadership and personal development. After reading each book, I will take the following steps:
- Step 1: Write the title of each book I read.
- Step 2: Write the date I finished reading each book.
- Step 3: Write the title and the author of each book.
- Step 4: Write why I chose to read each book.
- Step 5: Write what I learned from reading each book.
- Step 6: Write how reading each book will contribute to my success upon release.
I have organized my reading list into the sections set forth below. I designed those sections in response to what I’ve read about risk assessments and the SPARC-13.
- Thought – Books on personal growth will help me become a more thoughtful person and a better member of the broader community. Books on thought would address the SPARC13’s emphasis on cognitions.
- Finance – I would like to develop my understanding of how to manage financial affairs properly and efficiently. Books on finance would address the SPARC-13’s emphasis on finance/poverty.
- Service– Given the SPARC-13’s emphasis on personal accountability, I thought it would be helpful to read books that would contribute to the service I want to provide upon release. Specifically, I plan on advancing my professional knowledge, particularly in the area of affordable housing.
- Biography: Given the SPARC-13’s emphasis on mental health, I have selected a series of biographies so that I can learn from people who’ve lived as contributing citizens. I would also like to read stories of people who overcame childhood trauma to live peaceful and fulfilling lives.
On the Bureau of Prisons’ website, I found Program Statement 5350.27: Inmate Manuscripts. It complies with the Code of Federal Regulations, which holds that:
- “An inmate may prepare a manuscript for private use or for publication while in custody without staff approval.”
The above Program Statement encourages me, as I intend to comply with all rules. But I want to publish the book reports I write. By documenting my journey through prison, I memorialize the various ways that a person can work to build mental health with a deliberate, intentional plan to prepare. Strength comes through transparency and reconciliation, and I plan to build a record showing how I used time in prison to grow stronger.
Before surrendering to serve my sentence, I will order the first two books. While waiting for guidance from my Unit Team, I will carry out the plan by reading. If appropriate, I will teach others how they can engineer a release plan that helps them prepare for success upon release.
By sending my book reports home, I will help my family stay in tune with the progress I’m making and keep our connection strong. We’re working through these challenges together, and I want her to know of the preparations I’m making to grow stronger and persevere while I serve my sentence.
Besides adhering to my own plan, I also will follow guidance from the experts in the BOP.
Educational Service Proposal:
If possible, I would like to propose teaching a course/seminar to individuals interested in applying design principles to problem-solving. I studied “design thinking” in graduate school and used those skills throughout my career. You don’t have to be an architect to use design thinking in your professional or everyday life. I love these ideas and would like to share them with others at Elkton.
I would call my course/seminar “Principles of Design Thinking.” It would cover topics like the following:
1. Using design thinking to solve problems: Design and play are interrelated. Play, as in playing a game, is a process of problem solving. The game is a form of puzzle that must be solved or competition that must be bested. To win, we often have to develop strategies and tactics. Using design thinking is integral to developing both strategies and tactics.
2. Strategies and tactics: Design thinking can be employed to ‘game’ different scenarios to determine the most efficient pathways toward results. In doing so, we can develop the proper relationships or adjacencies to drive efficiency.
3. Getting to Highest and Best Use: Efficiency determines a wide range of benefits from profitability to ease of use. The most efficient solution, however, needs to be viewed against costs and external factors that affect longer term performance. Highest and best use analysis helps us weigh these factors and arrive at specific recommendations that can feed back into our design strategies to fine tune performance.
Advisors:
I have collaborated with my family and close friends in developing this release plan. They will be my accountability partners in sticking true to the plan. I will continue to evolve the plan as I receive guidance from my unit team.
Staff Guides: Federal Prison:
Unit Manager Name:
Case Manager Name: Counselor Name:
Work Detail Supervisor:
Halfway house Supervisor:
Probation Officer:
Developing Tools, Tactics, and Resources to Influence the Journey Ahead:
I couldn’t rely on motivation alone to keep moving forward—I needed a strategy. I identified the tools, tactics, and resources that would help me stay productive and overcome obstacles. Besides participating in all programs that my Unit Team directs, I developed a self-directed learning program that would guide me through my time in prison. I intended to stay productive, always working to develop opportunities for the next phase of my life.
Creating Personal Accountability Logs to Show Daily Progress:
To stay consistent, I began maintaining accountability logs to track what I accomplished each day. Seeing my progress laid out in front of me was both motivating and informative. I began to journal, recording all that I was doing to prepare, recording what I learned from books I was reading. It became a useful tool to keep me on track. I’ll continue to develop the journal while serving my term, sending home routine updates to my sister. It will help me show administrators in the halfway house, and my probation officer, that I’m serious about my commitment to resume my life as a law-abiding, contributing citizen.
Transparency and Commitment:
I recognize that the success of this release plan depends on full and earnest participation in the outlined initiatives. Prison officials, the courts, and my family can count on my ongoing transparency and diligence in every aspect of this process.
Final Thoughts:
While this chapter of my life presents immense challenges, it also represents a crucial opportunity for growth, reflection, and contribution. My goal is to learn everything possible from this experience, and return home with more skills, a strong mindset, and a renewed commitment to live as a law-abiding, contributing citizen. I will contribute meaningfully during my time in custody by sharing my knowledge and helping others develop their own strategies for success.
Thank you for considering my plan. I look forward to working in full cooperation with your direction and expertise during this process.
Respectfully,
J B
