Leonard Brown 54312-019
My Release Plan really depends on the health of my mother. It is my prayer, God Willing, that I move to Wrens, GA to take care of my mother for the rest of her life. She was born July 10, 1943, so she is elderly.
I have two motions in the court that could grant me an immediate release. Otherwise I would get out around January 2030 with halfway house. Either way, as long as she is alive I’ll be moving down south to start a box truck and hotshot trucking company. I need to return home daily to keep her company and make sure she is safe. She has told me she is lonely and I plan to make her final years as pleasant as I can. While I am working I’ll hire a home healthcare aide to keep her company.
I’ll also be joining a local mosque and contribute to my community by doing good deeds including providing jobs and training for the young people in the area. I’ll invest my savings into real estate, a commercial cleaning business and eventually pre-ipo companies. I will continue to strive to be the best Muslim American I can be.
I recently discovered this Program Called Preparing for Success After Prison from PrisonProfessors.com. This program emphasized the importance of building a good release plan and suggested that a good release plan begins with preparation. It also allows me to update my progress online with daily journals and book reports.
Based on the program created by Michael Santos, a former federal former prisoner, I have created this plan to guide me through the rest of my life's journey in prison and beyond. And to prepare for a successful outcome from every aspect of this system, including imprisonment, home confinement, and supervised release. I plan to continue to update my release plan even after my release through daily journaling and career updates which will help me to be accountable to myself, the Courts, probation office and the BOP.
I pled guilty and accept responsibility for my mistakes. I am ashamed of my crimes. I know that remorse and apologies alone will not make amends for my crime. Neither will my incarceration alone. With my unit team's guidance and the accountability of my loved ones, I will remain focused on making my time productive, reconciling with society, and strengthening relationships with my family.I will continue updating and expanding this document as I meet milestones on my journey and set new goals consistent with my commitments.
The plan includes the following information:
- Identifying Information 7. Community Support
- Images 8. medical Prescriptions
- Projected Release Planning 9. Financial Obligations
- Background 10. Risk and Needs Assessment
- My Conviction 11. Personal Plan
- Making Amends 12. Advisors
I hope the Court and Unit Team finds this plan helpful in guiding me back to my family and community as soon as possible.
IDENTIFYING INFORMATION:
-NAME: My name is LEONARD BROWN and my prison register number is 54312-019.
-DATE OF BIRTH: I was born February 8, 1972. I am 53 years old
-TODAY’S DATE: I began writing this release plan on 4/01/25
-SENTENCE LENGTH: The Late U.S. District Court Judge Willis B. Hunt jr. from the Northern
District Of Georgia sentenced me to 384 months followed by five years of supervised release.
-SURRENDER DATE AND LOCATION: I was arrested in January 3, 2003 In Atlanta, GA
- MY COMMUNITY PHONE NUMBER: 706-361-4910 (CHRISTINE BROWN-MOTHER)
- MY COMMUNITY EMAIL: angellivcarter@icloud.com
IDENTIFYING DOCUMENTS:
- No valid driver’s license
- High school Diploma verified by U.S. Probation Office -Tri-Cities High School , Eastpoint, GA 1990
-DD214- Should be in Inmate central file- U.S. Navy
-Certificate Sewing machine operator- Louisiana Technical School 2012
-Diploma Pharmacy Technician- Atlanta Metropolitan College 1994
-Associate’s Degree- should be located inmate central file-Blessed Hope bible College 2010
-Birth Certificate- should be located inmate central file
-Social Security card- should be in central file
PROJECTED RELEASE PLANNING:
Many years in prison watching the high recidivism rates of prisoners have impressed upon me the importance of planning. I have learned the main reasons for recidivism is lack of a plan and lack of financing according to National Geographic and CNN. The two main reasons I see most prisoners come back to prison is drug abuse and possession of firearms. Drugs and firearms do not affect me so I focus on creating a plan and building my personal finances.
With guidance from my unit Unit Team, I hope to advance as an excellent candidate for consideration of early transition to home confinement and even compassionate release.
Due to my 924(c) conviction I am unable to earn FSA Time credits. I can earn good conduct time credits if I avoid disciplinary infractions.
Unfortunately due to my oppositional and confrontational attitude toward staff for the majority of my incarceration I received several incident reports resulting in the loss of several and conduct days.
The BOP’s website explains its Pattern Risk Assessment.:
https://www.bop.gov/inmates/fsa/pattern.jsp
The BOP’s PATTERN score shows me as a person with a “”Low”” risk of recidivating and a “”Low”” risk of committing further violence. If my age of 53 years old is included the U.S. Sentencing Commission rates me with only an 8% chance of recidivating.
PROGRAM REVIEW:
I will continue to participate in all programs that my unit team recommends when available. I have been placed on the waiting list for vocational carpentry, forklift, and culinary arts. My ultimate goal is enter the LIFE Connections program, a religious residential program, that will connect me with mentors of my faith to help me grow in my faith. I have been trying since 2022.
I am currently enrolled in two Islamic correspondence courses which will take over 5 years to complete. I will continue studying with these schools after my release. (As-Saabireen Distance Learning Prison Initiative and Taybafoundation.org)
Using my good conduct time and the Second Chance Act half-way house and home confinement I should have a projected release date of 12/23/29 if the Unit team recommends me for a year.
With this plan, I hope that my Court and Unit team will learn more about the steps I intend to take to advance my candidacy for early release or early placement on home confinement.
I will seek guidance from my unit team to help me understand the steps that I can take to qualify for maximum placement to halfwayhouse and/or home confinement.
BACKGROUND:
I was not raised in a criminal environment. I was raised in the Christian Church. I knew what I was doing was morally and criminally wrong. I know that unit team has a pre-sentence investigation report and other documents that describe my crime, I though it might be helpful for me to offer more insight, to reveal who I am as a fellow citizen and human being.
I grew up in Florida and Georgia with a single mother and 3 brothers. My mother worked hard doing low skilled, low paying manual labor. Because of this she always encouraged us to get a good education so that we could have a better opportunities than what she had. We moved around a lot. I went to 4 different high schools in 4 different cities and 2 different states.
I started my criminal life late. I was in my mid-twenties. So I only had a 5 year run. I went to the NAVY and I had over 30 jobs mostly working in Corporate America in Accounts receivables from 1992-2002. I tried a few times to go back to school but due to my heavy drinking and lack of discipline I couldn't see it through. I was able to receive a Pharmacy Technician Diploma which allowed me to work at Gerontology Pharmacy. I used money from my criminal enterprises to buy a Commercial cleaning franchise and a 25% stake in a music studio. Unfortunately these were purchased with illicit funds and I parted ways with the business and the associates.In 2002 I decided to “”get right with God”” on the Christianity side. So I broke off all communication with my criminal friends and those criminal enterprises. The church I joined was not disciplined enough for me. These people still went to clubs and partied and fornicated. I picked the wrong church but really the wrong religion for me. I was a MDMA drug user and a heavy drinker but decided to quit cold turkey. I started working in another Accounts receivables position with Synovus in Atlanta. I rented an apartment ,relinquishing my home as well, to one of my criminal friends.
The problem i had with being clean and sober was that repressed or suppressed memories of my abuse resurfaced. It was both shocking and shameful to the point that could not maintain my Christian life.
I found some criminal associates and began to sell ecstasy in July of 2002.I quit my job and devoted all my time to getting high,drinking and selling drugs. I planned to leave the country so decided I would need residual income. I decided to try to rob a bank after seeing different bank robberies on the FBI website. i would then use that money to buy another cleaning franchise and move to Bahamas or Brazil.
I tried to cut corners and take the easy way out. In the end I couldn’t complete the robbery and was arrested outside of the bank.
MY CRIME:
I read on the FBI website about a robbery where someone waited inside the bank until the vault was opened. I was using MDMA at the time. A main side effect of using MDMA is when you are not using you get severely depressed. My remedy for that was to remain high at all times by continuously consuming ecstasy. This along with the drinking and lack of sleep did not facilitate rational thinking. Add to that the shame I felt for my abuse and no longer caring whether I lived or died and it was a recipe for disaster. My plan was to take the keys from the cleaning lady while she cleaned one bank, contain her until the morning, use her keys to sit in the second bank until staff came in to open the vault. Then use the cleaning lady’s vehicle to get away. Then releasing the cleaning lady shaken but unharmed. I couldn’t trust leaving her with someone, I could not predict if they would harm her. So I decided to tie her up with plastic cuffs and tape her mouth with tape. Unbeknownst to me this didn’t work and she broke loose during the night. I had parked her vehicle on the expressway near the second bank. She got away and contacted the police and the story was on the news. This alerted the second bank’s staff and they were looking for trouble the next morning. The Banker called my bluff after I threatened her to open the vault. She ended up leaving me in the bank. I used the keys to go out a side door but was still apprehended at the scene of the crime. I immediately notified the police about the cleaning lady I had in the trunk of her car,to which they told me that she was fine. I eventually pled guilty to two counts of using a firearm during the commission of a crime. At the time this crime would carry seven years for the first count and twenty-five years for the second count. If I was sentenced today for the same crime I would only receive seven years for the first count and seven years for the second count. So instead of 32 years I would only receive 14 years a difference of 18 years. Alas the law change was not retroactive.
MAKING AMENDS:
Even before I became a Muslim I knew that I would have to repay my debt to society by doing more than sitting in prison. I knew I owed. I was shocked at how prison worked and wrongly reacted by deciding that I could clean it up by holding staff accountable. I went on a years long quest of filing grievances and complaints against staff. In this quest I was unconsciously blinded by my anger. I was using the complaint system as a weapon. Of course staff reacted as a defense by issuing me several incident reports, that’s not to say I didn’t legitimately earn some of them. It wasn’t until my religious enlightenment under Islam that I had a change of seeing things and a change of how i thought. The Qur’an and sunnah explained in detail how I should think and act toward people in authority. Even if they are acting according to BOP rules. With that in mind I gave up all complaints against staff and chose to pray for their guidance even if they are misguided or oppressive. I no longer rebel against authority. I intend to re-enter the community as a law abiding productive citizen.
I am the one that broke the law so I had to realize I’m not here to fix this system I am here to fix myself. The purpose of the sentencing:
1. Deter other people from committing crimes
2. Punish people for committing crimes
3. Isolate people while they serve sentences
4. Rehabilitate people who commit crimes.
I have no way of influencing deterrence, punishment or isolation. That is all dictated by the Judge and BOP. But as far as rehabilitation is concerned I take it very seriously. I have completed over 6000 hours of rehabilitative programming and I have read over 100 books on self-improvement.
I know that we are all not judged the same but I hope that you will consider My BOP PATTERN risk score and see that I am serious about becoming a good citizen in prison and out. I deeply regret my crimes , the ones I was convicted for and the ones I got away with. I believe that America is a land of redemption and I believe that I have been redeemed. I believe that i have been forgiven for my crimes and sins by God. I also know that I still owe a huge debt to society which I will repay by doing good deeds in my community.
As a Muslim we are taught to avoid Haram (forbidden things). We are taught to enjoin the good and forbid the evil. Doing good deeds is a major tenet in Islam. Islam is a proactive way of life meaning we are highly encouraged to get involved and take action in the defense and promotion of the truth. Islam teaches us that it is in our nature to incline toward good and to right wrongs. When we see misconduct it is our nature to want to stop it because it is displeasing to our senses. In today’s world bad behavior, drug use and promiscuous sex is promoted through music, T.V. and film. I want to encourage young people to live an honorable life and to expose the truth about the glamorized criminal lifestyle. It only leads to prison or the grave.
Also as a Muslim I cannot engage in forbidden businesses. These are businesses involving intoxicants, riba(interest) dishonesty, swine products, futures, injustice or environmental abuse. They are strictly off-limits for me.
In Islam we don’t just repent for our wrongdoings, we are required to make amends. I am excited to help my community wherever it may be. I am excited to repay my debt to society by doing good deeds. A lot of my current thinking is due to my advanced age and my desire to leave a legacy of a purpose driven life. I often ask myself what will be my legacy? Drug dealer? robber? criminal? or something more?
I am confident that I have contributed to my community within the prison and to society by teaching prisoners personal finance and discouraging criminal activities by staff and inmates. There is only so much I can do within these prison walls but O will continue to do what I can to be a help and not a problem as I have sometimes been In the past. I will also continue to educate myself religiously and vocationally so that I can prepare myself for whatever type of economy I find upon my release.
I hope the court and unit team will support my personal release plan and consider me a good candidate for maximum placement on home confinement for the reasons expressed below.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT:
To show community support, I offer the following letters for my unit team consider. I intend to live at home with my Mother once I am released. This is located at 1090 Pagent Rd. Wrens, GA 30833
This is in Rural Georgia with low crime rates but also high unemployment. I will be driving trucks locally because I need to be home everyday to fulfill my duties to my Mom.
SUPPORTERS:
CHRISTINE BROWN 706-361-4910 (Mother/Advisor)
TYRONE BROWN 571-208-4602 (Brother/Advisor)
BERNARD BROWN 478-241-4480 (Twin Brother)
ANGEL CARTER 586-943-3653 (ADVISOR)
MEDICAL SUBSCRIPTIONS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE:
Due to calcium build up and inflammation in my knees, back and left hip the BOP has prescribed me Meloxicam 15 mg. tablets.
I am in relatively good shape but I due suffer from pain in the above named areas.
I am slightly overweight but have begun an exercise program to lose 20 pounds. It will be easier once I reach a prison that does not lockdown so much.
I no longer have a drug and alcohol problem nor will I ever indulge in intoxicants due to my religious beliefs. I am over 22 years clean and sober.
FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS:
I was given a $200 assessment fee and ZERO restitution. I have completed my obligations.
I still have around $4000 in student loans to pay upon my release.
RISK AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
The Bop uses the SPARC-13 survey to measure 13 factors that can influence criminal behavior:
1. Anger/Hostility: I have taken Anger management but hope to take it again.
2. Antisocial Peers: I only socialize with productive non criminal people.
3. Cognitions: I earned high scores on the TABE Test.
4. Dyslexia: I do not suffer from dyslexia
5. Education: Earned my high school diploma and Associates Degree
6. Family/parenting: I have take several family and parenting classes
7. Finance/poverty: I am impoverished but I know how to live on a budget.
8. Medical: I am healthy
9. Mental Health: I am mentally strong and disciplined
10. Recreation/Leisure/fitness: I have a fitness regime to lose 20 pounds
11. Substance Abuse: I am 22 years clean and sober.
12. Trauma: I have the tools to deal with my abuse as a child and the trauma of this lengthy incarceration.
13. Work: I am a hardworker and take pride in my work ethic.
PERSONAL PLAN:
INCARCERATION-The goals I plan to meet while incarcerated is to save at least $10K for my release. I plan on completing LIFE CONNECTIONS program. I Plan on participating in two Islamic Correspondence schools. I plan getting my forklift certification. I plan on Completing Culinary Arts.
Release: I plan on Helping my mother. I plan on earning my CDL License. I plan on driving Trucks. I Plan on starting a trucking company. I plan on starting a commercial cleaning company. I plan on Starting an Islamic Private School. I plan on starting a real estate company.
ADVISORS:
ANGEL CARTER
CHRISTINE BROWN
TYRONE BROWN
IMAM FROM MOSQUE
BUSINESS ATTORNEY
ACCOUNTANT
CONTRACTOR
MISSION STATEMENT– To become an Honorable Muslim American that contributes to Islam and Society.
Vision: To use Good deeds to facilitate my entry into heaven and to make amends for my crimes.
Core values: Honesty, discipline, Integrity, Compassion
a. Honesty- To be honest with myself and others and to be transparent in my personal and business relationships.
b. Discipline- To remain focused on following the tenets of my faith and to work hard to accomplish my personal, spiritual, and business goals.
c. Integrity- To make sure that we are honest in every aspect of our life. We will use the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of ALLAH(SAW) Be Upon him) and Jesus (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) as an examples of how to live e a righteous life.
d. Compassion- We will be compassionate in our role in our communities by helping to feed the hungry, house the homeless and train the youth for better employment .
GOALS:
12 Months: Study with Islamic Schools; Earn Forklift license; Start Culinary Arts VT Program; Go to LIFE CONNECTIONS
36 Months: Complete Life Connections; Study with Islamic Schools
60 Months: Release from Prison; Drive trucks in Georgia, Join Islamic Mosque; Get off Supervised release
120 Months; Get off Supervised release; Own Several Business; Contribute to society
EDUCATION/VOCATION
1. How will your education or training influence your success? learning More about accounting and business administration and earning my CDL license and building a solid team will allow me to run a successful business.
2. In what ways do you anticipate developing your career? Because of my advanced age I must quickly transition into ownership and invest income due to my limited working years left.
3. In what ways are you developing your curriculum Vitae? I am continuously learning new job skills incase i have to pivot careers due to recessions, pandemics or economical downturns.
4. What challenges or barriers do you anticipate in the employment market? I know that being a felon will pose problems but i suspect my age will be the biggest barrier.
5. In what ways does your release plan address these barriers? I will have to work in fields that are felon friendly like truck driving, warehouse worker or construction. Due to my age I have determined that truck driving and commercial cleaning will be my best options.
FINANCE/INCOME/EXPENSES
1. Describe the financial balance sheet that you anticipate upon release. I will initially have more liabilities than assets because I will need to use credit to purchase or lease a truck.
2. What do you anticipate in ways of capital need to establish your life upon release? In a perfect world I would need around $85k. To Buy a truck , equipment and paperwork, along with personal clothes and necessities. In my world I’ll have to make due with $10k a job and using financing to organically get to ownership. If my Mother is still alive then I will have a place to live.
3. What financial obligations will you encounter upon your release? I need everything. Clothes, etc… I will also be taking over the financial responsibilities of my mother, including hiring a daily caregiver.
4. In what ways are you preparing to meet these obligations? I am saving money because every little bit will help.
FINANCE FIRST 90 DAYS:
1. What level of liquidity do you anticipate on the day of your release? It really depends on when I release. If I have to wait until 2030 then I should have $10k if I get out earlier then about $2500 per year in savings.
2. What projections do you have for expenses during your first 90 days of your liberty? I’ll need $3-4 thousand for one time and recurring expenses for my first 90 days.
3. How would you describe your budget during the first 90 days of your liberty? After upfront costs for items like clothing and hygiene My living expenses will not be much As I plan to v=live well beneath my means until I can generate some income.
4. What level of liquidity do you anticipate 90 days after your release? I should be earning a living wage and plan to save half of that to become of truckdriver. So I’ll be working overtime and/or maintain a second job. so $3k-4k per month.
5. How will you track your budget? Quick books or excel
6. What strategies have you devised to build supplemental income streams? I have investigated the food delivery markets and online selling as well as my willingness to work over-time.
SOCIAL SUPPORT:
1. Describe the mentors who have advised you since you began serving your sentence. I have been mentored by reading books of prisoners who have been successful in their rehabilitation. I have also benefited from incarcerated former business people who have shared their legitimate success stories with me. Equity investors, commodity investors, real estate investors and truck drivers. I have also received good advice front education and staff that are veterans. I have received advice from Angel Carter who explains the many changes in the world that have occurred since my incarceration in 2003.
2. In what ways have you worked to improve your support group during your journey? I have limited my association to people who shun criminal activities and who try to live honorable lives.
3. How would you describe your Board of Advisors:
On the whole they will help me transition back into society helping to build up my spiritual, personal and business life.
4. What responsibilities will you have with parenting? I doubt I will have any parenting responsibilities but i will mentor the young.
5. In what ways have you prepared for parenting? I have received programing and read several books.
COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES:
1. IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU ADDRESSED THE MENTAL-HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH BEING A JUSTICE IMPACTED PERSON? I will use my religious support system and the Veteran’s administration.
2. How have the strategies you’ve engineered contributed to your success upon release? I have multiple plans so that if I have to pivot I can without having to resort to criminal activity. I know thing seldom go as planned.
3. What tools, tactics and resources have you built to address the collateral consequences of being a justice-impacted person? I will seek to network through my faith group and I will seek assistance from the Veteran’s administration as well as the use of family and friends.
4. What obstacles do you anticipate facing because of your conviction? There are still some discrimination for felons but there are also a lot of employment opportunities for those who want to work. I believe my obstacle will be my age.
5. In what ways do you plan to address those obstacles? Ownership
