Prison Professors With Michael Santos

Finding the right role models gave me the strength to climb through a quarter-century in prison. In Section 4 of Prison! My 8,344th Day, I pay respect to Mandela, Frankl, and Solzhenitsyn.   https://prisonprofessors.com/8344th-day-section-4/

Learn more about the policies that authorize people in federal prison to write for publication: https://prisonprofessors.com/publishing-from-prison/  

Begin preparations for success early in the morning, whether in prison or out. This strategy got me through 26 years of confinement and it can help others, too. Section 2 of audio book.   https://prisonprofessors.com/8344th-day-section-2/  

Reading Prison: My 8,344th Day—Typical Day in an Ongoing Journey. To follow along, visit our website: https://prisonprofessors.com/8344th-day-section-1/

Last evening, a physician preparing to surrender to federal prison for 37 months asked me: Are there weights at Fort Dix Federal Prison? How good is the food? How thick is the mattress? I share thoughts in our new podcast.  

Most defendants want to get out of federal prison as early as possible. Makes sense, right? Yet, in our experience, not every federal defendant is willing to put in the work to get out of federal prison as early as possible. There are a number of reasons defendants may not be willing to put in the work. If you are willing to do the work, then this video I filmed with Sam Mangel is for you! In this video, Sam and I cover why some people struggle to earn their release from federal prison–despite thinking they did everything correctly.

Experience tells us finding a civil or criminal defense lawyer is easy--finding the right lawyer is another matter! Mike Berlon and I want to help! In this video, Mike and I offer advice to people who need help in hiring the right lawyer, right now. Further, if you have already hired a civil or criminal lawyer, you will learn strategies to hold your lawyer accountable.

Paul Bertrand spent many years in charge of mental health support for the FBI. His role included suicide intervention and suicide prevention training. In this podcast, we discuss the importance of confronting a criminal prosecution head on. 

As you likely know, former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani's trial has begun in Northern California in front of Judge Edward Davila. Balwani's defense, I think, is somewhat predictable. He will blame Holmes (as she blamed him), and reinforce that he was manipulated by her and she was the real mastermind who had no previous business experience. Regardless of what his lawyers say, the odds are against Mr. Balwani prevailing. It does not help that his former partner and lover, Elizabeth Holmes was convicted. In this video, I address what Mr. Balwani should be doing to prepare for a possible sentencing hearing. Too many white collar defendants wait to prepare and eventually realize they missed golden opportunities. I encourage Mr. Balwani (or any federal defendant) to take immediate action on his sentencing mitigation plan.

It is really quite simple: If you're involved in a government investigation, you must not make things worse than they already are. This video will help you understand why.   

Most defendants want to get out of federal prison as early as possible. Makes sense, right? Yet, in our experience, not every federal defendant is willing to put in the work to get out of federal prison as early as possible. There are a number of reasons defendants may not be willing to put in the work. Some of these reasons include: 1: laziness 2: belief that nothing they do matters anyway, so why even try? 3: anger over their conviction precludes them from looking forward and identifying success If you are willing to do the work, then this video I filmed with Sam Mangel is for you! In this video, Sam and I cover why some people struggle to earn their release from federal prison--despite thinking they did everything correctly.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to target business owners receiving US government Covid-19 economic stimulus loans. At this time, there are thousands of open criminal investigations and prosecutions based on loans under the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Congress has flagged billions of dollars in PPP loans as suspicious. As a result, the DOJ continues to hire dozens of prosecutors specifically to pursue cases of PPP loan fraud. Anyone receiving a PPP loan will want to stay tuned. The target of any government investigation needs to be proactive to mitigate the short and long-term negative impact that such investigations can leave behind. Risks and consequences vary case by case. However, there are common strategic steps to help business owners navigate PPP loan fraud cases and achieve better outcomes. Learning about all the stages of the criminal process — from investigation to sentencing, including sentence reductions and post-conviction strategies (such as early release) — can make a s

During his first State of the Union address to Congress, President Joe Biden emphatically declared that the “watchdogs are back.”  The President chided the previous administration claiming that it undermined the watchdog role across the federal government, which led to significant fraud and corruption.  President Biden is making the crackdown on cheating and waste a top priority. Specifically targeted will be any cheating and waste in government programs designed to help small business owners and individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. In this podcast, we address PPP fraud and recent federal sentencings.    

Attorneys may be great analytical thinkers, but that doesn't make them good listeners. Sam speaks about attorney and the prison advice they offered.   https://prisonprofessors.com/attorneys-and-prison-advice/    

Prepare for best experiences before sentencing, and after, by documenting your journey, as we describe in today’s video. https://prisonprofessors.com/write-and-document-journey/

Richard Mireles’ story inspires. He transformed his life while serving a life sentence. Within three years of his release, he raised more than $28 million dollars to formerly incarcerated people.#Prisonreform. https://prisonprofessors.com/life-sentence-to-millions-in-grants/

At 3:35 pm on Friday, May 5th, 2006, I contemplated suicide. Why? I had just failed a lie detector test. (I spent hours before the exam learning techniques to try to cheat the exam). After I failed the test, my lawyer told me I should plan to serve five years in prison for securities fraud and obstruction of justice.  Many white-collar criminal defendants, like me, experience mental health challenges and suicidal thoughts. Paul Bertrand, a suicide prevention expert, also knows. Paul worked with the FBI for 23 years. For many years, Paul was responsible for mental health support for many FBI employees. Paul was also the lead FBI agent who worked my case from 2005 to 2008. After my release from prison in 2009, I reconnected with Paul. In 2010, he invited me to speak at the FBI Academy. Recently, I had the chance to discuss suicide prevention with Paul. We both want to help people recognize when someone needs professional help. Moreover, the insights Paul shared with me can help anyone facing suicidal thou