Books Change Lives
If you're going into the criminal justice system, chances are you want people to see you differently. The question is: How?
What can you do—right now, from wherever you are—to begin changing the narrative that society, prosecutors, and even your own past might try to impose on you?
I’ll tell you what worked for me. It wasn’t complicated. It didn’t cost a dime. And the strategy laid the foundation for everything I’ve been able to build since finishing a 45-year prison sentence.
It started with reading. And more importantly: writing book reports.
Solitary Confinement and a Stack of Books
When authorities arrested me on August 11, 1987, they locked me in solitary confinement. I was 23 years old and facing the possibility of spending the rest of my life in prison under the Continuing Criminal Enterprise statute. They labeled me a “kingpin” and threw me into a concrete box. I had no access to other people. No mentors. No community.
But I had books.
At first, I didn’t even know how to request them. The Bible was the only book I could get my hands on. But once I began reading, I started building strength. Slowly, I began imagining a different future—even if I had to serve decades in prison.
One day, I discovered Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist who survived Auschwitz. On his first day in the concentration camp, Frankl witnessed the murder of his parents and pregnant wife. Yet he still found meaning in his suffering. He wrote that if you could focus on something greater than yourself, you could endure anything.
That message stayed with me. But hope alone wasn’t enough. I had to act. I had to start building something. So I wrote.
I wrote book reports—not for a teacher, not for the prison, but for myself and for those who would one day judge me:
- My family,
- Stakeholders I’d meet in the future,
- Future business partners,
- Anyone in the world who would judge me.
Book Reports Became My Asset
From solitary confinement to the penitentiary, and all the way through 26 years in federal prison, I committed to being an intentional reader. More importantly, I committed to memorializing what I read.
I wasn’t just reading to pass the time. I was reading to grow, learn, and build a future that I wanted to live. And I followed every book with a simple practice: I wrote a book report. Each one answered the same core questions:
- Why did I choose this book?
- What did I learn from reading the book?
- How does what I learned relate to my personal development?
- How can this knowledge help me build a better future?
Over time, these reports became powerful assets. They helped my family believe in me again. They helped me stay focused on personal development. They became part of the foundation I used to:
- Enroll in college while in prison
- Publish books
- Launch businesses
- Generate millions in revenue
- Build a nonprofit that reaches over a million people a year
- Gain credibility with CEOs, policymakers, and educators
It all started with reading and writing book reports.
Why This Matters for You
By reading, you can begin to reshape your future. The world may define your success with mediocrity:
- “If you just don’t come back to prison…”
- “If you just get a job stocking shelves…”
That’s not success. That’s survival. To succeed, you have to build. And that starts with developing your mind and documenting your journey.
How to Write a Book Report
You don’t need perfect grammar. You don’t need a high school diploma. You don’t even need a lot of time. You just need intention and honesty. Here’s a basic template you can use:
Why I Chose This Book
Explain how you found the book. Was it a recommendation? A subject you wanted to explore? A person you admire?
What I Learned
Describe the key messages, insights, or lessons you took away. How did the author’s experience or ideas connect with your own journey?
How It Applies to My Life
This is the most important part. How does the book help you grow? How does it guide your goals, your mindset, your future?
Define Success on Your Terms
When I was in prison, I didn’t want to just “make it” by society’s standards. I wanted to thrive.
- I wanted financial independence.
- I wanted control over my schedule.
- I wanted to live a life of meaning and dignity.
Today, if I want to go to the beach on a Tuesday, I go. I don’t need permission because I built something that allows me to live freely. But I didn’t start with a business plan or a loan. I started with a book. And a pen. And a decision to document my growth.
Visit PrisonProfessors.org or have your family connect with us. I live my life by three promises:
- I will never lie to you.
- I will never ask you to do anything I didn’t do.
- I will never charge you for anything I offer through Prison Professors.
My goal is to help build a pathway where people can earn freedom through merit. To succeed, I need you to memorialize your journey. Focus on personal development.
Start with a book. Write your first report. Build your story.
I believe in you.
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