Build and Build

Do you want to see change in America’s prison system?

I do.

America incarcerates more people than any other nation. Far too often, sentences are unnecessarily long. People serve time without clarity on how to work their way to liberty. And when they return to society, they face endless barriers—employment restrictions, housing denials, broken family ties.

I want to change that system.

But change doesn’t happen at once. It is gradual, and then sudden. It takes time. It takes persistence. And most importantly, it takes iterative growth—a willingness to build and build, brick by brick, through setbacks and successes.

Starting From Solitary

I didn’t start with influence, resources, or policy connections. I started in solitary confinement—locked in a cell after my arrest, facing multiple decades in federal prison. I couldn’t see the end of my journey, but I could see a path forward. I’d like to say that I created the path myself. That wouldn’t be accurate.

I learned from reading. Leaders taught me how to think differently. Regardless of what crisis we’re going through at one stage in life, we can begin sowing seeds for a better future–a future that we define, and that we pursue through our personal efforts, and through the relationships we build.

In America, we reward those who pursue excellence. That strategy of pursuing excellence gave me hope. I learned about that strategy by reading the writings of Tom Peters. Even in prison, I believed that if I built a body of work to show my commitment to growth and reform, I could influence change.

But that kind of transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It happens iteratively, through small, deliberate steps. I had to:

• Earn academic degrees so others would take my ideas seriously.
• Write and publish articles and books to share those ideas broadly.
• Build a network that could amplify my message and support my mission.
• Achieve financial independence, so I could focus on impact rather than income.
• Create tools and systems to show how change could scale.

None of those accomplishments were endpoints. They were milestones. I had to build and build, without guarantees, often without feedback, and certainly without shortcuts. I’m still building. 

Are you building?

Learning from Builders

I wasn’t the first person to think this way. I studied builders—leaders who started with nothing but a vision.

• Steve Jobs didn’t launch Apple with a global brand. He and Wozniak started in a garage. Their first computer didn’t change the world—but they learned from every version, refined their model, and gradually built the company that transformed technology.
• Gandhi didn’t start as a global symbol of peace and civil resistance. He was a young lawyer, uncertain and rejected. But he grew into his role—through reflection, discipline, and relentless pursuit of a better India.
• Even the Wright brothers—who gave us flight—didn’t succeed because of one brilliant experiment. They failed dozens of times. But they tested, learned, and rebuilt until they soared.

These builders succeeded because they embraced iterative growth. They didn’t wait for perfection. They built, measured, adjusted, and built again.

What Are You Building?

Whether you’re inside a prison, facing a sentence, or trying to rebuild after a setback—you are a builder.

You may not have control over your environment, but you have control over your response. You can write. You can study. You can reflect. You can take action that brings your vision to life—step by step.

Ask yourself:

• What am I building today?
• What evidence am I creating that shows I’m growing?
• How can I use this day to move one step closer to the life I want to lead?
  
  

Leave a Record of Your Growth

If you’re part of our Prison Professors community, you already have a tool to record your journey: your profile.

Use it to document your growth. Write journal entries. Submit book reports. Draft your release plan. Create a personal narrative that shows how you’re preparing for success.

When the time comes for someone to review your story—whether it’s a case manager, a judge, a probation officer, or a future employer—don’t let them see a blank page. Show them the progress you’ve made.

Because progress matters. And like every great builder, your legacy will be the result of the choices you make—one block at a time.

Self-Directed Questions:

• What is one small step I can take today to move toward the success I envision?
• What habits am I building that reinforce my long-term goals?
• How will I document the value I bring to my community, my family, or society?

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