If you are facing prison, you have probably heard someone say, “Use the time to get an education.” I understand the wisdom behind that advice. I also understand the obstacles. During 26 years in federal prison—9,500 days—I earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, and worked toward a PhD until the system blocked me. Those years taught me a hard truth: formal education in prison is much harder than most people realize. If you are preparing for prison, supporting a loved one, or thinking about reentry planning, start by asking a better question: What does an education really mean?
Formal Education in Prison Comes With Real Obstacles
In 1987, the world looked different. The internet did not exist. Around 2001, I wrote to a professor at the University of Arizona because I wanted to publish ideas about prison reform. He wrote back that he would never consider publishing on the internet. Today, almost everything is online, and that shift has made college access in prison harder, not easier.
Universities moved away from paper correspondence courses and built online systems that most people in prison cannot use. In March 2026, I know of only two universities that still offer some form of correspondence degree for incarcerated students: Ohio University through its Program for the Incarcerated, and Adams State University. Even then, the choices are limited. I earned my bachelor’s degree in human resources management because that was the option available to me. I shaped my graduate degree at Hofstra around political science and sociology because I wanted to study prisons and influence reform.
The barriers were not only academic. One education supervisor told me I should have thought about school before I broke the law because my studies created more work for him. Other people in prison told me to slow down because I had a long sentence. That was bad advice. A long sentence is not a reason to drift. It is a reason to become more deliberate.
A Degree Is Not the Same as an Education
A degree can help, but it is not the same as an education. Real education means defining success, building a strategy, and engineering a path toward the best possible outcome.
Nobody says Bill Gates or Michael Dell lack education because they left college. I saw the same truth in people I knew personally. Lee Naubman, one of my earliest business mentors, did not finish college, yet he built businesses that employed more than a thousand people. Jerry Lundergan came from a small town in Kentucky and built a business that generated billions in revenue. What separated them was not a piece of paper. It was the way they learned, made decisions, and created value.
That lesson matters whether you are focused on federal prison preparation, sentence mitigation, or reentry planning. Decision-makers respond to evidence that you can think clearly, solve problems, and keep growing.
Build Skills That Create Value in Any Economy
We are living in the age of artificial intelligence. That makes one truth even clearer: the marketplace rewards skill more than paper. If I were advising someone in prison today, I would focus on four areas.
First, learn to write. Turn words into strong sentences and sentences into clear paragraphs. Second, strengthen your math foundation so you can reason through problems. Third, practice communication, because better questions lead to better answers from people and technology. Fourth, develop critical thinking. Learn how to break down a problem, test options, and explain why you chose a solution.
I once referred to Elon Musk’s hiring approach because it shows what matters. He asks people about their life, their decisions, and a serious problem they solved. He wants to understand how they think. Case managers, probation officers, employers, and bankers do the same thing. They want to know whether you can face a problem and build a solution.
Create a Record That Shows Who You Are Becoming
Nobody should work harder on your success than you. That is why I encourage people to build a profile at Prison Professors. Ask your family to help if needed. If you have email access, contact us. If you do not, write.
Then document your growth. Write your biography so the government’s version of events is not the only story attached to your name. Keep journal entries that show how you respond to setbacks. Every time you read a book, write a report explaining why you chose it, what you learned, and how it will help you upon release. Build a release plan. These steps turn education into proof. They show discipline, self-awareness, and readiness for higher levels of trust.
If prison is part of your story, do not wait for perfect conditions. Start sowing seeds today for the success you want tomorrow. Reverse engineer the life you want, then use your time to build the skills and record that support it. That is how people earn freedom through merit.
Question for your profile: What is one skill you can begin strengthening today, and how will you document that work to show the steps you are taking to prepare for success? Write your response and publish it on your profile.