I stood outside the truck entrance at the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, and I felt grateful.
Years ago, I went into the federal prison system to serve a sentence. Today, I return to federal prisons with a different purpose. I go back to teach, to encourage, and to help people understand a simple truth:
The decisions we make today influence the opportunities we create tomorrow.
At Prison Professors, our nonprofit exists to provide free, self-directed resources for people before, during, and after prison. Our mission is to help people prepare for law-abiding, contributing lives by building skills, confidence, and a documented record of growth.
I have now visited roughly 65 or 70 federal prisons as a speaker. Each visit reminds me why this work matters. Regardless of what bad decisions a person made in the past, that person can begin sowing seeds for a better future at any time.
That belief started for me in 1987, when I entered the prison system. Leaders like Frederick Douglass, Nelson Mandela, and others helped me understand that I did not have to wait for prison to end before I began building a new life. I could become the architect of the future I wanted to create.
That is the message I try to share with others.
Success after prison does not happen by accident. It requires a deliberate plan. It requires daily discipline. It requires a person to document growth, build skills, develop support, and show why he or she is worthy of higher levels of liberty.
That is why we continue creating courses, lessons, and tools that anyone can access free of charge through PrisonProfessors.org. We want people at every stage of the journey to understand that they can begin today.
Not tomorrow.
Not after release.
Not after someone else opens a door.
Today.
I am grateful to everyone who supports this mission. With your help, we can continue working to end intergenerational cycles of recidivism and poverty. We can continue encouraging people to prepare for jobs, rebuild relationships, and return to society stronger than they were before.
The question I ask myself is the same question I encourage others to ask:
What seeds am I sowing today for the future I want to build tomorrow?