This Tuesday, January 13th, we're releasing a new free course on PrisonProfessors.org: the Straight-A Guide.
It's a structured framework to help people define success, set written goals, and build accountability—especially during confinement, transition, or any difficult season of life.
What Is the Straight-A Guide?
The Straight-A Guide is a decision-making framework I developed during my 26 years in federal prison. It started as a simple question: "How do I make choices today that lead to a better life later?"
The answer became a ten-part framework built around words that all start with "A":
- Define Success – Know exactly what you're working toward
- Set Goals – Break aspirations into measurable steps
- Attitude – Sustain effort when outcomes are delayed
- Aspiration – Connect to who you're becoming
- Action – Consistent, incremental effort
- Accountability – Track behavior and follow-through
- Awareness – Assess your environment realistically
- Authenticity – Show your work transparently
- Achievement – Recognize and evaluate progress
- Appreciation – Practice gratitude as discipline
The framework isn't about motivation—it's about documentation and consistency. Each module includes written exercises that create a record of your thinking, planning, and follow-through over time.
What's Included
The course is completely free and includes:
- 10 Core Modules – Plus an introduction and capstone application module
- Downloadable Worksheets – Goal-setting, reflection prompts, SWOT analysis, and more
- Audio Overviews – Listen to each module's key concepts
- Complete Workbook PDF – All materials in one download
Who It's For
For People in Custody
The Straight-A Guide helps you take control of your preparation. Instead of waiting for release day and hoping things work out, you build a documented record of effort, growth, and intentional decision-making. This record becomes evidence of who you're becoming.
For Correctional Staff
The framework provides a common language for discussing accountability, goal-setting, and preparation. You can use it as:
- A self-directed course for motivated individuals
- A facilitation tool for group discussions
- A supplement to existing programs
- A reference point for case management conversations
The course is flexible—there's no required sequence or timeline. The emphasis is on consistent application and documented effort, not passive completion.
For Families and Support Networks
Understanding the Straight-A Guide helps you support your loved one's preparation. You can follow along, ask about their progress, and reinforce the same language and concepts they're learning.
The Origin Story
I remember how the Straight-A Guide came to be. During my time in prison, one of my mentors, Lee Nobmann, came to visit me at the Taft Federal Prison Camp. Lee is not only my mentor and friend, but he's also built a privately held company generating annual revenues exceeding $500 million.
When Lee visited, we spoke about the career I wanted to build upon release. Around that time, I'd been reading Ten-Ten-Ten by Suzy Welch, which describes making decisions by thinking about impact in the next ten minutes, ten months, and ten years.
Lee liked the concept but helped me see I needed to develop my own framework. I returned to my housing unit, went through my usual "stare-at-the-wall" process—just thinking deeply—and that reflection led to what I now call the Straight-A Guide.
I've built many courses around this framework, and so have many others. It's a tool anyone can use to make better decisions.
Get Ready for Tuesday
The Straight-A Guide launches Tuesday, January 13th.
When the course goes live, you'll be able to access all 10 core modules, download the complete workbook, and start building your own documented record of preparation.
Get Notified When It Launches →
Questions? Send us a message and we'll respond as soon as possible.