When a person goes into prison, it can feel as if life has ended. I know that feeling well. After my arrest on August 11, 1987, authorities locked me in solitary confinement. I was 23 years old, and I was facing the possibility of spending the rest of my life in prison.
During that first year, I lived alone in a cell. The only book I could read was the Bible.
Before that time, I had not been a religious person. But when you are in a solitary cell and only one book is available, you read that book again and again. I started in Genesis, went through Revelation, and then started over. As I read, three stories began to shape the way I thought about my future.
Those stories did not erase my bad decisions. They did not change the reality that I had sold cocaine and brought shame to my family. But they helped me believe that my life did not have to be defined only by the worst thing I had done. They helped me see that I could begin planting seeds for a better future.
The Prodigal Son Taught Me to Hope for Reconciliation
The first story that spoke to me was the story of the prodigal son.
That story mattered to me because my grandparents had stopped speaking to me. I had grown up very close to them, but after my arrest, they felt hurt and ashamed by the choices I had made. I understood why. I had brought pain to the people who loved me.
In the story, the prodigal son wastes his inheritance and falls into misery. He reaches a point where he realizes he has lost his way. He decides to return home, not expecting honor, but hoping only for mercy. Instead of rejecting him, his father welcomes him back.
That message gave me hope.
I did not see myself as innocent. I knew I had done wrong. But I began to believe that if I changed my life, if I worked to become better, maybe one day I could return to my family with humility. Maybe the people I had disappointed would see that I was trying to live differently.
That story helped me understand that a bad chapter does not have to be the final chapter.
Joseph Taught Me That Adversity Can Become an Opportunity to Serve
The second story that helped me was the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis.
Joseph’s life was filled with injustice, betrayal, and suffering. His brothers sold him into slavery. He was later imprisoned for something he did not do. Yet even in those conditions, he continued to live with discipline, faith, and a spirit of service.
That part of the story had a deep influence on me.
Joseph did not waste his suffering. While in prison, he kept developing his gifts. In time, those gifts created an opportunity for him to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, offer a solution, and rise into a position where he could help many people.
What struck me most was not only that Joseph survived hardship. It was that he used hardship to prepare himself for usefulness.
I could not compare myself to Joseph in every way. He was imprisoned unjustly. I was in that cell because of my own criminal conduct. Still, his story taught me an important lesson: even in confinement, a person can prepare to contribute. A person can develop skills. A person can build character. A person can become useful to others.
Later, when Joseph’s brothers stood before him in fear, he chose gratitude over revenge. He saw that even terrible events had played a role in preparing him to serve a greater purpose.
That helped me ask a different question. Instead of asking only, “How do I get out of prison?” I began asking, “How can I use this experience to become someone who brings value to the world?”
That shift changed my life.
The Parable of the Talents Taught Me Personal Responsibility
The third story that influenced me most was the parable of the talents.
I am not a theologian, and I do not present myself as a minister. But I do believe deeply in the lessons I drew from Scripture. In the parable of the talents, I saw a message about responsibility.
Each person receives gifts, opportunities, and abilities. The question is what we do with them.
When I reflected on that story, I had to confront the truth. I had many blessings in life. I had intelligence. I had opportunity. I had people who cared about me. But instead of using those blessings to build a life of meaning, dignity, and contribution, I used them selfishly. I sold cocaine. I pursued short-term gain. As a result, I lost my liberty.
That story forced me to stop making excuses.
It also helped me realize that although I could not change the past, I could change the way I responded to the future. I could begin developing the talents I still had. I could educate myself. I could work on my character. I could build habits that aligned with the man I wanted to become.
That lesson became a foundation for the way I served my sentence. It also became a foundation for the message we now share through Prison Professors: it is never too early, and it is never too late, to start sowing seeds for a better life.
Faith Helped Me See That I Was Still a Work in Progress
Those three stories gave me strength in a season when I could easily have given up.
The prodigal son helped me believe in reconciliation.
Joseph helped me believe that adversity could become preparation.
The parable of the talents helped me accept responsibility and begin the work of growth.
Together, those lessons helped me understand that all of us are still in the making. Every person has made decisions they wish they could change. But no one is disqualified from growth. No one is disqualified from becoming better.
For me, faith became a source of strength. I am a Christian, but during my years in prison I met people from many faith traditions. I came to see that many belief systems share a common message: live with integrity, seek wisdom, try to become better, and use your life to serve others.
That mindset restores confidence. It helps people move forward with purpose rather than shame.
What This Means for Anyone Facing a Criminal Charge or Prison Sentence
If you are facing charges, serving a sentence, or trying to help a loved one through the system, I want to leave you with this message: your life is not over.
You may have made terrible decisions. You may feel isolated. You may believe that everyone has turned away from you. But if you are still breathing, you still have the ability to begin again.
Start where you are.
Read.
Reflect.
Write.
Tell the truth about the decisions that brought you to this point.
Then begin building the record of the person you want to become.
That is why we built Prison Professors. Our nonprofit exists to help people at every stage of the journey with free, self-directed resources that encourage personal growth, self-advocacy, and preparation for success. That mission, and the commitment to free educational resources, is central to our work.
I always make three promises: I will be honest, I will never ask anyone to do anything I did not do, and I will never ask a person in the system to pay me for the work we do. Those promises reflect the values behind Prison Professors and the message I hope to share with every person who is searching for a way forward.
The lesson I learned in solitary confinement still guides me today: faith can help us see that the story is not finished.
What chapter are you writing now to show the world who you are becoming?