21. Release Plan

Ronald Reagan occupied the White House when I began serving my term. I remembered a remark he had made the previous year about the nine most terrifying words in the English language: “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”

Once I understood that I could spend decades in prison, those words took on a personal meaning. The government would control much of my daily life, but I did not want to leave the planning of my future to the government. I needed to think about the life I wanted after release and what I could do to prepare for it.

I began writing a release plan while I was still in solitary confinement. With time to think, I considered the challenges that would await me outside. Each challenge raised another question:

• What could I begin doing, even from inside a cell, to improve my prospects?

Writing helped me move from worrying about the future to identifying steps I could take. I didn’t know how the world would change as the decades passed, but I could prepare in ways that would position me for better outcomes. I could always work to educate myself, to contribute to society, and to build a support network. As I learned more, I revised the plan. It became a strategy that evolved with my circumstances and gave direction to how I used my time.

You can begin that same process wherever you are today. A release plan helps you explain what you want to accomplish, identify the work ahead, and measure your progress. Following it—and adjusting when circumstances change—can help you make more deliberate decisions throughout the criminal justice system.

Start thinking about the life you want to build, and then reverse engineer the steps you should take to advance prospects for success. That strategy will result in the plan. If you adhere to the plan, you’ll be able to leverage it, using it to restore credibility.

Understand the Purpose

Your personal narrative primarily helps the sentencing judge understand you. A release plan serves a continuing purpose. You may use it in conversations with counsel, prison staff, probation officers, family members, mentors, or prospective employers.

Each reader may need different information. A family member may want to understand what support you expect. An employer may want to know which skills you bring. You can prepare an appropriate version for each audience while keeping your commitments consistent.

The plan also serves you. Writing exposes unanswered questions that can remain hidden when you think only in general terms.

Examine Your Starting Point

Describe what success would look like in your relationships, work, health, and financial responsibilities. Then consider your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This process, sometimes called a SWOT analysis, helps you evaluate your resources and anticipate obstacles.

You may have work experience but need new credentials. You may have supportive relatives but no confirmed place to live. Identifying those gaps gives you something to investigate and work toward.

Turn Goals Into Practical Steps

Consider these areas as you begin writing:

• Housing: Where do you hope to live, and what alternatives could you explore?
• Employment and education: Which skills do you need, and what can you begin learning now?
• Finances: How will you address expenses, debts, restitution, and family obligations?
• Health: What care, treatment, or recovery support will you need?
• Relationships: Who can support you, and what help have they agreed to provide?
• Accountability: How will you measure progress and respond to setbacks?

For example, someone interested in bookkeeping could identify training, develop computer skills, and research employers’ requirements. Each completed step would give that person something concrete to add to the plan. You could develop it further, by using the plan to identify mentors, or to build your coalition of support. Perhaps you could create a strategy that would lead to an employment offer, which would strengthen your plan.

Keep the Plan Current

Date your plan and schedule regular reviews. Record what you completed, and how those milestones positioned you to take the next step. Show that you’re intentional, adjusting as circumstances change.

Your plan should show how you organize your efforts and explain your preparation when others evaluate your requests. It will build credibility as you self-advocate for new opportunities.

Learn Through Our Free Course

Our courses include many lessons on building Release Plans and Long-Term Preparation. The courses explain how biographies, journals, and book reports can document your preparation over time. By developing your plan, you will show the commitment you’ve made to live as a law-abiding, contributing citizen, which builds trust. You want to position yourself to say, “I am who I am today because of the decisions I made yesterday.” That step may influence others to look beyond the conviction that led you to prison, and focus on the inspiring ways that you prepared for success after release.