Prison Professors With Michael Santos

Mark was a gay man who became involved with using drugs. As a result of his addictions, he began selling drugs. Those decisions led to his prison term. He learned how to cope. Learn more about prison reform by visiting PrisonProfessors.com

Patricia Egipciaco is an amazing entrepreneur. She knows that more than 650,000 people leave prisons and jails every year. Those people struggle to find employment. In an effort to help this great social injustice, she pursued a best-practice approach. Patricia launched a software company that helps people in prison rebrand themselves. Her company, MyRebuiltLife.com allows formerly incarcerated people to highlight their accomplishments. Rather than focusing on the negative, she encourages people how to profile their strengths. Then, she invests time, energy, and resources to show employers why they should hire formerly incarcerated people. Learn more about her work at MyReBuiltLife.com. Learn more about prison reform by visiting PrisonProfessors.com

Titan Gilroy is a star. He has always been a star and we’re proud to profile his amazing story of overcoming adversity. He grew up in poverty. After being bullied by others, Titan learned to fight. He became a champion in Golden Gloves and he was on his way to becoming a professional. Then tragedy struck. A bar fight led to a tragic ending for his opponent and a prison term for Titan. After serving his 16-year prison term, Titan resumed his path to professional fighting. But a scare from law enforcement led him to leave boxing behind. He started a new chapter in his life. Titan is an amazing story of overcoming struggle. He took a minimum-wage job. That minimum-wage job ended with 40 hours. But Titan applied himself with a 100% commitment. He studied hard. He worked overtime. He became the best in the world at his craft. In time, others believed in him. They invested in him. He built his own machine shop that employed dozens of people. Titan reveals his passion for giving back to society. He created a program

Learn from the profiles we complete of those who emerged from prison successfully. Use these stories to see the best possible outcome from our nation's prison system. For more information on #PrisonReform, visit www.PrisonProfessors.com

Ed Kressy struggled with an addiction to meth. That addiction resulted in the loss of his job at Genentech. Then he led to the loss of his family and friends. He struggled with addiction for decades. Ed is grateful to @defyventures for the inspiration they gave. Now Ed works with Defy Ventures. Together, they work to help people who have experienced prison across America. He is a great example of servant leadership. To learn more visit @defyventures. Vist PrisonProfessors for more information on our work toward #prisonreform.

David Rosenfield has a law practice that focuses on white collar criminal defense. He once worked for the Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. David prosecuted cases in the major frauds division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. Prior to his work as an AUSA, David worked with the SEC. For white-collar defendants, David urges people to be honest with their defense attorney. He offers excellent suggestions on sentence mitigation, too. Contact David: Drosenfield@herrick.com Or call 212-592-1513 Learn more at PrisonProfessors.com

Michael Justice went to prison as a young man. While inside, he wasted 10 years in cycles of violence. Frequent fighting led him to maximum-security prisons. After a decade inside, a mentor inspired him. In today’s podcast, Michael talks about the power of learning and the power of a solid work ethic. Since concluding his prison term, he took a series of jobs that didn’t pay well. Yet by applying himself fully, Michael was able to learn and master his trade. Now he runs his company that generates millions of dollars in revenues. Get more information at Prison Professors: https://prisonprofessors.com  

Mario Bueno is an amazing young man. Authorities arrested him for a murder case when he was still an adolescent. Difficult environments influenced his early decisions. Mario’s money came from robbing drug dealers. One of those robberies resulted in a murder and he went to prison. While in prison, Mario discovered the power of education. He earned an undergraduate degree in accounting. Now he pursues a master’s degree. Mario is now a reform expert. He works with state and local governments to both inspire and educate young people. He is a good example to show that regardless of what bad decisions a person makes in the past, a good future awaits those who focus on self-improvement, servant leadership, and contribution. Learn more about Mario's work at prison reform. Visit https://prisonprofessors.com for more information.  

Tulio Cardozo went to prison for crimes related to drugs. While incarcerated, he made a commitment to learn and grow. Although he didn’t have direct access to computers, he studied computer coding. That commitment led Tulio to become proficient as a computer coder and web-page builder, even though he couldn’t access the Internet. Today Tulio is a leading contributor to one of our nation’s most successful #prisonreform programs, The Last Mile. In today’s episode, Tulio tells us about his experience and how The Last Mile contributes to such companies as Rocket Space, Uber, and AirBnB.   Learn more at https://prisonprofessors.com  

Kathy Kaplan worked in an office. She learned of a scheme that involved the theft of trade secrets. Rather than calling authorities to let them know about the crime, she kept silent. Her silence led to her arrest by federal authorities. Then she went to federal prison. In today’s episode, Kathy talks about the steps she took to prepare for a journey through federal prison. Then she tells us about her journey inside and the work that she does now to advance our pursuit of #prisonreform.

As a young woman, Jennifer Myers fell in love with a man who earned a living selling marijuana. Soon she joined his scheme. That decision resulted in her being sentenced to serve a three-year prison term. In today’s podcast, Jennifer reveals the steps she took to prepare. As a result of her preparations, Jennifer says that she walked onto the women’s prison camp in Alderson with confidence and a sense of purpose. She used her time in prison wisely and came home successfully. Since coming home, she has worked to educate others through her nonprofit, Rise to Empower. And she leads with the use of her memoir, Trafficking the Good Life. Learn more about Jennifer through her profile on our website at https:www.PrisonProfessors.com

On today’s Prison Professors podcast we hear from Vincent McCrudden. Vincent built a career on Wall Street. He traded commodities and then built a hedge fund. Discrepancies with leaders at different regulatory agencies resulted in his voicing his opinion. His opinions led to investigations. And those investigations led to his imprisonment. You can read about Vincent’s experiences through a series of articles that Walter Pavlo published in Forbes, or you can listen to him tell the story on our podcast. If you’d like to read Vincent’s book, check out the following title: Leverage and Extortion: One Man’s Story of How the U.S. Government Operates

Jameson Rogers is CEO of an #ecig company. He discusses strategies he used to build his business. Jameson reveals strategies that led him to grow from startup to more than $1 million each month in revenues. Now he hires formerly incarcerated people to assist his efforts. We appreciate Jameson’s sponsorship of our #prisonreform efforts.

Rafael Gonzalez went said that he began using drugs when he was 10. His drug use led to gang activities and troubles with the law. Authorities locked him in a juvenile detention center when he was only 12, and he remained under the thumb of the criminal justice system until he was 21. Experiences in the military helped Rafael develop new skills. Now he in the technology industry and strives to give back by mentoring youth.

What Steps Can a Person Take to Prepare in Advance of Sentencing? People who face a sentencing hearing should prepare. It’s crucial to help the stakeholders understand how or why you’re worthy of mercy. Michael faced charges for having too many plants inside of a medical marijuana state. Today’s podcast discusses steps that a defendant can take to prepare for the best possible outcome. Michael hired an attorney to help him prepare, but the attorney did not get him ready for sentencing. As a result, Michael has had to prepare himself. He asked for our help and we gave him that help live, on the Prison Professors podcast. Visit www.prisonprofessors.com for more information.

Omar Ameli had a difficult childhood. His parents struggled with drug addictions and crime. His cousins were involved in crime. From childhood, Omar describes how he was groomed for a criminal lifestyle. By the time he reached his late teens, Omar realized that he had to make a change. Past decisions led him into prison for several years. While inside, he made a commitment to change. Those changes led Omar to earn an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree. He is the author of Transforming Society’s Failure, and you can read more by visiting his website at:   www.OmariAmili.com

Multiple Terms in Prison Leads to Career in Hollywood Eric Jensen began committing crimes when he was still a child. At 18, authorities arrested him for a robbery. He joined a group of friends to rob a convenience store. Eric went into the New York State Prison System for more than three years. While inside, he continued to live a street life. Eric didn’t think that he would return to prison. Yet decisions in prison led to more problems after his release. He struggled to break free from his criminal past. As a result, Eric had many more challenges with the law. He violated parole and also went to prison for new criminal behavior. During his third time back in prison, Eric chose to invest in himself. He began studying. He learned from reading and writing. Those skills put him on a path for a better life. After his release from the fourth prison term, Eric was doing well. He worked as a barber and he worked in construction. Then a prison escape led to national media coverage. He reached out to a reporter becaus

Kenneth Kennedy began struggling with drug addictions during his teen years. Those problems with drugs led him into New Jersey’s prison system. He served multiple terms as a result of challenges he faced with drugs and his choice of friends. It wasn’t until Ken began to align himself with positive role models that he changed his life. Now he is a college graduate, involved with his church, and striving to live as a contributing citizen. Kenneth expresses regret that he wasn’t able to turn his life around before sacrificing more than 30 years to addictions and the prison system. For more information, text PRISONPRO to 44222

Lawyer Goes to Prison and Becomes a Minister Jeff Grant tells his story in two episodes. He was a lawyer who made some bad decisions. After becoming addicted to opioids, he committed crimes. Those crimes led to a fraud conviction. While in prison he had to humble himself. He got in shape. He focused on developing himself. When he returned home, Jeff went back to school. After several years, he earned a doctorate degree in divinity. Then he started helping others with his nonprofit. Today Jeff devotes his life to leading the Family Reentry nonprofit. He talks about struggles for many people who leave prison. Prepare for success before prison, in prison, and after prison. Learn how by listening to Jeff’s story.

Jeff Grant Was a Lawyer who Went to Federal Prison Anyone can make decisions that can lead them down the path to prison. In today’s Prison Professors podcast, we hear from Jeff Grant. Jeff built his career as a lawyer in New York City. During our podcast today, Jeff tells us how he built a career representing wealthy individuals and companies in real estate related transactions. He suffered an accident. While recuperating, he learned how to manipulate the medical profession to get more prescription medicine. He became addicted to opioids. As an addict, he began making bad decisions. Those bad decisions included commingling misappropriating funds. To cover up the crime, he looked for a loan. When filling out the paperwork for the loan, Jeff lied. Authorities began to investigate Jeff. In the podcast, he describes how he lived in denial. After a suicide attempt, he checked himself into a rehab center. And in time, he pleaded guilty to charges related to fraud. The guilty plea resulted in an 18-month federal pri