White Collar Advice · Blog
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One new post every day. Federal Sentencing, Prison Preparation, Supervised Release, and Life After. Read what applies to where you are right now. Then build something. Questions? Call or text us at 949-799-3277.
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Showing 25–36 of 770 articles
Federal Indictment Process: How to Tell Your Story
The federal indictment process does not wait for you to get ready. From the day you learn you are a target, the […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 29, 2026
What Is a Minimum Security Prison? A Former Federal Prisoner Explains What Actually Happens There
Eighteen years ago tomorrow I learned a minimum security prison is the lowest custody level in the federal Bureau of Prisons system. […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 28, 2026
What Happens at a Federal Sentencing Hearing: A Step-by-Step Guide
A federal sentencing hearing is the proceeding where a judge decides how long you will spend in federal prison (if at all), […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 26, 2026
Why I Went To Federal Prison: 18 Years Later
Three people this week told me they want to become motivational speakers. They asked me to help them get booked at places […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 25, 2026
What Do Prison Consultants Do? And Why You Probably Don’t Need One
A journalist called me recently. He is writing a piece about sentencing mitigation and wanted to understand what I do. He found […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 23, 2026
Federal Prison Mindset: The Promise That Works
I was texting with my mom this morning, confirming a visit to Los Angeles, when she reminded me: next week marks 18 […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 22, 2026
I Don’t Want You to Have Hope. I Want You to Have a Plan.
Someone in our community got a year and a day sentence. He’s home in 83 days. His case manager loved his Straight-A […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 22, 2026
PPP Loan Fraud Sentencing: What Actually Happens and How to Prepare
Several months ago a man called me who had already done a lot of things right. He broke the law, pled guilty, […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 21, 2026
What Your Federal Sentencing Memorandum Cannot Do — And What Only You Can
Federal sentencing guidelines give you a starting point, not a final answer. The loss amount, offense level, and criminal history points frame […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 20, 2026
Freedom of Money Review: What CZ’s Prison Manuscript Taught Me About Federal Cases
CZ wrote Freedom of Money while serving a federal prison sentence, on a terminal that shut off every 15 minutes and wiped […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 19, 2026
What Not to Say Your First Day in Federal Prison
When Judge Wilson sentenced me to 18 months, my first thought was that 18 months was a lifetime. I remember standing there […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 16, 2026
Federal Plea vs. Trial: What Defendants Get Wrong
Before You Plead Guilty, Read This: My Conversation with Defense Lawyer Stephen Lee If you are facing federal charges and deciding between […]
Justin Paperny
Apr 14, 2026
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