One Week In: When I Realized Prison Was Not Temporary
The Call That Changed NothingSeven days after I surrendered, I picked up the phone and called my sister-in-law, Sunny. I told her […]
Don’t Worry About Prison: Montaigne’s Guide to Mastering Time in a Federal Camp
One of my favorite books is How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell. It doesn’t read like one […]
Think You Deserve Early Release? Prove It With This
I stood outside a case manager’s office years ago watching a guy plead his case. He said the same thing I’ve heard […]
FBI to Defendants: Cooperation Is Not Enough
Cooperation Alone Won’t Keep You Out of Prison Three years ago, this defendant signed his plea agreement and agreed to cooperate. He […]
Why the Chrisley Pardon Matters—Even If It Upsets You
The day Todd and Julie Chrisley surrendered to federal prison, I told their daughter Lindsie it was a good day. That might […]
Does Preparing Early Make You Look Guilty? What Federal Agents Really Think
A kid from San Diego called me this morning. Early 20s. First-time offender. Scared, but not clueless. He’d been watching our videos. […]
What If It Doesn’t Shorten Your Sentence? Why the Work Still Matters
I was alone, watching Mission: Impossible. My wife and kids were off doing their thing, and I wasn’t invited. So I went […]
The Cost of Waiting: Fraud, Detention, and Forced Removal
Last August, I met a man at 5:30 in the morning in Sunriver, Oregon. My family was still asleep. I was on […]
Why Most People Waste Federal Prison (And Don’t Even Know It)
Sixteen years ago today, I was in a halfway house, serving my first full day after leaving federal prison. One thing I […]
The Hard Truth I Gave a Billionaire Before He Went to Prison
Sixteen years ago, I was sitting in a prison camp dining hall, wondering how I messed everything up. These days, I talk […]
Reputation Repair After Federal Prison: Why Hiding Never Works
A man called me last week after watching one of my YouTube videos. He said it “triggered” him. He had just come […]
The Sentence You Could Have Avoided if You Moved Sooner
Hunter S. Thompson once wrote, “A man who procrastinates in his choosing will inevitably have his choice made for him by circumstance.” […]