While I have posted for Justin before, and have my own prison-themed blog here, as this is a new venue and a new collaboration between Justin and me, I decided it best to start off with a brief “mission statement”. There’s nothing worse than an unfocused, meandering blog with no real reason for being.
First and foremost, my goal is to provide useful, relevant information, in conjunction with Justin, to assist anyone who finds him or herself caught up at any stage of the criminal justice system, from investigation and indictment, to plea negotiation, to trial, to sentencing, to incarceration. I’ve been there and know how traumatic the experience is. As a result, I have devoted myself to using my own experiences, as well as my legal background and hard-won experience with criminal-law issues, to helping others succeed through the ordeal and come out the other end stronger, healthier and happier.
Being fully informed with accurate, responsible information that can be used as a basis for taking informed decisions about your case is a key starting point. This will be a primary goal of this blog, as this is what Justin and I are all about. No scams or scare tactics here: only facts and strategies based on our deep well of experience. With that in mind, I welcome any and all suggestions and questions from readers: this is your blog as much as mine.
In this blog, I plan to post on several related topics (among other things). First, I will recount aspects of my life and experiences as a criminal defendant and inmate, together with the stories of fellow inmates I met along the way, with the goal of providing an informative and maybe even entertaining picture of the vagaries of life under the thumb of the “Feds”.
Second, I plan to provide information on topics specific to white collar defendants relating to pleading, sentencing and incarceration, including how to thrive in prison.
Third, I will address RDAP both as a program alumni and recovered addict in the context of strategies related to sentencing reduction.
Fourth, as I am on the back end of the experience, the stage criminologists call “re-integration”, I will write about the joys and challenges of this stage that, pre-incarceration, feels so impossibly distant.
Finally, I will cover more general topics related to the criminal justice system, including reform, sentencing trends, prominent prosecutions, changes to BoP policies and regulations, and the like.
That is about as specific as I can get at the moment about my plans. Watch for posts about once per week.
Just one final note about Justin and me. Given our long history of collaboration and complementary skillsets and professional backgrounds, his in business and mine in law, I have decided to join him to help him continue to offer clients a full range of advice, options and tools in order to best face challenges with the criminal justice system that we too once faced. Justin helped me at my most difficult moment and I am honored to be joining him in order to help others the way he helped me.
I will bring complementary skillsets to the table, including hard won expertise in criminal law and BoP regulations and remedy procedures, knowledge of issues specific to lawyers facing prosecution, and methods to reduce sentencing, including post-sentencing reductions such as RDAP.
If you find yourself the subject of an investigation or indictment, please reach out: it is never too early or never too late. We are here to help, both as ethical professionals in the field and individuals who were once there ourselves.