At the start of our first webinar of the year, I said:
If you leave this call and do nothing, you’ve wasted the time. We must take incremental daily action.
Preparing for sentencing and prison is not about absorbing information. It’s about creating: written, documented, verifiable work that you can build on and defend.
That theme ran through the entire webinar, whether we were talking about:
- sentencing hearings
- probation interviews
- prison designation
- RDAP placement
- halfway house time
- early termination of supervision
Different stages. Same rule: no record, no leverage.
The Core Problem: Defendants Decide the Ending Too Early
One of the most damaging patterns I see—and one we discussed repeatedly in the webinar—is defendants deciding how their case ends long before it actually does.
Judges sense this immediately.
Over the past several months, I attended multiple federal sentencing hearings in Southern California. Judges said variations of the same thing:
“There’s a disconnect between what I’m hearing and what I’m seeing.”
That disconnect has nothing to do with eloquence or remorse. It has to do with absence of evidence.
People say they’ve changed, but probation has nothing to attach to the PSR. Lawyers have nothing concrete to cite in the sentencing memorandum. Judges hear claims with no timeline behind them.
That gap almost always leads to harsher outcomes.
Chapter 8 of After the Fall
During the webinar, this came up in a different form—through a story I later wrote into Chapter 8 of After the Fall.
I met a 59-year-old physician in New York who had already decided the ending of his case.
He told me:
- he would lose his license
- he would lose his money
- at his age, starting over wasn’t realistic
There was no anger in it. No denial. Just acceptance.
That mindset is common—and dangerous.
Once someone decides the ending is fixed, they stop building anything that could influence their outcome.
This is exactly what judges mean when they talk about “disconnect.”
What Judges, Probation, and the BOP Actually Respond To
Throughout the webinar, we kept coming back to the same operational reality:
Statements don’t move cases. Records do.
A usable record means:
- written narratives created before probation interviews
- consistent documentation over months, not weeks
- materials that can be placed in a sentencing memo, PSR, or central file
This is why I repeatedly encouraged people to spend time on Prison Professors.
Why PrisonProfessors.org Is Strategically Relevant
PrisonProfessors.org matters because it solves a specific problem:
People claim growth—but have nowhere to document it.
The platform now includes:
- over 5,000 active profiles
- more than 8 million words of written documentation
- public, timestamped records that third parties can review
No one pays to use it. People in custody receive books, hosting, and access at no cost. Donations—not prisoners—fund the platform.
From a sentencing and prison-prep standpoint, its value is simple:
- probation officers can read it
- lawyers can cite it
- judges can reference it
- case managers can verify it
That’s why it keeps coming up in courtrooms.
Webinar Case Examples: How Records Changed Outcomes
During the webinar, we discussed several real cases that illustrate how preparing for sentencing and prison works in practice.
Matthew Boyer
- Began documenting his work immediately after the FBI raid
- His attorney integrated that record into the sentencing memorandum
- The judge referenced it directly and reduced supervision
Clyde Gibson
- Began preparing before sentencing and before probation interviews
- Documented his narrative, volunteer work, and leadership consistently
- The prosecutor stated in open court that he did not appear likely to reoffend
- Sentence: probation
Others did not avoid prison—but still benefited later through RDAP, halfway house placement, or early release because staff could see a documented record.
In none of these cases did a single statement carry the day.
The Lawyer Is Often the First Stakeholder to Influence
A major point from the webinar: many people do the work, but it never gets used.
Why? Because their lawyer:
- doesn’t understand how to integrate it
- hasn’t seen this approach before
- or doesn’t ask for the material early enough
That’s why I repeatedly encouraged participants to:
- ask their lawyer what they know about their work
- request a draft of the sentencing memorandum before it’s filed
- confirm that narratives and documentation are actually cited
If your record isn’t in the memo or discussed in court, it’s invisible.
Preparing for Prison Begins Before Designation
Another major portion of the webinar focused on prison preparation—especially RDAP and facility selection.
We discussed multiple cases where people:
- requested the wrong prison in the judgment
- were sent to facilities that did not offer RDAP
- lost months or years because no one corrected it in time
A 33-month sentence at the right federal prison can result in release within 9–11 months.
These decisions should be addressed before the designation to prison.
Preparing for sentencing and prison means understanding programs, facility availability, and timing—not reacting once you start serving your sentence.
The Real Lesson from Chapter 8
The Chapter 8 story isn’t about mythology. It explains behavior.
People who decide the ending too early behave as if nothing they do matters—so they stop building.
People who refuse to accept the ending prematurely continue documenting, even when no one is watching.
Judges, probation officers, and BOP staff can tell the difference.
What Preparing for Sentencing and Prison Actually Requires
Preparing for sentencing and prison means:
- starting early
- documenting consistently
- creating records others can rely on
Judges don’t sentence based on promises. Probation doesn’t recommend leniency based on intention.
The BOP doesn’t grant opportunities without documentation.
If there is no record, there is nothing to evaluate.
Thank you,
Justin Paperny
