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Yes. A release plan shows your case manager and probation officer how you'll finish your sentence and what you'll do on supervision. Mine got my work and more than 50 trips approved. Men in my halfway house without one scrubbed toilets or ended up at the KFC down the street.
From Taft to the halfway house
I surrendered to Taft on April 28, 2008. I hadn't prepared for sentencing or prison. I thought my lawyer had it handled and there was nothing for me to do.
At Taft, I met Michael Santos. He had served more than twenty years and mentored me. On October 12, 2008, we wrote my first blog. I mailed it to my mom, and she typed it.
By the time I left for the halfway house on May 20, 2009, I had a release plan. It laid out how I'd finish my sentence and what I'd do during three years of supervision: speak on ethics, and work with people in the federal system. I shared it with my probation officer before I came home.
Isaiah Muro approved it. I traveled more than 50 times while on probation. In my first 90 days home, more than 40 people hired me. Most had been reading the blog I wrote from prison.
Other men in that halfway house hadn't planned. Their jobs weren't approved. They scrubbed toilets and showers, and many ended up at the KFC down the street saying they wished they were back in prison. Nothing wrong with the Colonel. You'd probably rather be working.
I didn't build that plan alone. I needed a guide.
On a free call, we'll ask how prepared you feel on a scale of 1 to 10. Whatever your number, we'll talk about what it would take to get to 10, point you to resources, and find out whether you're ready to do the work.
Schedule a free call with our team.
Questions people ask
What goes in a federal release plan?
Where you'll live, how you'll work, how you'll pay restitution, what you'll do on supervision, and what you'll learn while you're inside.
When should I share my release plan?
Before you come home. I shared mine with my probation officer before I left for home.
Read next: Part 6: How Do You Get Along With Other Men in Federal Prison?
Written by
Justin Paperny
Founder White Collar Advice
