GUEST BLOG BY WHITE COLLAR ADVISOR AND RESIDENTIAL DRUG ABUSE PROGRAM CONSULTANT, SETH FERRANTI

I’m pleased to welcome myself to the readers of White Collar Advice.  As my bio suggests, I have extensive experience living in federal prison, and feel uniquely qualified to offer legitimate prison advice.

For some background, I did 21 straight years in federal prison for an LSD conviction. I went to prison when I was 22 years old and came out when I was 43. It wasn’t the easiest journey but I wish I would have known some of the stuff that we teach at White Collar Advice.  They say experience is the best teacher and I have learned plenty but now I am in the position to share my knowledge with others who might be a little unsure of what to expect going to prison for the first time. When I went in I was a scared young kid. I grew up in the upper middle class suburbs and going to prison was the furthest thing from my mind. Lets say my life took an unfortunate twist.

I had watched all the movies and I thought prison was the most terrible place there ever was. Everybody makes it out to be this horrible place but I found despite my middle class upbringing and white skin I could adjust to prison. I had no choice but to learn prison etiquette and the law of the land. I was doing a 25-year sentence and I had to learn quick. But I was a good student. I stayed in the background and I watched and I learned and I found my niche in the prison hierarchy.

I’m no killer or even a tough guy but I found that despite what the movies portrayed I could succeed in prison and even thrive. Its not about getting out there and trying to be a tough guy its about knowing your place and staying out of the way but at the same time drawing that line in the sand and letting others know not to cross it. I learned to be assertive, confident and to hold myself to a higher standard in prison. Because for real it’s not about reputation its about character and if you are about to do some time that is the first lesson you need to learn.

Nobody cares who you were on the street, how much money you got or what you owned. In prison everyone is equal. We all are just a number to be counted, corralled and fed. In dealing with staff I was humble and showed humility. In dealing with other prisoners I was assertive and polite. With the right guidance and someone to answer your questions prison can be a positive experience despite the sentence you have to serve. You might as well make the best of it.

My team and I can provide you insights on how to act, what to do during your first days inside to set the tone and how to get into RDAP, stay in RDAP and get the year off your sentence. I graduated RDAP, got 10 months off my sentence and received 6 months halfway house. I just got out in August 2015 and have been making a successful re-entry into society. It’s all about the tools you equip yourself with, your attitude and your ability to change and adapt. Go into prison confident and self-assured. My team and I at White Collar Advice can give you that piece of mind.

Seth Ferranti,  Author of Street Legends and the Supreme Team