In the first blog in this series, I shared why Montaigne’s advice—“Don’t worry about death”—helped me understand something most people don’t realize until it’s too late: prison isn’t the hardest part. It’s the clearest part. And if you use it well, it can give you more direction than anything that came before.
That’s the exact mindset you need if you want to master time in a federal prison camp.
Federal Prison Exposes Patterns
Most people I meet in federal prison are skilled at managing external perception. They’ve built companies, managed teams, raised capital. But in prison, none of that matters. No one cares about what you used to be. They care about how you carry yourself now.
Montaigne said, “Every man has within himself the entire human condition.”
Federal Prison reveals that quickly. It shows you where you default. Where you seek comfort. Where you avoid. And if you’re not paying attention, it’s easy to lose the entire sentence waiting for it to be over.
Start a journal. Not to explain yourself. To study yourself.
Ask:
- How do I respond when things don’t go my way?
- Where do I seek approval?
- What am I trying to avoid thinking about?
Writing Doesn’t Have to Be Good. It Has to Be Honest.
The best writing I’ve read from people in prison isn’t beautiful or perfect. It reflects where they are, not where they wish they were.
When Scotty Carper went to federal prison, he started documenting everything. Not to submit in court. Not to impress his judge. Just to track what he was doing with his time.
He wrote about his schedule. His distractions. His conversations. Over time, that writing became the clearest proof of his progress.
Not because it was strategic. Because it was consistent.
Montaigne Wasn’t Trying to Be a Better Version of Himself. He Was Trying to See What Was Already There.
The biggest mistake people make in prison is pretending to be someone they’re not. Michael called them “Roman Fabrazi.”
Bakewell writes that Montaigne believed in taking life as it comes—not chasing after ideals but understanding what you already are.
You will learn more by tracking your reactions to daily frustrations than by setting abstract goals.
Write about:
- How you react when your routine is interrupted
- What excuses you repeat to yourself
- When you feel most anxious—and why
Federal Prison Camp Can Become the Most Instructive Time of Your Life
But only if you use it. No one will ask for your notes. No one will grade your effort. That’s what makes it powerful.
The people who leave prison with direction are the ones who kept track of what they noticed.
You don’t need to be profound. You don’t need to sound wise. You just need to write what happened. And what it meant.
If you’re already writing—or you want to begin but don’t know how to structure it—schedule a call.
Justin Paperny
