A few days ago, my partner Michael Santos got a message from the California Department of Corrections. It wasn’t a surprise—but it still hit hard.

“All funding for reentry programs has been cut.”

Translation: You’re on your own.

That decision affects every prison in California. It means fewer tools for people who want to prepare for release. It means fewer chances to write a personal narrative, create a release plan, or show a judge you’ve done the work.

And it means fewer resources for the people who need them the most.

But here’s the truth: this isn’t new. Anyone who has spent time in prison—or worked with someone who has—knows that rehabilitation has always been a low priority. The system isn’t built to help you rebuild. It’s built to move you through.

So when the state said there’s no more money, we said: fine. We’ll keep going anyway.

When the State Bails, Who Stays?

Michael Santos runs our nonprofit, Prison Professors Charitable Corporation. Through it, we’ve donated curriculum to every California prison. Hundreds of thousands of people have accessed those materials—on ethics, sentence mitigation, reentry, and more.

Michael travels to the prisons, meets with incarcerated individuals, answers questions, and helps them build plans that judges respect. Just last week, he was in Folsom doing exactly that.

Here’s the difference: he’s not doing it because it’s funded. He’s doing it because it works.

We’ve seen people use that content to:

• Prepare for pre-sentence interviews that went better than their lawyers expected
  
• Write personal narratives that prosecutors actually quoted in court
  
• Come home with a job lined up because they started planning early
  

That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of structure, consistency, and real work. And now, it’ll happen in spite of the budget being gone.

Why White Collar Advice Keeps Paying for It

Let me be clear: White Collar Advice is a for-profit company. We don’t pretend to be anything else. But a portion of what clients pay us helps keep the nonprofit alive.

If you’ve worked with us, you’ve already contributed. Whether you hired us to prep for sentencing, create a video, or help with a release plan—some of that went straight into free programs for people who can’t afford them.

So when the state pulled their support, we didn’t panic. Because the work doesn’t stop when the money dries up.

We’ll continue donating the books.
We’ll continue running the courses.
We’ll continue showing up in prisons.

That’s not charity. That’s accountability.

Real People. Real Stakes.

Let’s talk about what this actually means.

A man in San Quentin read one of our books and wrote his first mitigation letter. His judge mentioned it at sentencing.
A woman in Chowchilla went through our ethics course and built a 12-month reentry plan—on her own time. She’s home now.
A young guy in Folsom started journaling after watching one of Michael’s lessons. That journal turned into a business plan. Now he’s trying to build it.

None of those people had lawyers walking them through every step. What they had was structure. Guidance. A system they could rely on when everything else fell apart.

If we walked away because funding disappeared, those stories wouldn’t exist. But we didn’t. And we won’t.

What You Can Do (Even If You’re Not in Prison)

Here’s what matters most: you don’t have to be in prison to understand the importance of preparation.

Whether you’re under investigation, waiting for sentencing, or already serving time, the reality is the same: no one’s going to do the work for you.

Yes, there are fewer programs. Yes, the system is overloaded. But excuses don’t mean anything in a courtroom.

Judges want to see results. Not promises. Not excuses. Results.

So ask yourself:

• What have I done that required real effort and consistency?
  
• Can I show, not just say, that I’m thinking differently now?
  
• Would a prosecutor believe this wasn’t just about looking good for court?
  

If you’re not sure how to answer those, that’s exactly why we do what we do.

The Work Doesn’t Stop—Even When the State Does

The state walked away. We didn’t.

We’ll keep donating.
We’ll keep teaching.
We’ll keep showing people how to prepare—for sentencing, for prison, for release.

Justin Paperny

P. S. If this resonates, join our team this Monday at 1 p.m. Pacific, 4 p.m. Eastern. We host a free webinar to answer questions, share lessons from real cases, and help you avoid the most costly mistakes people make during a government investigation.

Bring questions. Come ready to learn.