Journal Entry 

 Timeline after Arrest 

Picture of Michael Santos

Michael Santos

TIMELINE

1987

AGE: 23

-Arrested and taken into federal custody. Begin the journey as federal prisoner 16377-004.

-Do not understand the system at all. Allow defense attorney to advise.

-Lack of strategy, begin led rather than leading.

-No understanding of how judicial system or prison system works.

1987
1988

AGE: 24

-Despite knowing of my guilt, proceed through lengthy trial.

-Commit perjury on the witness stand, declaring myself innocent.

-Jury convicts on all counts.

-Officer in SHU provides books on Frederick Douglass, Socrates, Nelson Mandela, Viktor Frankl, and others.

-Inspired by Biblical stories: Prodigal Son, Parable of Talents

-By reading about people who mastered crises, I learn to think differently.

-Judge imposes 45-year sentence.

1988
1988-1995

AGE: 31

Begin life in high-security penitentiary.

— Craft three-part release plan that will carry me through first 10 years of my sentence. Focus on 1) educating myself;
2) contributing to society;
3) building support network.

— Write to universities with hopes of getting into school.

— Earn bachelor’s degree from Mercer University
·  Build support network with leading penologists and focus studies on America’s prison system.
·  Begin publishing about need to reform sentencing systems in ways that will incentivize excellence—allowing people to earn incrementally higher levels of liberty through merit.

1988-1995
1995-1997

AGE: 33

-Transition to medium-security Federal Correctional Institution.

-Hofstra University awards master’s degree.

-Publish more extensively on need for incentives in prison.

-Begin studies toward Ph.D. at University of Connecticut.

1995-1997
1998-2003

AGE: 39

-Transition to low-security Federal Correctional Institution,

-Open more publishing opportunities

-Earn first $1 million during 12th year in prison and become taxpayer,

-Expand support network,

-Launch series of websites on quest to bring awareness on need for reforms that will incentivize excellence,

-Publish About Prison and Profiles from Prison for an academic audience, to help more people understand why we should change how we measure justice in prison.

-By publishing, broaden support group—all in preparation for advocacy career upon release.

-Married Carole inside federal prison’s visiting room and supported her financially through earnings in prison.

-Transfer to Florence Federal Camp-

1998-2003
2004-2005

AGE: 41

-Publishing contract with St. Martin’s Press for Inside: Life Behind Bars in America.

-Begin developing program to teach other people in prison how to prepare for success upon release.

-Finish writing manuscript and advance book through publication, with reviews in media—leading to transfer.

2004-2005
2005-2006

AGE: 43

-Transition to Lompoc Camp,

-Begin writing for business, building new mentors,

-Launch publish company to bring more books to market,

-Write on need for incentives, launch new websites, including PrisonNewsBlog.com to bring more awareness to system.

2005-2006
2006-2011

AGE: 47

-Transition to Taft Camp,

-Begin ghostwriting books for others,

-Publishing on new websites

-Publishing with university professors and preparing for career,

-Stanford Law School relationship,

-Partner with Justin Paperny

-Career preparation

2006-2011
2012

AGE: 48

-Transition to Atwater Camp

– Prepare for release

-Marathons

2012
2013

AGE: 49

-Halfway house / Home Confinement

-Real Estate investments

-San Francisco State University

-Architecture of Incarceration

-UC Berkeley and Stanford

-Judicial panels

– Finish with BOP

2013
2014

AGE: 50

-University professor

-UC Hastings Law Review

-Building Prison Professors

-Learning about internet and technology

-Newport Beach move

2014
2015

AGE: 51

-Rental properties

-Robina Institute: University of Minnesota Law School

-Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference

-DOJ Contract

2015
2016

AGE: 52

-Guam and Saipan for DOJ

-US Probation

-US Judiciary

-Washington State Department of Corrections

-California Department of Corrections

-Bureau of Prisons

-Timeshare Compliance

-·Pacific Healthcare

2016
2017

AGE: 53

-Real estate development

-FCC Victorville

-Publishing and speaking on need for incentives

2017
2018

AGE: 54

-Real estate development

-FCC Florence

-First Step Act passes

-Litigation on Costa Rica Investment

2018
2019

AGE: 55

-Litigation: Lost year

-Rebuilding

-Digital product

-This is Timeline description, you can change me anytime click here

2019
2020

AGE: 56

-CDCR Expansion

-Digital products

2020
2021

AGE: 57

-Digital products

-First Step Act expansion

2021
2022

AGE: 58

-Digital products

-Bureau of Prisons expansion

-North Central Region

-Subject Matter Experts

-Advocacy for work release programs

2022
2023

AGE: 59

-Expand relationship with BOP,

-Clarify the Nonprofit’s mission, with legal opinion,

-Create mechanism to profile the impact we’re having,

-Launch Prison Professors Talent

2023

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