Hi my name is Taylor Evans and I am on the team with Prison Professors.
Michael Santos created the Earning Freedom companies to live out his life’s mission of inspiring hope and educating people that are going through the criminal justice system to understand that their lives are not over, and these people can be successful contributing members of society if they develop the right mindset.
Michael shares with us the inspiration behind his life mission. When he was initially arrested and waiting in county jail for his court appearance, he shares how a guard handed him Plato’s most influential piece of literature, The Republic.
He brings up how Socrates was in jail because he shared different a different philosophy from the elite society. Socrates believed all people can learn, grow, and deserve an education, whereas the elite society believed the wealthy elite class should only educate the other elite members of society.
Socrates was sentenced to death but had an option to be released to live in exile. One of his friends Creto came to visit to share with him how Socrates could live out his exile with the love and support of his friends. Socrates shared with Creto that he would not go into exile and chose to die in prison. Baffled Creto asked Socrates why.
Socrates explained to Creto, that he lives in a democracy, and he will take society’s good with its bad and in a democracy, and in a democracy he has the right to change laws he doesn’t agree with, but he does not have the right to break the law.
This is the philosophy that transformed Michael’s life. He applied Socrates’ logic to his own situation and questioned what he could do for people not to see him as a drug dealer, and he believed he could transform people’s thoughts and opinions about him. But he couldn’t change his own perception without taking the right action steps.
Michael then began to focus from the perspective of the law-abiding citizens who could provide opportunities for him upon his release. Michael focused on earning his education because it could help him become a published author. Being an author demonstrates how he is a contributing member of society. And ultimately by completing these achievements in prison he is building credibility and authenticity for starting his brands by bringing awareness and education to other inmates.
Ask yourself, would you hire an attorney who hasn’t graduated from law school? Would you let a surgeon perform surgery on you without graduating from medical school? I am hoping your answer is no. Michael is applying this same logic to the mission behind his content and his companies. He developed a network of criminal justice professors who helped introduce him to officials in powerful positions within the criminal justice system. As Michael kept meeting more relevant professionals his credibility increased, and his brand grew.
Now that he has personal and professional relationships with these individuals he speaks and educates inmates in penitentiaries, he has sold his program to jails and prisons, and he is even an adjunct professor with a few universities in the criminal justice system.
He has been able to accomplish all of these amazing feats because not only does he talk the talk but he has walked the walk. He can relate to your feelings and experiences because he has probably experienced something similar.
Michael started his companies to help you out. He creates content on a daily basis because this journey has so many layers to it, and he does not want you to be caught off guard by anything.
Our team is the best for two reasons, we have all been in your shoes before and we truly do care about making a difference in your journey to earning freedom.
