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In today’s entry, I want to address the concept of self-advocacy, and strategies that members of the Prison Professors' community should use to build coalitions of support. They may need that support while going through the complications of imprisonment.
Anyone who’d like to listen to an Audible book that reveals more about the strategy of self-advocacy should download this $6 audio version of The Straight-A Guide. (I’d give it away for free, but Audible does not authorize free audiobooks.)
From time to time, family members write or text asking me to intervene in a personal case. They are worried about a loved one in prison. They’re facing a challenge. They want help navigating a difficult situation.
I understand the concern. I care deeply about improving outcomes for people in prison. But providing one-on-one intervention in individual cases goes beyond the scope of our nonprofit. We built and funded Prison Professors as a platform that anyone can use to advance prospects for success at every stage of the journey. We offer all resources without any charge to the members of our community, or to the institutions that offer Prison Professors coursework.
To succeed in bringing the changes that we all want to see (more mechanisms and pathways for people to earn freedom through merit), we must stay true to our mission. Anyone can learn about our mission and 100% commitment to the mission by reading our concept paper:
We continue investing in resources that anyone in our community can use—regardless of location, sentence length, or stage of the journey. One of those valuable resources we offer is the Profiles page. For those who have not built or developed a profile, I recommend the following self-directed courses:
Earlier today, I heard from the wife of a person in prison. She told me that her husband, who was serving time in prison that I am going to visit, had told her that he had heard from staff members that “profiles” don’t matter. I would encourage people to think about the source that is providing such information.
Does the person have an ulterior motive?
Does the person know anything about what it takes to overcome the collateral consequences that accompany a criminal conviction?
Does the person invest time, energy, and resources to advocate for change?
The salient message through all programming at Prison Professors is that if we can build a strategy that will have a greater than 0% chance of bringing relief, then each individual should invest the time and energy to develop the strategy. The person should build tools, tactics, and resources to advance prospects for success, and better results. The profile is part of a strategy for self advocacy, and the commitment to develop the profile is a tactic. Together, effective strategies and tactics can become a resource that can accelerate pathways to success.
Although I could be wrong, I have not found complaining or “happy talk” to be effective strategies for overcoming the crisis and collateral consequences of a criminal conviction.
Profiles & Self-Advocacy
In my view, anyone going into the prison system should memorialize the steps they’re taking to live as a law-abiding, contributing citizen. That includes successes, setbacks, and challenges. Each journal entry should become a part of the story. The story may inspire others to join the coalition. If they develop a full story, they build support.
As described in Earning Freedom: Conquering a 45-Year Prison Term, or in The Straight-A Guide, those efforts helped me open relationships with:
Law firms who agreed to represent me pro bono,
Universities that advocated on my behalf,
Media representatives who brought attention to my case, and
Business leaders who opened opportunities for me when I returned to society.
If someone encounters a problem, they should document it in a journal entry. More importantly, they should document how they responded—what steps they took to address the challenge responsibly. That process builds a transparent record, which can lead to more support.
Sending an email or a text to me about a problem does not build that record. I don’t work for the Bureau of Prisons. I don’t have the time to intervene on every injustice people encounter while going through the system. If I tried to do such things, I would not succeed in bringing meaningful reforms.
I am a self-funded advocate working to open more opportunities for more people to earn freedom through merit. Advocacy requires evidence.
The records people build on their profiles become practical tools for the individual, and also for our work in advocating for reform. The individual can use their personal story to show a pattern of behavior, or experiences, that may lead to support in overcoming complications. It may also lead to more opportunities. If a person develops a profile, the person will earn points and rise to the top of our leaderboards. I can use those fully developed stories to advocate for the kinds of changes that will influence the lives of thousands of people in prison.
Later this week, for example, I’ll be meeting with senior leaders of the agency. I’ll be giving them a live demonstration of our platform, including the leaderboards. People who document their journey through profiles show up on those leaderboards.
Staff members can see the work.
Administrators can see patterns.
Decision-makers can see preparation in action.
The pathway to advocacy begins with those conversations, and evidence of experiences. A person’s profile can help generate support, attract allies, and build a coalition that speaks on their behalf—because the work is documented and transparent.
As I’ve written in every book I produced from prison, this strategy helped me overcome countless challenges while incarcerated. Documentation created credibility. Credibility created opportunity. The same principle applies today.
As I work on the outside to build advocacy campaigns, people on the inside must do their part by documenting effort and progress. Family members can support that effort by encouraging their loved ones to write, reflect, and build their profile consistently.
Profiles are not magic pills. Each person must develop the profile to make it more effective. To bring the kind of changes that people want to see, we all should collaborate in developing the Prison Professors' platform. It’s free because it’s an essential tool to bring forward the changes that every person in federal prison wants to see. Our free courses show exactly how to build and develop a profile. I encourage everyone to use those courses, and to become a part of the change that they want to see.
If we want to change outcomes, we have to change how we record and present the steps we’re taking to prove worthy of the results we want.
Notice: All content on this profile was provided by the individual user. Prison Professors Charitable Corp. does not pre-screen, verify, or endorse user submissions. Views expressed here are solely those of the author.