Life in Federal Prison: A Typical Day On The Inside

Описание: Before speaking at a legal conference in Chicago, a White Collar Defense Attorney called me aside to ask what a typical day in federal prison looked like for me.

Following a little break in the session, I decided to go downstairs and film an answer to the question.

Before I went to federal prison, I was frequently told the experience would be boring and noneventful. Further, I was told I should never talk about my personal experience and it was best to move on and to pretend this never happened.

I believe the people who told me this had good intentions. But that advice did not make sense for me.

What’s best for you?

Whether you choose to go public with your story or keep it more personal, our team believes it is essential you learn to tell your story effectively and in dosages and snippets people can understand and believe.

I learn from criticism. Specifically, people have told me it is in my interest to speak about my prison experience because I work in the prison space. I can understand that.

What they don’t understand follows: By learning to tell my story effectively and honestly, I open relationships. Those relationships much of the time have nothing to do with the prison or mitigation space.

Our team believes people appreciate people who accept responsibility, blame no one, share lessons learned and lay out a clear plan moving forward.

Creating YouTube or TikTok videos are wonderful ways to do that. If you are uncomfortable on video, write a blog or create a podcast.

Without changing the narrative, people will tend to believe the government’s version of events. Most defendants do not agree with the government’s version of events. For that reason, take the lead, own your story and share it—while knowing you will never get everyone back into your corner. And the great thing is you do not need everyone in your corner!

Best,
Justin Paperny