The Self-Surrender Checklist

Self-surrendering to federal prison is never easy, but I can help by providing some insight with regard to what a person can expect. I know a great deal about living in prison because I’ve been incarcerated continuously since 1987.

Despite the decades that I’ve served in prisons of every security level across the United States, I’ve built a meaningful life that fills me with optimism every day. The Books I’ve written and articles I’ve published show how, but individuals about to self-surrender to prison camps may feel so disoriented that they can’t bring themselves to read through the volumes of content I’ve written.

The self-surrender checklist is written especially for those people who are about to self-surrender to federal prison camps. It includes a series of short articles that describe topics of interest to new prisoners.

For those who have the resources, I recommend that they contact my friend Justin Paperny. He’s been through the system and is capable of responding to questions. Others may want to support my work by contacting my wife, Carole, who can respond to questions about how I stay so productive and positive though confinement; she also can explain how we keep our family together.

Those who are not so disoriented by the trauma of self-surrendering to federal prison may find value in books I write that describe prison in detail. I always recommend my book Prison! My 8,344th Day for readers who want insight into how I spend a typical day at this stage of my journey.

Some who are about to self-surrender to federal prison camp may lack time and the attention span necessary to read extensively. Or they may lack the resources necessary to retain consultants. For them I offer the self-surrender checklist.

I urge readers to consider each article. They’re brief. They’re to the point. And they’re free! Besides those qualities, the self-surrender checklist for federal prisoners will assuage anxieties. Each article offers insight about what to expect when an individual self-surrenders to federal prison camp.

I’ve been confined in three federal prison camps during my long journey as a federal prisoner. They include federal prison camps at Florence, Lompoc, and Taft.

Besides those federal prison camps that give me direct personal experience, I rely upon the knowledge that comes from more than 23 years of experience in higher-security federal prisons, and the information I obtain through my extensive interviews with hundreds of other prisoners.

I urge those about to self-surrender to federal prison to read each article I offer in the checklist. The articles do not appear in any particular order, but each has value that may ease a person’s worries. At the same time, they prepare the person (and family members) for a less complicated transition.

I may update the checklist periodically but I’m going to begin the self-surrender checklist by offering the following articles: