Petition to Relocate

October 21, 2011

Regarding: Relocation of federal prisoner Michael G. Santos (#16377-004)

Dear Probation Officer:

My name is Michael G. Santos. I am a long-term federal prisoner seeking authorization to release in the Northern District of California. Although the case manager at my previous prison at Taft Camp submitted me for relocation, and my case manager at my current prison, in Atwater Federal Prison Camp, is aware of efforts to complete my relocation, I hope that you will accept this introductory letter that I have taken upon myself to write.

I am currently in my 25th year of continuous confinement. With a reckless transition between my youth and adulthood, I made many bad decisions that brought me into serious trouble with the criminal justice system. Although I do not have a history of violence, weapons, or previous incarceration, the leadership role I played in a scheme to distribute cocaine led to the 45-year sentence I began serving in 1987, when I was 23. Ever since the time of my imprisonment, I have worked hard to prepare myself for a law-abiding, contributing life upon release.

I began serving my sentence in the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta. While there I committed to a three-part strategy that would guide my adjustment through what I expected would be a lengthy imprisonment. That strategy required that I accomplish the following:

1)      work to educate myself;

2)      work to reconcile with society through measurable accomplishments; and

3)      work to build a support network that would assist my efforts to transition into society upon release.

In 1992, Mercer University awarded my bachelor’s degree. In 1995, Hofstra University awarded my master’s degree. When my formal education program concluded, I began training myself to write with hopes that it would prepare me for a career upon release. Those efforts led to my writing scores of articles and book chapters that relate to criminal justice, and for the past decade, I have written numerous books that publishers have brought to market. A Google search of my name will show that universities across America use literature I’ve written to help students understand the complexities of America’s prison system and the people who live within it.

Because of literature I’ve written, I have received numerous invitations to speak upon my release, including a speaking invitation from Professor Joan Petersilia at Stanford Law School.