Earning Freedom: Conquering A 45-Year Prison Sentence By Michael Santos

I feel deference to writing a book report on “Earning Freedom, Conquering a 45-Year Prison Sentence” by a good friend and personal mentor, Michael Santos. I finished reading this autobiography almost three weeks ago. This book report has been a thorn in my daily rhythm because I’ve conscientiously considered how I wanted to present this information. There’s not enough space on my government computer daily to encompass the depth of wisdom the author transcribes.

Michael Santos’s bible-sized, 500-page autobiography is as rich in flavor as Aunt Jemima syrup. Mr. Santos transcribed these pages of his life story as if you were walking in his shoes today. I ripped through the pages as fast as the cheese was shredded through a blender.

There were evenings when I skipped workouts to continue reading. My wife Amber, back home, was digesting the audiobook on her drives for work and aided in great intellectual conversation alongside some good laughs. Since my completion, the book has quickly floated through two other souls in my unit, who devoured the pages just as I did.

Michael Santo’s claim to fame line, “he will never ask us to do anything that he has not already done,” when navigating our nation’s prison system.

I heard him say it on weekly webinar calls for six months before self-surrendering. He drummed it into my ear.

A great coach has the experience and a track record of success in their arena to lend them leverage to assist you. The coach cares for their students and reveres them,  their families, and their friends, supporting them on their individualized routes.

Reverence is not respect. It is to show deep love for all. You can have a high level of care for one person and a lower level of respect for another, but you can not show reverence for one human being and not for the next. Reverence for one’s soul exceeds the plane of reference and is deemed superior. Michael Santos vibrates empathy and love for all people who trust in his leadership, and that carries a heavy load on the man who leads that charge with zeal. Michael Santos is a selfless, modern-day martyr in prison reform and life coaching. 

Mr. Santos has a work rate that I find almost impossible to keep up. I am a disciplined person when it comes to my time and schedule, but Michael has stretched my inner being to show me how much more I’m capable of doing. I’m not discussing busy work that lends a person the same as they were before they began their career. I’m referring to the day-in and day-out, week after week, month after month, consistent, meaningful work that modifies a person’s life for the better.

I attended zoom calls with Mr. Santos six months before my self-surrender date. He hosted the calls for free through his nonprofit  These calls were scheduled for one hour. Still, there were countless months he and his team would take questions and provide solid answers to many people desperately needing help with their cases and taught us the power of “self-advocacy,” which empowers individuals and their families battling the justice system.

Sometimes these calls would stretch past 2 hours, and he invariably reiterated his commitment to stay on each call until everyone’s questions had been answered. There were some weeks I thought to myself, how does this man have the energy to not only do these consistent calls but then add value and hit home runs with simple answers that provide solutions? The universe has blessed Mr. Santos with an expansion of his soul that enables him the energy and wisdom to influence millions of lives. He graciously approaches the task with mastery.

Michael Santos, at the age of 23, although knowing he was guilty, decided to try his chance at trial against the federal government for cocaine trafficking. He took advice from an attorney who was money hungry despite listening to the intuition guiding him to admit his wrongs and face the consequences of his actions.

Upon completing a lengthy trial, the federal judge sentenced him to 46 years in federal prison. He immediately became aware of the consequences of his actions. Michael will often discuss the masterminds he learned from while reading in prison. One of the first books was “A Treasure of Philosophy,” which began to enlighten him. He then read Socrates and studied Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and others.

Michael understood since most people had not changed in his millennium, history should be his best teacher. He was awakened to realize being educated is critical to a well-run society.  He reflects in his book that if he had listened more to parents, teachers, and guides, he would have made better choices. “Masterminds could have helped him avoid problems with the criminal justice system.”

He quickly discovered that he had a lot of work to do to show himself and others that he was sorry for his mistakes. He pledged to admonish his regrets with his works and action. The title of the book has a philosophical meaning. Earning means to acquire or deserve due to the effort or activity. Freedom is defined as unrestricted use or access. Conquering means to surmount or overcome. “Earning Freedom, Conquering a 45-Year Prison Sentence” is done through hard work and discipline. Michael served 26 years behind the walls of a federal prison system, and if you saw him today, you would never know he spent time in prison by his appearance. 

Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in federal prison. He wrote and published seven books while incarcerated. “The pen is mightier than the sword.” He also pledged to his wife he would amass a million dollars in assets within five years of his release from prison, which he did. This book isn’t an ordinary book about someone’s journey through prison; it’s a modern-day Rocky story that shows a person’s discipline, will, and desire to win at all costs.

Michael met his beautiful wife Carole when he had 11 years left of his prison sentence. He knew Carole from when they were kids, but they hadn’t talked since his childhood. She originally wrote him a letter while he was in prison without intending to fall in love, but the connection they found was genuine. They quickly became aware of their love for each other, and the journey started from there. The story of how at Carole, living in California,  moved across the country to the East coast to be close to Michael is a book within itself.

Michael found her a job, and helped her plan her move out East, where he was inside a medium security federal prison. When she got there, the job was no longer available. Michael never panicked. He provided solutions. Michael was moved four to five times during his last decade or so in prison. Carole moved wherever he was and logged close to 1000 visits to him. She went through nursing school so she could find a job anywhere she needed to be with her husband. I can’t forget that Carole had a young daughter, around 11, when she first moved to be closer to Michael. 

The real-life story of their commitment to each other, no matter what they faced, is similar to the bond the couples shared in the beloved movie, “The Notebook.” To this day, their bond is unbreakable, and she is the glue that holds the business together and, most notably, the glue that holds the hopes of human beings together that have entrusted their companies in their care to help them through the claws of justice.

Without a person ever going to prison, this book has meaning to humanity. At any moment we choose to reflect consciously, we seek to “EARN” something. Maybe it’s earning the respect of a teammate or co-worker or earning credits toward a college degree. Currently, I’m in federal prison doing what I need to do to earn credits to receive an early release.

We are all seeking “FREEDOM” from something. Maybe we are seeking freedom from the addition of alcohol, drugs, or sexual addiction. We could seek freedom from debt, rage, anger, frustration, or power.

We are all “CONQUERING” something. We may be conquering a desire to eat healthier or a new milestone for working out. I’m working on conquering the psychology of my soul and the field of conscious awareness in myself and the souls of others who receive my pure positive non-resistant energy.

Michael Santos has instilled in me the belief that ‘proper preparation prevents poor performance’ after prison, or in  everyday life we must prepare to succeed. “The decisions we make today directly influence our prospects for success tomorrow,” Michael stated many years ago. He learned the importance of following and applying these five lessons to help guide one’s path.

1. Define what success looks like for you. 

2. Create a plan.

3. Set priorities.

4. Develop tools, tactics, and resources.

5. Execute the plan with deliberate intention.

Once you have a good plan and define what you want it to look like, apply the SMART acronym beside your goals to have a clear intention as to what you want to achieve.

SMART goals are:

S- Specific

M- Measurable

A- Action Oriented

R- Realistic

T- Time-Based.

Michael’s model has inspired me to do due diligence in federal prison. I stick to a tight regimen. My day is filled with teaching, reading, writing, studying, helping others, keeping close ties with family members and friends, and building strong bonds with people who believe in me.  I can demonstrate through my works that they picked a winner in me then and continue to pick a winner in me now.

Michael has challenged me to stretch my vocabulary through intentional focus to learn more words. People who surround me daily can attest that I carry a dictionary almost everywhere that I go. While I read, the dictionary is next to me. When I encounter a word I don’t know; I stop reading, open the dictionary and read the meaning.  Then, I write the word and definition in my daily journal, as I deliberately try to use the words in my daily talks and when I write. This gem of a tip has drastically increased my word bank inside my think tank.

His influence on my life inspired me to create a website and blog and furnish articles from books read. I’ve always been an avid reader, but now I understand the importance of completing book reports on what I’ve read and discussing how it’s helping me be a better person. I’m thankful to Mr. Santos for being the person I am today.

Thank you for allowing me to witness your leadership through your actions. The first time Michael called me, he asked if it was a good time to talk. I thought to myself, is he for real?

As Michael reads this report present day, he’s never known this, but when I was home, his name in my phone contacts is saved as First Name: ALWAYS ANSWER. Last Name: NEVER MISS. So whenever he called me, my caller ID flashed “Always Answer, Never Miss.” As of today, I don’t think I’ve not missed his call.

I feel honored to write this book report discussing this autobiography, and spreading the good words about the impact you’ve had on my life, my family’s life, and other men whom you may never know or meet but who have learned and benefited from things you have taught me. Thank you.

To find out more about Michael Santos and to purchase from his collection of books written, go to www.prisonprofessors.com or earningfreedom.com for more information. Thank you for reading this article.