Earning Freedom!

Conquering a 45-Year Prison Term

By: Michael Santos

Narrated by: Michael Santos

Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Michael Santos helps audiences understand how to overcome the struggle of a lengthy prison term. Listeners get to experience the mindset of a 23-year-old young man that goes into prison at the start of America’s War on Drugs. They see how decisions that Santos made at different stages in the journey opened opportunities for a life of growth, fulfillment, and meaning.

Santos tells the story in three sections: Veni, Vidi, Vici.

In the first section of the book, we see the challenges of the arrest, the reflections while in jail, the criminal trial, and the imposition of a 45-year prison term.

In the second section of the book, we learn how Santos opened opportunities to grow. By writing letters to universities, he found his way into a college program. After earning an undergraduate degree, he pursued a master’s degree. After earning a master’s degree, he began work toward a doctorate degree. When authorities blocked his pathway to complete his formal education, Santos shifted his energy to publishing and creating business opportunities from inside of prison boundaries.

In the final section, we learn how Santos relied upon critical-thinking skills to position himself for a successful journey inside. He nurtured a relationship with Carole and married her inside of a prison visiting room. Then, he began building businesses that would allow him to return to society strong, with his dignity intact.

Through Earning Freedom! listeners learn how to overcome struggles and challenges. At any time, we can recalibrate, we can begin working toward a better life. Santos served 9,135 days in prison, and another 365 days in a halfway house before concluding 26 years as a federal prisoner. Through his various websites, he continues to document how the decisions he made in prison put him on a pathway to succeed upon release.

©2020 Michael Santos (P)2022 Michael Santos

Stunning information!

Mandatory reading for anyone facing federal time.
Good advice for those facing time and family members.

Extraordinary Story

26 years behind bars. For probably 99% of the prison population, that would produce a hardened, angry and bitter criminal. For Michael Santos, however, it enabled him to be his best self, and come out of prison with a great life ahead prepped and ready to go.

One note: Santos does all the reading, and he’s not a perfect reader. He makes not infrequent mistakes. But it it adds to the charm of the story.

Powerful

Michael’s story is a powerful look at America’s irrational “justice system”. But most of all it is inspiring and hopeful. He sets the bar for commitment to change and positivity in an environment that is at best indifferent to him and his future. This is a story worth reading.

Entertaining STORY about drug hustler turned CJ reform hustler.

I agree with Mr Santos on need for CJ and sentencing reform however disagree with several of his premises and simplistic solutions to a very complicated topic. Although entertaining, much of it is redundant. This book could easily be condensed in half. I usually prefer audiobooks in which authors narrate their own books but this is an exception. Unlike another reviewer, I did not find the frequent mistakes charming but rather distracting and sloppy. Mr Santos ends the book with a cliffhanger about post-prison lawsuit in which he loses all of his savings which he segues into a sales pitch for his next book LOL. If you want an entertaining story, it's not a total waste of time. If you are looking for substance, look elsewhere.