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Matthew Charles: Saved by the First Step Act

Monday, February 4, 2019
Matthew Charles’ life has seen some extraordinary turns recently. After spending 21 years in prison on a 35-year sentence, he was released in 2016. He walked out of prison with nothing, but soon created a full life for himself. It turned out, though, that his... Read More
Chad Marks

Success on the Inside: Chad Marks

Monday, January 28, 2019
At age 24, Chad Marks was sentenced to a 40-year federal mandatory minimum sentence. The prosecution offered him a plea deal that could have resulted in a 10-year term if Chad would admit his guilt. Instead, he went to trial, was convicted, and sentenced to... Read More

Success on the Inside: Jorge Maldonado

Friday, December 14, 2018
I still think about wrestling. I watch it here in prison every Monday and Tuesday. I wrestled for over 25 years, in many countries. You can see my videos on YouTube – just search “Rico Casanova Lucha.” I want to fight again when I get... Read More
Elizabeth Melson

Success Story: Elizabeth Melson

Friday, October 26, 2018
Elizabeth was a shy child and adolescent who struggled with self-esteem issues from an early age.  Problems for Elizabeth became even worse during her teens, around the time of her parents’ separation and divorce. Read More

Robert Shipp: The World Gave Up on Him. He Proved Them Wrong

Friday, September 7, 2018
“It feels like the world has given up on you. That you are just some throwaway, someone who is irredeemable.” That’s how Robert Shipp describes being sentenced to life in prison for a drug crime in 1994. UPDATE: Robert was released from BOP custody on... Read More

Success on the Inside: Michael Monsivais

Thursday, April 12, 2018
In prison, Michael Angel Monsivais saw a huge need. And instead of waiting for someone else to fill that need—the warden, the BOP, the government—he took matters into his own hands.  UPDATE: Michael was released to the halfway house on May 29, 2018.   Read More

Stephanie Nodd

Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Desperate to make ends meet as a 20-year-old single mom to three young kids, Stephanie Nodd became involved with a drug dealer. Eventually, she was caught up in the conspiracy that would bring both of them down—and she was sentenced to more time than he... Read More

Rufus Rochell: A Gentleman and a Gentle Man

Monday, May 7, 2018
Despite his 35-year sentence for a drug crime, Rufus Rochell remains upbeat, kind, and forward-looking. For more than three decades behind bars, he’s immersed himself in service to others—a kind of remarkable self-rehabilitation. UPDATE: Rufus was released after more than 30 years in prison in... Read More