Is there Life After Prison?

 I know of a prisoner who paroled this morning after serving a 30 year sentence. He's spent around two-thirds of his life in prison. When he came to prison in 1994, cellphones were a new thing, flat screen TVs didn't exist (at least commercially), and the internet was in its infant stages. Facebook, Google, SpaceX, Crypto Currency, and so many other things we take for granted today did not exist. 

I can't imagine how this prisoner felt as he approached his parole date. The entire world had changed, and many people in his family had died. It must have felt like he was about to enter a foreign country without any clue of how to survive. 

The closer I get to my parole date, the more I think about life after prison, too. So many unknowns hang over my head, but I'm still hopeful. I'm hopeful that I can get my life back together, get a job and eventually start a business again, eventually purchase a home, and live out some of the dreams I've dreamt over the past 15 years in prison. 

Of course, I have my criminal history to contend with. I'll always have the scarlet letter "C" (for ex-Convict) hanging over my head. I'll have restrictions on housing, job opportunities, travel (initially), and many other things that become harder with a felony conviction. Yes, society is more willing to give some of us a second chance to prove ourselves, but I know some people will always see me as the sum of my worst choices. 

Daniel Diermeier, an expert in reputation management, says that the only way to cure a bad reputation is to behave your way out of it. For fifteen years in prison, I've been doing just that, but I know I have a lot more to prove to people who really matter to me. I'm willing to put that hard work in, though. It's worth every bit of struggle. 

I know I can never erase the harm I caused, and I have to live with that regret. But I'm also committed to holding myself accountable. I've already been working on the issues that led me to prison in the first place. I'll continue that work after prison, too, and I'll engage the help of counselors and mentors to help me stay the course. 

I'm sure the world has changed a lot in the last fifteen years, and people have changed too. I know I've changed a lot. I can only hope others will give me a chance to demonstrate that change and show that I'm not the man I once was. 

I feel excited in some ways to face the newness of life outside of prison, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have my apprehensions too. Yet, I've never been one to back down from a challenge. Some challenges are worth every bit of pain and sacrifice involved. 

Rebuilding a good reputation might take me a lifetime, but frankly a reputation is nothing more than fruit from one's way of living. As we say in prison, "Don't talk about it. Be about it." So, don't take my word for it. Just give me a chance to show you.