Prison consultant

Last updated

A prison consultant provides newly convicted criminals with advice on how to cope and survive in the unfamiliar surroundings of prison. Prison consultants may also provide a client's attorney with advice on how to lobby the sentencing judge for a shorter sentence, and how to get a client sentenced to a lower security level prison (the higher a prison's security level, the more violent and dangerous). They may advise white-collar and celebrity criminals, high-level drug dealers and disgraced politicians to help them navigate the society of prison and make the most of their stay. [1]

Contents

Consultants charge anywhere from several hundred to many thousands of dollars, with no promises made. Among their past clients have been Lori Loughlin, Bernard Madoff, Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Mike Tyson, Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress, Martha Stewart, Peter Navarro, Steve Bannon, Harvey Weinstein, and Leona Helmsley. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Practitioners

Becoming a prison consultant requires no formal training or certification, and no agency tracks those in the business. Certifications for prison consultants exist, but none are issued by an accredited entity. Most people who hold themselves out as prison consultants are ex-convicts who, by the nature of their background, are considered to be disreputable. [7] Most prison consultants are sole-practitioners, giving cause for further skepticism.[ citation needed ]

Despite skepticism, the industry is changing; what first was a service accessed only by the rich and famous, services are increasingly being accepted by middle-class convicts. [8] As the field of practitioners grows, consultants with non-traditional incarceration experience have entered the industry to offer services to those skeptical of solo-practitioners and convicts without verifiable success in custody, including undercover inmates and reality television celebrities from A&E Networks program 60 Days In .

The Federal Bureau of Prisons takes no position on consulting. [2]

Additional advice

In general, consultants will advise prison-bound clients to keep a low profile and avoid offending other inmates. Offenses can include joining a conversation without an invitation, asking personal questions without a proper cue, and taking liberties with the television (most fights take place in the TV room). [9]

Consultants can help navigate early-release programs and will recommend entry into a drug or alcohol rehab program. Federal prison consultants often educate clients regarding the Residential Drug Abuse Program, a 500-hour program which can reduce a federal sentence up to 12 months. [10]

Consultants may advise about Federal Bureau of Prisons employee personality types; how to defend one's self in a prison fight; and how best to avoid being raped, stabbed or beaten.

Clients are warned to expect strip searches and to accept a complete loss of personal control to the guards.

Commentary on infamous inmates

Much news and discussion of prison consultants has centered on Bernard Madoff. Herbert J. Hoelter, who advised Madoff, said that Madoff's sentencing to the medium-security Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, North Carolina was appropriate because the facility is next door to a medical center, and if Madoff became eligible for transfer to a low-security prison, there would be one within the same complex. Hoelter expected that his other clients in Butner would take Madoff under their wing, saying "It's like a buddy system." He thinks Madoff's lengthy term would "give him credibility with other inmates." His advice to Madoff was "It’s a matter of keeping your space and having respect for other people". [11]

A similar story played out for high-profile inmates Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. Ahead of Navarro reporting to Federal Correctional Institution, Miami, federal prison consultant Sam Mangel, while acknowledging Navarro was "nervous," saying "Anybody, regardless of the length of their sentence, is going into an unknown world," had other currently-incarcerated clients help Navarro "acclimate" to reality behind bars. [12] Along similar lines, Mangel helped Steve Bannon secure special housing for military veterans when he served his sentence at Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incarceration in the United States</span> Form of punishment in United States law

Incarceration in the United States is one of the primary means of punishment for crime in the United States. In 2021, over five million people were under supervision by the criminal justice system, with nearly two million people incarcerated in state or federal prisons and local jails. The United States has the largest known prison population in the world. It has 5% of the world’s population while having 20% of the world’s incarcerated persons. China, with more than four times more inhabitants, has fewer persons in prison. Prison populations grew dramatically beginning in the 1970s, but began a decline around 2009, dropping 25% by year-end 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recidivism</span> Person repeating an undesirable behavior following punishment

Recidivism is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been trained to extinguish it. Recidivism is also used to refer to the percentage of former prisoners who are rearrested for a similar offense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Bureau of Prisons</span> U.S. federal law enforcement agency

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that is responsible for all federal prisons in the country and provides for the care, custody, and control of federal prisoners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury</span> Low-security federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, US

The Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury is a low-security United States federal prison for male and female inmates in Danbury, Connecticut. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility also has an adjacent satellite prison camp that houses minimum-security female offenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Penitentiary, Atwater</span> Federal prison near Atwater, California

The United States Penitentiary, Atwater is a high-security United States federal prison for male inmates in unincorporated Merced County, California. The institution also includes a minimum-security satellite camp. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Penitentiary, Coleman</span> High-security United States federal prison in Florida

The United States Penitentiary, Coleman I and II are high-security United States federal prisons for male inmates in Florida. It is part of the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. USP Coleman I was opened in 2001, and in 2004 Clark Construction completed a 555,000-square-foot (51,600 m2) additional component for USP Coleman II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Complex, Butner</span> Federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, US

The Federal Correctional Complex, Butner is a United States federal prison complex for men near Butner, North Carolina. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. FCC Butner is about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Raleigh, the state capital. It includes the Bureau's largest medical complex, which operates a drug treatment program and specializes in oncology and behavioral science. Among its inmates was Bernie Madoff, who was convicted for perpetrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. He died at the prison in April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York</span> Federal detention facility in Manhattan, New York

The Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York is a temporarily closed United States federal administrative detention facility in the Civic Center of Lower Manhattan, New York City, located on Park Row behind the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse at Foley Square. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Institution, Edgefield</span> Medium-security United States prison in South Carolina

The Federal Correctional Institution, Edgefield is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in South Carolina. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility also has an adjacent satellite prison camp for minimum-security male offenders, which houses between 500 and 549 inmates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Institution, Terre Haute</span> Medium-security United States prison in Indiana

The Federal Correctional Institution, Terre Haute is a medium-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Indiana. It is part of the Federal Correctional Complex, Terre Haute and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. The facility also has an adjacent satellite prison camp for minimum-security male offenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Institution, Miami</span> Low security U.S. federal penal facility

The Federal Correctional Institution, Miami is a low-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Florida. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), a division of the United States Department of Justice. The institution also has an adjacent satellite prison camp that houses minimum-security male offenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Medical Center, Devens</span> United States federal prison in Massachusetts

The Federal Medical Center, Devens is a United States federal prison in Massachusetts for male inmates requiring specialized or long-term medical or mental health care. It is designated as an administrative facility, which means it has inmates from different security classifications, from white-collar criminals to mobsters and sex offenders. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. FMC Devens also has a satellite camp housing minimum-security male inmates.

Herbert Joseph Hoelter was an American criminal justice consultant and prison consultant. The Associated Press and Boston Globe recognized him as a pioneer in the field of federal sentencing mitigation. He is an expert in sentencing, creative alternatives to incarceration and the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). He is chairman and CEO of the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA), a group he co-founded along with Dr. Jerome G. Miller in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Institution, Coleman</span> American prison complexes in Florida

Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), Coleman refers to either of two separate and distinct FCIs housing male offenders, namely Federal Correctional Institution, Coleman Low or Federal Correctional Institution, Coleman Medium. Both institutions form part of the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Coleman and are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Detention Center, Los Angeles</span> Federal prison in Los Angeles, California

The Metropolitan Detention Center, Los Angeles is a United States federal prison in downtown Los Angeles, California which holds male and female inmates prior to and during court proceedings, as well as inmates serving short sentences. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Complex, Allenwood</span>

The Federal Correctional Complex, Allenwood is a federal prison complex for male inmates in Pennsylvania, United States. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Medical Center, Butner</span> United States federal prison

The Federal Medical Center, Butner, is a United States federal prison opened in 1995 in North Carolina for male inmates of all security levels who have special health needs. It is part of the Butner Federal Correctional Complex and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. An adjacent satellite prison camp houses minimum-security male inmates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Correctional Institution, Petersburg</span> U.S. prison in Prince George County, Virginia

The Federal Correctional Institution, Petersburg is a United States federal prison for low- and medium-security male inmates. It is part of the Petersburg Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Virginia and operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. An adjacent satellite prison camp houses minimum-security male offenders. FCI Petersburg consists of two facilities:

John Doc Fuller is a prison coach, motivational speaker, and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Mangel</span>

Sam Mangel is an American businessman who consults for incarcerated individuals. He served 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Upon release, Mangel began advising defendants, such as Steve Bannon, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Peter Navarro, on navigating the U.S. prison system. He is also a CNN contributor on the topics of federal incarceration and white-collar crime.

References

  1. ↑ "Qualify for RDAP Program - RDAPDan | Federal Prison Consultant". rdapdan.com. Archived from the original on 2018-01-15.
  2. 1 2 Abrams, Jonathan (October 10, 2009). "Consultants Are Providing High-Profile Inmates a Game Plan for Coping". The New York Times . Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Ex-cons offer prison primers for soon-to-be incarcerated execs". Chicago Tribune . February 24, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Peter Navarro Begins 4-Month Prison Sentence for Contempt of Congress". New York Times . March 19, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  5. ↑ York, Josie Ensor, New (2024-06-29). "The fixer who can get white-collar criminals a quieter cell or cushy job". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2024-12-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Consultants Advising Rich on Prison Life | Prison Legal News". www.prisonlegalnews.org. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  7. ↑ "Life After Prison: Ex-Felons Often Struggle to Find a Job". WBHM 90.3. 25 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "Inside the World of Prison Consultants Who Prepare White Collar Criminals to do Time". 8 January 2020.
  9. ↑ Chon, Gina (2024-05-21). "Prison consultant helps ex-Trump adviser navigate life behind bars". Semafor . Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  10. ↑ Alexander, Rachel (2017-03-30). "Spokane Valley man uses experience to coach incoming inmates how to cope with prison and accountability". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  11. ↑ Efrati, Amir (2009-07-15). "Madoff's Prison Consultant Weighs In On Inmate No. 61727-054". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  12. ↑ Polantz, Katelyn (2024-03-18). "When Peter Navarro goes to prison, he'll hear the lions roar". cnn.com. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
  13. ↑ Hampton, Daniel (2024-07-01). "Steve Bannon's 'culture shock' incarceration: No podcasts, but perhaps a library gig". rawstory.com. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.