Michael G. Santos

My name is Michael Santos. I’m a long-term prisoner and author. I’ve been confined in federal prison since 1987, when I was 23. I serve time because of convictions related to the distribution of cocaine. There were no weapons and there was no violence involved with my case, and I had never been incarcerated before I was arrested for this offense. Nevertheless, my judge imposed a 45-year sentence. I have been incarcerated for more than 22 years; over 8,000 days and nights of continuous imprisonment.

Now I’m 45 years old. Based on the sentencing laws that were in place at the time of my convictions, commonly referred to as the old-law, I am scheduled for release in 2013, after 26 years of imprisonment.

Since my confinement began, I’ve worked consistently to reconcile with society for the bad decisions of my early 20s. I regret that I engaged in criminal behavior, and throughout my confinement I have considered it my duty to work toward earning freedom while serving my sentence with dignity. I educated myself, earning a bachelors degree and a masters degree, and through my published books and articles, I strive to make meaningful contributions to society. My writings contribute to academia, and to the national dialogue on the need for prison reform. For individuals and families who anticipate a journey through the criminal justice system, the content I write is invaluable.

My hopes have always been to build a record that stands on its own and demonstrates my commitment to live an authentic, contributing life. I think that anyone who juxtaposes my record against any other long-term, nonviolent prisoner would reasonably conclude that— although others may have worked as hard as I have to earn freedom— no one has worked harder to atone and to prepare for a law-abiding, contributing life upon release.

I write content every day that my wife, Carole, publishes on MichaelSantos.net and PrisonNewsBlog.com. We encourage readers to post comments and subscribe to our RSS feed.