Letters of Hope

Letters from Men in Prison &

The Case for Accessible Entrepreneurship Education























By Steve Mariotti and Meredith-Lyn Avey

Research by:
Meredith-Lyn Avey & Victor Job

2013, 2014 Steve Mariotti Productions



Table of Contents


Executive Summary 1

Introduction by Steve Mariotti 2

Letters of Education 3
Interrupted Education 3
Comparing Education Today 4

Letters by Young Men & Letters of Race 5

Letters About Drugs 5
Legalization and Decriminalization 8

Letters of Poverty 9

Letters of Entrepreneurship & Letters of Hope 10
Empowerment 10
Productivity Upon Release & Big Dreams 11

Conclusion 12
Providing Accessible Entrepreneurship Education 12
Saving our Youth through Entrepreneurship Education 13

Catalog of 190 Letters 14

Endnotes 44


About the Authors

Steve Mariotti is considered one of todays leading experts in education for at-risk
youth. In 1982, Mariotti left the corporate sector to become a special education teacher in
the New York City school system. He was assigned to schools in East New York,
Brooklyn, and Fort Apache of the South Bronx. While teaching in this environment for six
and a half years, Mariotti gained insight into how to successfully motivate his tough
students by teaching them how to run a business. His experience inspired him to create
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) in 1987 a nonprofit organization that
helps to bring entrepreneurial education to low-income youth around the world. NFTE has
reached 500,000 young people in 18 states and 9 other countries, and is frequently used as a
model for other programs in the field.
Mariotti began volunteering within mens prisons in 1993. He established ITEM
Inmates Teaching Entrepreneurship and Mentoring with Joe Robinson in 2004 after an
overwhelmingly positive response to his popular book, The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to
Starting and Running a Business, which he donated to mens correctional facilities
throughout the country.
In 2012, Mariotti was inducted into the Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. He is the
recipient of numerous awards, as well as the subject of many national media profiles. He is
co-author of 28 books on entrepreneurship that have sold over one million copies.
A native son of Michigan, Mr. Mariotti received his B.B.A. in business economics
and his M.B.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has also studied at
Harvard University, Stanford University, and Brooklyn College. Mariotti is a regular
contributor to The Huffington Post.


Meredith-Lyn Avey has been consulting for Steve Mariotti and acting as lead
researcher for Letters of Hope since May 2013. In 2006, she obtained a BFA from SUNY
Purchase Conservatory of Dance and began working as a professional dancer in New York
City. In January 2009, Meredith joined Avodah Dance, where she began leading and co-
facilitating creative movement residencies with womens prisons, public schools and
community centers, while also conducting creative movement workshops for the Bella
Abzug Leadership Institute, NYC a leadership and debate training organization for
young women. Shortly after joining Avodah Dance, Meredith began working as Outreach
and Development Assistant, aiding in fundraising, coordinating residencies, social media
marketing, project proposals and grant writing. Her work within womens prisons spurred
her to investigate the world of incarceration and social issues that surround the criminal
justice system and to pursue a masters degree in non-profit management at the New
School for Public Engagement, where she focused on arts in public education, school-to-
prison pipelines and the prison industrial complex. She is now focusing her efforts on
bringing entrepreneurship education to women in prison, as well as to formally incarcerated
women.

"

Executive Summary

From the 500-plus letters from prisoners that were collected between 2009 and
2013, we have chosen 190 that stood out as significant documents. With the help of
research assistant Victor Job, we then selected 76 out of the 190 that we considered
especially informative. We have broken these into categories as listed in the Table of
Contents.
While reading these remarkable letters, we discovered the invaluable benefit of
learning from a direct source and how helpful this was in qualitatively assessing issues that
surround incarceration. These letters offer a unique opportunity to bring statistical data to
life with a newfound respect for the people behind the statistics by linking their stories with
the facts that reflect how their lives that are affected by social, economic and political
inequities.
However, we would like to stress that this report is not intended to deliver an
argument as to why or how these inequities arise. The primary intention of this report is to
provide a publicly accessed platform for these important letters, and is focused on
entrepreneurship education and the potential positive impacts it could have if introduced
more commonly throughout incarcerated communities, as well as to other communities at
risk. We hope this research will serve as a reference regarding what can be learned directly
from men affected by incarceration.
We would also like to note that for the protection of the men who wrote to NFTE
and to Steve Mariotti we have kept all references anonymous. All additional data used to
enhance our findings is referenced under Endnotes.

#

Introduction
by Steve Mariotti

It all started in 1993. NFTE had about 1,000 copies left of The Young
Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business that were going to be shelved
because we had just finished our newest curriculum. Instead of storing the books, we
decided to donate them to the New York Department of Corrections.
For 25 years I have volunteered in prisons, but I never expected the response we
received in 93, which sparked a 20-year correspondence between NFTE and incarcerated
men throughout the country.
At first, the letters came in intermittently, one or two every week. Some came
directly from inmates responding to the donated books. Others came through ITEM
(Inmates Teaching Entrepreneurship and Mentoring), a program I co-founded in 2004
with Joe Robinson to train inmates in financial literacy basics. Joes idea was not only to
teach inmates how to start and run their own businesses, but to also strategically help them
use their businesses to re-engage with their families, particularly with their children.
These letters continue to come almost every day since. Realizing I had letters of
gold, I enlisted the help of Victor and Meredith. Together, we read over 500 letters
received from 2009 to 2013, then singled out 190 specific letters that gave special insight
into the imprisonment of American males.
The findings were both fascinating and depressing ultimately confirming what we
already suspected about the most common pathway to prison: a life of poverty, drug-
related crimes, and unstable home environments. As an educator and advocate for at-risk
youth, I was particularly struck by the various expressions the letters contained of
detachment from and discouragement with the education system.
Today, 1 in every 35 adults
1
live under the shadow of the United States correctional
system 1 in every 108 adults are actually incarcerated (now roughly around 2.2 million),
leaving 2.7 million
2
children with parents in prison.
The family income of fathers who are incarcerated average at 22% lower than a year
before their incarceration,
3
and their children are also more likely to become expelled or
suspended from school - interrupting their education and affecting their own economic
mobility.
Still, these letters have been more than just requests for books on entrepreneurship,
or notes reflecting thanks for the donated material. They express a hopefulness inspired by a
newfound knowledge of entrepreneurship, and offer us a rare chance to hear directly from
men whose lives have been stunted by incarceration yet inspired by entrepreneurship and
imagine new futures for themselves.
My goal is to prevent at least one young person from going to prison. This research
is a look at how equitable accessibility to entrepreneurship education may do just that.

$

Letters of Education

Interrupted Education

The first thing we noticed when reading these letters was shocking but not surprising: the
educational paths of most of the writers had been severely interrupted. Both their own
actions and systemic causalities positioned these men to reject their education or to have an
unstable relationship with education as a whole. We found that 40 out of the selected 190
letters either contained direct references towards this interruption or used direct language
that referenced their personal experiences with education (noted by the color purple within
the data charts).

We are aware that there were prompts for these kinds of statements. The Young
Entrepreneurs Guide to Starting and Running a Business by Steve Mariotti had either passed
through their hands or through the hands of their fellow inmates. Some of these men were
already involved in repairing their educations while incarcerated by studying for a GED,
college credits and associate degrees. A few were taking business-oriented courses through
their facilitys education wing. A handful of men, however, had come into contact with
Mariottis book as well as, Think Outside the Cell by Joe Robinson,
4
and had not thought of
themselves as entrepreneurs until this point. Their appetites for entrepreneurial knowledge
seemed to have been catalyzed by their exposure to Robinsons and/or Mariottis books, or
business-related classes, prompting them to write about their interest in obtaining more
business knowledge.

The reasons the letter writers gave for their interrupted educations are consistent with
existing knowledge, including links to poverty, unstable home environments,
5
and a lack of
mentorship or drive to stay in school, in conjunction with temptations to join a street life
6

community. These men consistently reported that around the time of their arrest they saw
more opportunity to survive financially by getting involved with street life, rather than by
staying in school.

These men also turned to the streets to find what they needed to provide for their
families. Many described the dependency of immediate family members and community
members upon their earnings. Some alluded to their struggles or identify them out-right,
while others praise the good life of their street businesses. One man explained his
communitys need for the assistance his illegal business provided. He paid school fees and
tuitions, helped to cover medical costs and food for other families. He admitted his actions
were wrong but his intentions were well meaning. Fearful that his family would slide into
poverty and into the street, he justified his actions as necessary. He saw himself as
sacrificing his own education in order to help his family and friends survive and obtain their
own educations.

We recognize that all the letters we received could essentially point to an interruption in
education due to incarcerationand for some men, multiple incarcerations. Yet, what we
also discovered is a profound will to learn among these inmates especially regarding
entrepreneurship.

%

These letters also portray the will to share entrepreneurial insights with each other
while incarcerated. Some men even run (or ran) classes on entrepreneurship, financial
literacy and business. They professed that through their own study of entrepreneurship they
gained confidence and the ability to imagine themselves starting and running their own
businesses, and most expressed a desire to give back to their communities.
Exposure to entrepreneurship education has spurred their interest to help
themselves and others on the inside and upon release. The will to become educated about
business in order to educate others they feel are at risk (like they were) for succumbing to
the financial pressures of poverty and getting involved with street life has been a unique
thread running through these letters. We hypothesize it is because they believe that the
passing of knowledge and experience, while also teaching themselves and others about
entrepreneurship, has the potential to work. Entrepreneurship education, they tell us, has
given them the power to uplift themselves from their circumstances.


Comparing Todays Education Environment

Since we have assumed that at one point these men were enrolled in public schools we
found it necessary to address current education policies. Policies such as No Child Left
Behind and Race to the Top apply school sanctions and school closures if schools are unable
to maintain certain levels of standards while creating a competitive atmosphere in which
schools are rewarded for their academic successes.
7
Subjects regarded as top priority such
as math and reading are overemphasized by standardized tests. Other subjects such as the
arts, various electives, science, and even history are sometimes extracted from school
curricula or diminished significantly.

We have found that such policies have had no effect in improving the national level of
achievement and attendance.
8
These policies have put pressure on public schools to fulfill
standards (be proficient in reading and math) by a specific end date. No Child Left Behinds
mandatory date to have all public school students proficient in reading and math is 2014.
9


In New York State alone, 51% of males imprisoned did not have a high school diploma or
GED, according to a 2008 study by the Corrections Association of NY.
10
(How these
policies affect persons of color is explained briefly under section Letters by Young Men &
Letters of Race.)

We have concluded, therefore, that there is a connection between the disengagement with
education (described in the letters) and these national policies. We recommend a serious
look into how we can improve our schools to help maintain student interest in staying in
school, and mentor and guide students away from the streets and back into the classrooms.

&

Letters by Young Men & Letters of Race

Statistics show that there are more young African American men imprisoned then any
other racial group. We did not expect to be provided with this information from the
letters alone, yet we have found cases in which this fact does correspond to existing data.
Indicated by colors red and yellow, we have calculated that at least 15 men identified their
racial make-up and 38 also identified themselves as young in this case, ages 18 through
35 years out of the 190 collected letters. All, except for one who identifies himself as
half-white/half-Puerto Rican, identify and introduce themselves as African American
males.

We found it important to recognize this trend in our research because of the racial
disparities prevalent within todays prison population
11
. One in every fifteen African
American men (18 years and older)
12
is in prison. According to the Corrections
Association of NY, in 2008 New York State alone held a prison population that was 51%
African American, 21% white and 26% Hispanic.
13


Data collected in 2012 by the U.S. Department of Educations Civil Rights revealed that
African American students were three times more likely to be held back in school than
white students.
14
School disciplinary actions, such as school arrests, often affect African
American and Hispanic students at higher rates than white students, creating higher
percentages that feed into what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline.
15


We believe the men of these letters are living examples of this pipelines existence because
of their identification as overwhelmingly young and African American, and because some
have received their GED while incarcerated.

Disproportionate sentencing for drug crimes is also pervasive in the criminal justice system,
where blacks serve longer, more punitive sentences verses whites.
16
Though minimal in
sample size and scope, these letters highlight this racial disparity among incarceration.




Letters About Drugs

Selling or dealing, using, and/or other related activities surrounding drugs were noted or
referenced about 25 times (noted in blue within the catalog) in the 190 letters we analyzed.
Years 2010 and 2011 had the highest number of drug-related crimes mentioned within the
letters. We have no conclusion as to why these two years yielded more direct mention of
drugs than other years. We cannot say for certain whether the men who wrote of their
drug crimes were arrested during 2010 or 2011, many alluded to or blatantly wrote that
they were already serving time of various lengths.


'

We decided to briefly examine the history of drug-related crimes before and during the
years these letters were received, as well as the criminal justice system that surrounds this
issue. In doing so, we found this chart from The Sentencing Project that visually captures
the shocking increase in drug-related imprisonment between 1980 and 2011:
17






According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation there were 1,062,777 men arrested for
drug related crimes in 2009; 949,169 were 18 years of age or older. In 2010 there were
1,030,078 men; 111,127 under the age of 18 and arrested for drug abuses. Also according
to FBI records all (both male and female) arrests relating to the sale and manufacturing of
drugs in 2010 were found to be at 18%, in comparison to crimes relating to drug
possession, which were around 82%. (See below for details. All charts were extracted from
www.fbi.gov.)

(

Arrests for Drug Abuse Violations
Percent Distribution by Region, 2010
Drug abuse violations
United
States
total
Northeast Midwest South West
Total
1
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Total 18.1 22.3 19.6 17.8 15.4
Heroin or cocaine and
their derivatives
6.2 12.0 4.1 6.0 4.3
Marijuana 6.3 6.8 9.6 5.4 5.5
Synthetic or
manufactured drugs
1.8 1.6 1.5 3.1 0.6
Sale/Manufacturing:
Other dangerous
nonnarcotic drugs
3.7 2.0 4.3 3.3 5.0


Total

81.9

77.7

80.4

82.2

84.6
Heroin or cocaine
and their derivatives
16.4 16.6 10.0 14.9 21.3
Marijuana 45.8 48.3 53.9 51.5 33.5
Synthetic or
manufactured drugs
4.1 2.9 4.3 5.5 2.8
Possession:
Other dangerous
nonnarcotic drugs
15.7 9.8 12.3 10.3 27.1
1
Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.




In 2011 the FBI reported 1,531,251 drug arrests - also the highest number of total arrests
of all crimes committed; 942,325 in total were male; 848,253 were men of ages 18 or
older.
18
Nearly half of all inmates in federal prisons alone were serving time for drug-
related crimes in 2011.
19





Arrests for Drug Abuse Violations
Percent Distribution by Region, 2011
Drug abuse violations
United
States
total
Northeast Midwest South West
Total
1
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Total 18.2 21.8 19.4 17.3 16.6
Heroin or cocaine and their derivatives 6.3 11.5 4.3 5.8 4.8
Marijuana 6.2 6.5 9.2 5.0 5.7
Synthetic or manufactured drugs 1.8 1.6 1.4 3.0 0.6
Sale/Manufacturing:
Other dangerous nonnarcotic drugs 4.0 2.2 4.4 3.4 5.6

)

Drug abuse violations
United
States
total
Northeast Midwest South West
Total 81.8 78.2 80.6 82.7 83.4
Heroin or cocaine and their derivatives 16.7 16.6 10.4 14.4 23.9
Marijuana 43.3 48.5 52.1 51.3 23.5
Synthetic or manufactured drugs 4.6 3.2 4.8 6.0 3.4
Possession:
Other dangerous nonnarcotic drugs 17.2 9.9 13.3 11.1 32.6
1
Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.



Although we are seeing a steady decrease in male arrests related to drug crimes, correlating
to the decrease in incarcerated males within federal, state and private prisons, these crimes
still remain the highest of all reported arrests amongst all reported crimes committed.

Although these reports do not infer that arrests turned to imprisonment, it is still no
surprise to be receiving letters from men in prison who have written of their drug- related
experiences. We find it interesting that the largest amount of letters mentioning drug
related crimes came out of the years 2010 and 2011. Could these men be speaking out
about their history of drug-related activities due to the shift in political or societal views?


Legalization and Decriminalization

In 2011, the FBI found that there was an increase in drug use among youth and young
adults. The 2011 report claimed that marijuana use began to increase in adolescent
students due to what they pose as a decrease in adolescents perception of the risk
associated with marijuana abuse perhapsto conflicting messages imparted by national
debates over drug legalization and decriminalization.
20


Since the majority of these arrests are of possession, lawmakers are now discussing the
legitimacy of decriminalizing the possession of drugs and legalizing the sale of soft drugs
like marijuana.
21
States such as Colorado and Washington have passed state legislature that
legalizes the use and the sale of marijuana. Today, bills like the Smarter Sentencing Act of
2013, which reduces mandatory minimums for specific drug crimes (mostly non-violent
drug crimes) and allows judges more freedom towards the sentencing process of drug
offenders,
22
could be argued as beginning steps in correcting the overwhelming amount of
non-violent, drug-related arrests.

The Rockefeller Drug Laws,
23
that established the punitive mandatory minimum
sentencing against drug offenses in 1973 in New York, and used as a model around the
country, were effectively challenged in 2009. However, the non-profit membership group,
ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) was also involved in working with private
federal and state prison corporations such as the Correction Corporation of America

*

(CCA) and GEO Group to create mandatory minimum sentencing, truth-in-sentencing,
and three strikes laws to effectively produce and maintain higher prison populations.
24


These corporations also spend significant amounts of money on independent lobbying and
direct individual contributions to elected federal officials. This is an effort to increase
reliance on incarcerationat a time where Americas rate of imprisonment is the highest in
the world.(Mason, 2012)
25


In reference back to the letters, we have found that a few men did write that they were still
serving mandatory minimum sentences. Their stories of street life inclusive of drug offenses
indicated that many might be victims of these mandatory minimums and/or strict drug
laws, and are/were incarcerated as a consequence of The War on Drugs.




Letters of Poverty

We have documented 37 letters mentioning issues relating to economic hardship. We have
read about men who have come out of what they describe as a broken home, foster care,
and low-income communities surrounded by opportunities to become involved in criminal
activity. The letters tell us their reasons for choosing criminal activity: to help themselves,
their families and others in their community and to survive. (Issues concerning money are
notated in the catalog by the color green.) We found frequent use of the word indigent in
both simple letters of requests for more entrepreneurship materials and other letters that
were more in depth.

Financial literacy is an issue for the majority of the letter writers. They write directly of how
they struggle with money and are either educating themselves on how to overcome this or
are at least asking how to do so. They are concerned with re-entering society and not
having the means or the social status to obtain legal jobs. One inmate writes, The longer I
am incarcerated the harder itll be to find employment upon my release. They reveal their
fears of repeating their mistakes and falling into similar patterns because of their lack of
financial stability.

The letters have drawn us to conclude that if these men were taught at an early stage how
to be financially literate and independent, they have may not have turn[ed] to the street.
The relationship between poverty and incarceration is so prevalent within these letters,
which provide stories that humanize this economic struggle and social burden.

"+

Letters of Entrepreneurship & Letters of Hope

Empowerment

These letters are prime examples of the transforming power of education - especially
entrepreneurship education - to uplift these men from what could be classified as societal
oppression. They write about re-labeling themselves and re-identifying themselves. They
are no longer just as another thug or street kid, drug offender or convicted felon but
men who want to rid themselves of an illegally associated lifestyle - one that they never
imagined they could be free from until they found entrepreneurial knowledge. Tagged the
color magenta in the catalog, one can see many cases of such internal transformation and
the will to make a change for the benefit of the individual as well as the individuals
dependents (family and community).

This is expressed from the way they proclaim their astonishment towards their personal
discoveries to their confessions about money struggles and perceptions of wealth. Some
express surprise regarding their new awareness around the possibility of owning and starting
a business. They speak of themselves as people whose lives were always focused on the
streets; who never thought about education or other routes to success; who never thought
of their potential. They admit their failures, and that they have been through trial and
tribulation, as one man writes. These men are aware of what they did to become
incarcerated. They are aware that their behavior has saddled them with the label of
convicted felon for the rest of their lives, and they desire to prove their worth upon their
release.

One man wrote that reading Mariottis textbooks ignited a flame inside of him, giving
him the ability to realize that he, too, could have the power to start a business. There are
multiple accounts of these testimonies that unify the voice of those who are carrying the
weight of incarceration. They found themselves relieved of this weight once they were
awakened to this knowledge, redefining themselves as humans who are able to be more
than an incarcerated male or indigent prisoner. They have begun to redefine themselves
through the sharing of this knowledge stepping out of the shadows of their oppressive
label, and into the light of personal belief, and the will to end the cycle of prison.

On numerous accounts the men write of their involvement in programs that are related to
entrepreneurship (business, finance and accounting). They ask with enormous humility for
more textbooks, because they either want a personal copy for themselves or for their
classmates. A few men were/are so heavily involved that they started to teach or lead these
programs and go through the motions of gaining administrative approval and outside help.
Here is where education liberation and human transformation are interconnected. For these
men it has been educationthrough their own pursuits and in the pursuit of helping others
who are incarceratedthat has spurred their transformation.

""

Productivity Upon Release & Big Dreams

Cataloged as well are letters that express have big ideas, dreams, and desires of developing a
productive and sustainable lifestyle upon release. These desires come in all forms--from
strictly pursuing avenues toward personal wealth to the wish to provide for others and give
back to their communities.

Helping others outside of prison has been a constant thread throughout the letters. Many
of the men behind these letters wish to help others--especially youth in efforts to prevent
them from entering prison. They wish to be public speakers, mentors, educators and
nonprofit founders. These dreams of starting businesses that range from owning a
barbershop to a business that serve underprivileged youth in order to help the communities
and take many adults and children off the streets, are the dreams of convicted men who
have, or will one day, re-enter society.




Conclusion

Providing Accessible Entrepreneurship Education

Because our focus is on accessible entrepreneurship education, we are drawn to question:
Where would these men be now if they were not involved in an illegal trade or activity that led
to their incarceration? The letters acknowledge a level of skill that was needed to perform
their illegal actions. We argue that these skills can be converted towards legal forms of
entrepreneurship before incarceration, as well as help those currently incarcerated--if
entrepreneurship education and mentorship are provided.

Due to the sheer volume of letters sent to Steve Mariotti and NFTE asking for more
entrepreneurial knowledge, and because we have found such compelling evidence that
reinforces this need for engagement in entrepreneurial study, we conclude that there is a
great need for accessible entrepreneurship education. These letters show us that there is a
strong demand for accessible entrepreneurship training within public school systems, higher
education, and correctional institutions.

Although we are aware that there are organizations and entities that exist with this mission,
we are calling for an even stronger presence to develop and be implemented for both men
and women. Below we list our call to action that is founded by these letters and
surrounding data.

"#

Public Schools should:
Institute electives and/or core curriculums that entail entrepreneurship education
that are applicable and engaging to students
Work with existing non-profits that have teaching capabilities and resources
Develop outlets for mentorship that include professional mentorship and student
mentorship so students can help others (their peers) in the process of sharing
knowledge and positive encouragement
Encourage their school and surrounding community to engage in entrepreneurship
training and mentorship
Include student voice in their application of curriculums to examine student need
and relevant material
Encourage young women and girls to become engaged in entrepreneurship
endeavors

Correctional Facilities (both male and female) should:
Institute courses and curriculums that entail entrepreneurship education.
Provide access to entrepreneurial knowledge on a grander scale by introducing or
expanding available classes taught by trained and experienced professionals; and
provide such classes to those who are not enrolled in the prisons school.
Provide and maintain the training of inmates teaching, tutoring, and mentoring
other inmates to create program sustainability.
Provide financial guidance and finance focused classes to promote financial literacy.
Provide avenues that engage with outside support systems so that inmates can apply
their entrepreneurial knowledge and start a legitimate organization or business.

The prison letters have shown us that options and access to higher education (college and
university) are lacking. Therefore, we insist that higher education must also take a stronger
more committed role in supplying access to transitional processes for inmates leaving
prison, for those seeking opportunity to fulfill their education and pursue avenues of
entrepreneurship.

Colleges and Universities should:
Engage in scholarship programs that enable currently and formerly incarcerated
persons the ability to reach higher educational goals.
Provide transitional entrepreneurship programs for inmates upon re-entry.
Provide access to materials, resources and information on subjects related to
entrepreneurship: i.e. business, nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship,
grants (etc.).
Provide access to relative programs for children of incarcerated persons to become
part of a force that aims to break the cycle of incarceration.

We understand that there are social implications as well as political implications associated
within these demands. This report also addresses those who are seated within the realm of
policy. Changes in both forces (policy and education) have the opportunity to lead effective
and sustainable outcomes involving the issue of incarceration.


"$

Saving our Youth through Entrepreneurship Education

We understand that there is no simple fix when it comes to prison reform, but we do
believe that there are legitimate and easy steps that can be taken to help steer our youth
away from incarceration. We also believe that the letters are telling us how. As the letters
note, they did not realize that they were already entrepreneurs. We must recognize that
our youth have this same mentality, one that stems from the desire to make money in
some cases their survival is counting on it.

Teaching young people the skills of entrepreneurship and encouraging them to stay
engaged in learning how to start and run their own legal business is indisputably a step in
the right direction. This small idea of making entrepreneurial knowledge accessible can
make a great impact, and must be supported by a combination of forces: education policy
and social responsibility. We know that investing in our youth is essentially investing in all
of our futures and we know that our youth are desperate for knowledge that can reward
them (and all of us) later on. By harnessing the existing capacity of entrepreneurial
behavior and by provoking this behavior off the streets and back into the classrooms we
may very well save our young people from a life relationship with prison.

"%

Catalog of 190 Letters from Men in Prison

Color Key

Color
Key
Topic Mentioned Topic Description

Drugs Letters mentioning a relationship or involvement with drugs

Money lssue
Letters mentioning poverty, being indigent, financially unstable, and any
direct mentioning of money (etc.)

Education
Letters mentioning education directly or using language surrounding
education

Empowerment
Letters mentioning self improvement or sense of transformation; finding
inspiration; identifying a will to change (etc.)

Race Letters directly identifying racial make-up or ethnic background

Young
Letters that specify ages ranging from 18-35; letters that mention
imprisonment at an early age

lmportant
Content/Highlighted Letters
Letters found to be extremely important/informative in content are
highlighted and recognized as key letters (part of 76)



2009
St at e
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y
Dat e
Recei ved
Quot es General Fi ndi ngs

2009
Fl ori da
Central Florida
Reception Center Oct. 25th
"Before my incarceration, l
was going to enroll in
Hillsborough Community
College in Tampa, FL for
business."
Leaned about The Young
Entrepreneur's Guide through a
friend (fellow inmate) who said
it was "phenomenal.





Martin
Correctional
lnstitution Nov. 24th

Teaches other men a class on
credit and debt management to
help them upon release.



Martin
Correctional
lnstitution Oct. 27th
"l'm trying to learn things
based on running a
business so that l can
grow...and make a better
life for myself and others."





Martin
Correctional
lnstitution Sept.14th
"lnterested in starting a
business when l get out to
help the communities and
take many adults and
children off the streets."



Okeechobee
Correctional
lnstitution Dec. 14th
"l was doing pretty well
including the big and small
set backs. Hands on
experience was my only
teacher thus far."
Had own business before
incarceration - janitorial
business




Tomoka
Correct i onal Sept . 9t h
"l come f rom t he same
underpri vi l eged
Hai t i an i mmi grant
parent s, rai sed i n


"&

background of your ol d
st udent s i n
Brookl yn. . . f el l i nt o t he
st reet s, went t o pri son
once, got a GED. . . got
out enrol l ed i n
Communi t y
Col l ege. . . busi ness
degree. "
subsi di zed housi ng.
St ruggl ed wi t h educat i on.
Servi ng second pri son
t erm - 18 yrs sent ence.
Robbery cri me. Coul dn' t
pay rent .
(7 FL)
West Palm Work
Release Center Nov. 14th

Has a 2yr degree in
Management from Glen Oaks
Junior College. Dreams to
have a corporate empire.


Georgi a
Johnson State
Prison Oct. 15th
"Upon my release l plan to
start a nonprofit
organization that will house
and train parolees and
probationers..."
57years old when he wrote
the letter, with a degree in
lndustrial Management



Johnson State
Prison Oct. 14th
"After many failures this is
an opportunity for me to
learn the right and
successful way."




Johnson State
Prison Sep. 2nd
"l really need that book so l
can teach my kids and
other kids how to succeed
in life."



(4 GA)
Johnson State
Prison June 9th
"l have a strong desire to
learn and improve my
status in life...can give back
to pass the knowledge on."
lnspirational words.
Expression on hope. Read
Thinking Outside the Cell



Mi chi gan (1
Ml ) lnstitution's name
was crossed out
by inmate Jul. 20th

Wants to help educate people
around the world in
developing countries about
HlV and get them shelter,
education, health and job
opportunities.


New Jersey
(1 NJ)
South Woods
State Prison Aug. 18th
"l will use my business to
help unfortunate children."
Claims to have written over 60
books.


New York
At t i ca
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y Nov. 2nd
"l mysel f grew up i n t he
st reet s so l know what
i t i s l i ke t o be l ed
ast ray so l ' m t ryi ng t o
break t he on-goi ng
cycl e i n my
nei ghborhood. "
Was rel eased i n Jan
2010. Has beaut i f ul i deas
of gi vi ng back and
hel pi ng peopl e who are
homel ess and prone t o
st reet l i f e - f aci ng t he
pot ent i al f or j ai l . Al l of hi s
i nnovat i ons revol ve
around gi vi ng back or
hel pi ng t hrough
ent repreneurshi p.
Rehabi l i t at i on i s al so
expressed. Li st ed 6 i deas
on l ast page - one of



"'

t hem was a nursi ng
home.

Auburn
Correctional
Facility Dec. 21st
"My father is very sick & my
mother do not care for her
kids. My father and sister
are the only people who l
have...unable to financially
support me so l just go
without."
23 years old when he wrote
this letter. Coming out of a
poor family. Wants to be a
student of NFTE. Has served
a term for 2-4 years and
expected to be released in
October, 2010. Speaks
eloquently, yet miss-spells
words.



Cayuga
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y
Sep.
29t h
"My mi nd wasn' t
f ocused on school , i t
was concent rat ed on
t he st reet s. . . l went t o
school by day and sol d
drugs and robbed, or
di d what ever t o make
money af t er school . "
"Lost f ai t h i n
graduat i ng HS and j ust
dropped out . . . i n 2004. "
Was 22 years ol d when
he wrot e t hi s l et t er.
l dent i f i es hi msel f as a
young Af ri can Ameri can.
Dropped out of hi gh
school bef ore graduat i ng
(around j uni or year).
Came out of t he Red
Hook Housi ng Proj ect s i n
Brookl yn. St udi ed at HS
of Economi cs and
Fi nance - where NFTE
had a program. "Took t o
t he st reet s" even t hough
he was worki ng a f ul l -
t i me ret ai l j ob. Has been
shot t wi ce and l anded i n
pri son i n 2006 wi t h a 7 yr
sent ence. Was servi ng
hi s 3rd year i n 2009. l t ' s
possi bl e he i s out or on
probat i on now.

Cayuga
Correctional
Facility Sep. 19th
"Came across a fellow
inmate who attempted to
inspire me to learn things
about business and what l
could do to help me prosper
when l get out of prison
next year."
An example of how inmates
are helping other inmates.



Coxsackie
Correctional
Facility Dec. 2nd
"eager for successful re-
entry and post-release
pursuits."
A typed letter. Has a higher
vocab level than most of the
other letters. Claims himself
as a progressive.



Coxsackie
Correctional
Facility Sep. 23rd
"the longer l am
incarcerated the harder it'll
be to find employment upon
my release..."
Has been incarcerated since
he was 18. He was 29 when
he wrote this letter.




Greene
Correctional
Facility July 1st

51 years of age when he
wrote letter. Had 6 months left
to serve on his sentence.
lnterested in programs despite
his age. Took classes at NYU
at night. Penmanship is not
the best and his sentence
structuring is very poor.





"(


Greene
Correctional
Facility June 29th
"l've been incarcerated on
and off since 1988. l want
to do something different
with my life, instead of
coming back and forth to
prison."
Presumed to an be older man
(maybe middle aged) - since
he was incarcerated on and
off since 1988.




Eastern NY
Correctional
Facility April 2nd

ln and out of system since he
was 10 yrs old. 30 years old
when he wrote letter and
serving his third term.



Fi shki l l
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y Aug. 3rd
"l f eel t hat i n order f or
me and many ot her
i ndi vi dual s under t he
same ci rcumst ance as
mysel f (i ncarcerat ed),
t o st ay out of j ai l and
become a product i ve
ci t i zen, he needs
somet hi ng t o put hi s
f ocus on. . . "
48 when wrot e t he l et t er
and was supposedl y
rel eased i n Jul y, 2010.
He was request i ng a copy
of The Young
Ent repreneur' s Gui de.



Five Points
Correctional June 9th
"Before l came to jail l had
a small business and some
of the problems that l was
having...your book was
helping me see clearer on
how to work through certain
issues."
Noted that purchasing The
Young Entrepreneurship
Guide was "worth it" even
though he had limited funds.




Green Haven
Correctional July 6th
"l've come to realize that
many of us have business
model concepts that due to
our situation we cannot
bring into fruition."
Had met Steve Mariotti and
had an investment portfolio.
Motivated to bring his ideas to
reality.




Nassau County
Correctional
Center May 30th

lnmate coordinator of D.A.R.T
- Drug and Alcohol
Rehabilitation and Treatment
program. He is strongly
pushing for lTEM to come to
the center. He was trying to
propose lTEM and youth
mentoring for the adolescent
population.



Shawangunk
Correctional
Facility April 20th

Was 31 when he wrote letter.
Was incarcerated since he
was 20. He is given
responsibilities at the prison
and includes a resume with
letter.


(15 NY)
Sullivan
Correctional
Facility July 7th
"Your words was much
needed for me...l
appreciate everything you
have done to start these
programs...and not
counting us out during our
struggle to change."
Met Steve Mariotti at a
Sullivan Ceremony of awards.
Mentioned a mentor who
pushed him to address Mr.
Mariotti.


Nort h Mountain View Sep. 29th lncarcerated since he was 17

")

Carol i na (1
NC)
Correctional - wrote the letter when he was
27. lntroduces himself as "a
young African American 27
years old incarcerate."

Pennsyl vani a
SCl Fayette July 10th
"l'm 22yrs of age...through
my short time on this earth l
have been through a lot of
trial and tribulation, l want
to change..."
22 years old when he wrote
letter. Letter contains very
poor spelling, yet he
expresses that he is inspired
to learn.

(2 PA)
Waynesburg June 2nd
"growing up these days
with friends are whatever
they are and not tell on
them so those on the street
don't call you a snitch."
29 years old when wrote letter
and claims to have had "no
dealings with" what put him in
prison. went to high school
and college but still doesn't
have his degree. Possibly
finishing his last year of parole
now or next year is my guess.


Sout h
Carol i na (1
SC)
K.C.l. (Kershaw) July 15th
"l want to know know more
on how to run business,
that way l can help my
brothers that's in here with
me."


Texas
Tenn. Colony -
East TX P&DC Aug. 17th
"l am coming and an
indigent inmate who has
been incarcerated for 16.5
years...l am striving to
prepare myself for when l
am released..."



Tenn. Colony -
East TX P&DC June 25th
"l am a 26yr. old HlV
positive black male
currently incarcerated...

26 years old when he wrote
the letter.


William P.
Clements Nov. 4th
"...as l study this book it
has sparked a real flame in
me...l am a 29 yr old black
man that can start and run
a business..."
Artist - 29 years old when
wrote letter.



McConnell Unit Sep. 28th
"Right now l am trying to
get my brother to get off
into contacting your
program cause it's so hard
on him right now trying to
start his own business."




Connally Unit
(Kennedy, TX) Oct. 5th
"l've read various books on
you, Robert Kiyosaki and
Russ Whitney...and was
motivated and came to the
conclusion that desire,
intellect and vision breeds
the path to success."



(6 TX)
Richmond Oct. 5th
"l am an incarcerated male
- striving to improve my
quality of life and education
in order to ensure success




"*

on parole... ln TX ,
Business Entrepreneurship
is a college course and
indigent offenders are
unable to attend b/c it must
be paid for."


Tot al Let t ers
Cat al oged: 38



Tot al Drug: 2
Tot al Money: 6

Tot al
Educat i on: 10


Tot al
Empowerment : 9

Tot al Race: 5
Tot al Young: 10

Tot al
Hi ghl i ght ed
Let t ers: 13



2010
St at e
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y
Dat e
Recei ved
Quot es General f i ndi ngs

2010
Cal i f orni a
Avenal July 15th

Requesting book and any
other information that could
help guide him with his
"entrepreneurial spirit"


Chino Sept. 20th
"My plan is once l get out
next year is to go to culinary
arts school to finish up as
well to set up shop in the
restaurant field."
lnterested in starting a
business in the food industry
and employing people who
come out of prison.


(3 CA)
Chino July 6th
"l had always been an
entrepreneur ever since l
could start talking."
lnterested in starting his own
record label business and
night club (entertainment).


Del aware (1
DE)
James T. Vaughn
Correctional
Center June 10th
"l'm 100% positive that my
business idea/concept, if
implemented, would become
profitable faster than
companies like twitter,
facebook and so forth."
Speaks of having very good
ideas but feels his
incarceration is stopping him
from moving forward. Has
an idea that involves a
patent - seeking information
on patents.


Fl ori da Santa Rosa
Correctional
lnstitution Oct. 20th

When this man received
Mariotti's book, he copied
the entire publication. He
also wishes to create a large
non-profit organization. He





#+

claims to have written 682
songs and dreams of
creating a record label of his
own.

Miami May 28th

Wants to learn how to start a
business but does not have
money to buy Mariotti's book
and is requesting it.




Liberty
Correctional
lnstitution April 22nd
"Do you have a curriculum,
course outline; sourcing info
for those you teach?"
lnquires about NFTE.



Avon Park Feb. 3rd
"After hearing about your
lTEM program, l felt
propelled to write and inquire
about starting one here in
Florida."
lnterested in bringing lTEM
to the prison where he is
residing. He wrote that he
will be held at this prison for
the next 9 years.




Century
Correctional
lnstitute June 14th
"l am writing to express my
interest in establishing [an]
l.T.E.M program here at
Century C.l."
lnterested in bringing lTEM
to the prison where he
resides.




Cent ury
Correct i onal
l nst i t ut e
Apri l
15t h
Many quot abl e
argument s t hat expl ai n
soci et al oppressi on, t he
pri son and mi l i t ary
i ndust ri al compl exes,
and educat i on syst em
Thi s i s a very
compel l i ng l et t er,
probabl y t he most
f ort hcomi ng art i cl e t hat
i s not onl y expressi ng
personal di l emma but
t he soci al st ruct ures
t hat produce hi s
di l emma. Wrot e l et t er t o
st art an l TEM program
because he sees a need
f or bet t er educat i onal
programs at hi s pri son.
l s a regul ar cont ri but or
t o a bl og cal l ed
Bet ween t he Bars.


Martin
Correctional
lnstitution Dec. 3rd
"l have been incarcerated
since 1985 without an
interruption in service of a
life sentence...l most
recently heard about the
book Thinking Outside The
Cell... l was told that l need
to read this book to
understand what awaits
upon release and how to
prepare myself mentally for
the most serious undertaking
of my life."
lnteresting due the fact that
he's been in prison for 25
years and is looking to
reinsert himself properly in
society.




Martin
Correctional
lnstitution Dec. 3rd
"l would like to request a
copy of your book, Think
Outside The Cell, because l
think it can really benefit me
in various ways."




Martin
Correctional June 25th
"... was wondering if you
have any further literature
Looking for more
entrepreneurial information




#"

lnstitution and or books that can further
my knowledge in the
entrepreneurship field."
and materials for himself
and his fellow
inmates/students.

Martin
Correctional
lnstitution June 17th
"l'm asking to help me with
books or any material
because my goal is to one
day impact someones life, a
neighborhood, a state and a
nation."
Asking for information and
books to improve himself so
he can create change.




Martin
Correctional
lnstitution June 28th
"...upon my release l am
interested in opening my
own business...and being
successful as an
entrepreneur."
Requesting a copy of
Homeboys and other
materials that can help him
with entrepreneurship




Martin
Correctional
lnstitution
March
29th
"l would like to have a copy
of your book call Homeboys,
because l am taking a class
here in prison in small
business and
entrepreneurship. "Your
book has a lot of information
that can guide me in making
good decisions"
Requesting a copy of
Homeboys and is planning
on opening a small business
after his release.



Martin
Correctional
lnstitution
March
23rd
"l am reaching out because
my situation at the present is
l'm a very indigent inmate,
so hopefully you can assist
me with these books."
Asking for the book
Homeboys




Martin
Correctional
lnstitution Jan. 19th
"Seeking the free
entrepreneurship book...l
need this book so l would
know how to get ahead on
the five books that l wrote."
Asking for The Young's
Entrepreneur's Guide. ls a
writer.



(15 FL) Martin
Correctional
lnstitution March 1st
"We all have made some big
mistakes in our life time.
Now we as men have time to
think about the pass and
now the future to come."
Wrote letter to say "thank
you" and express how
reading The Young's
Entrepreneur's Guide
inspired him to be better.


Georgi a
Johnson State
Prison Nov. 17th
"l am a born entrepreneur
Mr. Mariotti and this non-
profit is just the beginning of
what l aspire to do."
Wants information on how to
start a non-profit, and was
inspired after reading the
Mariotti's book on
entrepreneurship.


Johnson State
Prison Oct. 21st
"l recently took an
Entrepreneur class to get an
idea about how to run my
own business."
Asking for The Young's
Entrepreneur's Guide
because he is taking
entrepreneurship classes
and wants to start his own
business.


Johnson State
Prison July 6th
"l am dearly business
minded and l am at an
avenue in my life where l
believe that success is
indeed a real reachable
goal."
Have become a reader of
Steve's publications which
have inspired him to seek for
success in his life and is
requesting for more
guidelines.


##

(4 GA)
Johnson State
Prison Feb. 24th
"When l get home l would
like to own my own
business."
Letter asking for a book and
then wrote 10 months later
asking for a bunch of books
to be delivered to a teacher
or mentor at his prison.


New Jersey
(1 NJ)
Trenton State
Prison July 20th
"l just read your book, The
Young Entrepreneur's Guide
to starting and running a
Business, which has opened
my mind to try something
new and productive."
After reading Mariotti's book
he was inspired to change
his life and wanted to start
an import/export business.
He is interested in getting
more information about that
type of business.


Mi chi gan
Newberry
Correctional
Facility
March
19th
"My partner and l are
involved in starting [an]
organization named DREAM
(Developing Relevant
Entrepreneurs by
Accountability and Mentor
ship). See attached
summary. We are in the
beginning stages of
developing a lesson plan
and curriculum."
Second letter he wrote
asking for information on
how to become a certified
teacher of NFTE programs.
He is trying to create a new
program within the prison
which will address
mentorship, life skills, and
entrepreneurship.


(2 Ml )
Newberry
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y Dec. 2nd
"l n 1987 l graduat ed
f rom hi gh school and
ent ered East ern
Kent ucky Uni versi t y wi t h
a 3. 87 average.
Unf ort unat el y, wi t hi n my
f i rst year l dropped out
and ret urned t o my
home ci t y of Det roi t .
Soon af t er, l was
convi ct ed of second
degree murder. To dat e
l have spent 22 years
wi t hi n pri son. l have 26
years remai ni ng on my
sent ence. . . l am i nvol ved
wi t h a group of
pri soners who have
accept ed responsi bi l i t y
f or t hei r act i ons and
underst and why we are
i n pri son. . . l bel i eve t he
i nt roduct i on of
ent repreneuri al and l i f e
ski l l s t eachi ng wi l l
change t he cul t ure of
Mi chi gan' s pri son
syst em. "
Thi s man has been i n
pri son f or 22 years and
i s l ooki ng t o bri ng a
program l i ke NFTE t o
t he pri son.



Mi ssi ssi ppi
(1 MS)
Federal
Correctional Dec. 29th
"l am very eager to learn on
all subjects of life and was
lnterest in information and
textbooks that help him to


#$

Complex wondering if you could send
me some old studies that l
could learn from [on] how to
start my own small
business."
start his own business

New York
Southport
Correctional
Facility March 3rd

Asking for books and (kind
of) jokingly asks for
information about strip club,
magazine and escort
services to learn about these
businesses.



Greene
Correctional
Facility Nov. 22nd
"l would love more than
anything to turn my life
around."
lnteresting in getting books
to become financially
independent, he is 21 years
old.



Greene
Correctional
Facility Oct. 14th
"Being in a adolescent
facility, l see much potential
yet few are acting on it. My
desire is to start a 'Youth
Empowerment' program and
complete my own book."
He read part of the book
Think Outside the Cell and
got inspired by it and is
looking to have his own
copy, motivated by the
upcoming birth of his
daughter he is trying to put
his affairs in order.



Greene
Correctional
Facility July 19th
"l come from a very low-
income family and due to the
recession and the labor jobs
vanishing l have no other
way to support my family."
A young man with
entrepreneurial vision,
interested in how to get
Mariotti's book because he
doesn't have money to buy
it.



Collins
Correctional
Facility Dec. 23rd

lnspired by reading one of
Mariotti's articles on
entrepreneurship and is
interested in knowing more
about entrepreneurship. He
writes in a very formal way.



Collins
Correctional
Facility May 25th
"l've always dreamed of
being an entrepreneur, to
start my own business and
have something to leave my
two kids in life. l have a few
ideas that l believe will help
uplift my community in
Queens, New York."
Already read The Young
Entrepreneur Guide and is
asking for the book
Homeboys and more
information about NFTE
Services. Has business
ideas that he believes can
be possible after reading
Homeboys.



Collins
Correctional
Facility Jan. 14th
"l've read your "Young
Entrepreneurs Guide to
Starting and Running a
Business" years ago (1998)
while incarcerated and it
influenced me greatly."
Looking to have his own
copy of the newest version
of Mariotti's book to keep up
his studies.




Collins
Correctional
Facility
March
25th
"l am a young brother trying
to take the necessary steps
to change my life and
indulge in positivity."
lnterested in obtaining
Mariotti's book and wants to
start a business of day
care/foster services.


Wyoming Nov. 30th "l was diligently working on a lnterested in book that can

#%

Correctional
Facility
business plan but l am in
need of some help in
completing this plan."
help him to finish a business
plan he is working on
Wyoming
Correctional
Facility Nov. 29th
"l have several business
(small) ventures that l would
like to become involved with
and pursue upon my
release."
lnterested in Mariotti's book
to create business plan



Wyoming
Correctional
Facility May 4th
"My good intentions are to
start a small business or
maybe Stock and Bonds."
Asking for book


Wyoming
Correctional
Facility Oct. 3rd
"l am currently incarcerated
and am trying to rehabilitate
myself without help from
D.O.C."
Asking for book, and offers
to pay for it.




Attica
Correctional
Facility Feb. 8th

Have being in different
facilities this man found
Mariotti's book in one of
them. He has already
assisted in classes based on
Mariotti's teaching and has
met him personally.



Attica
Correctional
Facility May 28th
"l love to write and have
written a number of novels."
Motivated to write after
reading part of Mariotti's
book, he tells us about his
dream of making a website
about prison life and other
business ideas, and about
the book he has written. Has
been in prison for 17 years
under a 20 year sentence.



At t i ca
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y Feb. 6t h
"For nearl y 2 decades
l ' ve been al i enat ed,
di scarded f rom
soci al / ci vi l i nt eract i on.
Real i t y' s become t he
monot onous dri p i nt o a
cl ogged ' si nk' , def yi ng
t i me by cal ci f yi ng
rout i ne. My ' at omi c
cl ock' measures no
movement but t he
emot i on of bei ng
i mmersed i n st agnant
l i f e. "
Second part of hi s f i rst
l et t er (see above) where
he wri t es about hi s
di f f erent proj ect s. l n
t hi s l et t er he wri t es i n a
dept h about hi msel f .



Sing Sing
Correctional
Facility Feb. 11th
"l am a creative, innovative
thinker and l have created
programs based on
mentoring services to
prisons, institutions, youth
facilities, etc."
Read the book Think
Outside the Cell and was
inspired, looking forward to
developing similar NFTE
programs in the prison.


Sing Sing
Correctional
Facility Jan. 29th
"l have made a few mistake
in life, as you can see from
my current predicament, and
l am hoping to make a
positive out of a negative."
Requests information about
entrepreneurship.




#&


Eastern NY
Correctional
Facility Nov. 29th
l'm presently incarcerated
here at Eastern Corr. Fac.
for a few years now. l'm
doing my best to enter the
small business area when l
return back to my community
from which l came."
Read the book Think
Outside the Cell and
requests more information.



Downstate
Correctional
Facility Oct. 19th
"l am incorporated in 2006
(AGARD, lnc.), but l wasn't
sure what exactly l wanted
to do with my company. l am
still incorporated but l don't
really know what l want to
start. Could you assist me
with figuring out what l
should or can start as a
business?"
Looking for advice on what
kind of business he should
start. He claims to be
already incorporated and
has experience in the field of
business.



Downstate
Correctional
Facility July 20th

lnterested in bringing an
entrepreneurship program to
the prison after reading
Think Outside the Cell


Cape Vincent
Correctional
Facility Oct. 20th

Asking for help to localize a
vendor as well as
information about
entrepreneurship, after
reading the Mariotti's book.



Cape Vincent
Correctional
Facility Jan 11th

This man signed off as "A
Friend", and was looking to
get his own copy of
Mariotti's book.



Cape Vincent
Correctional
Facility
March
17th
"l write to you today to
request information
regarding the status of Five
Lowes Cinema Stock that
was given to me during my
participation in the Pitt St.
Boys Club NFTE program."
Seems to be an Alumni of
NFTE and is asking for
information about stock that
was given to him when he
participated in the program.
Also requests business
materials.



Oneida
Correctional
Facility Jan. 12th
"l am trying to get my life
back in order because l go
home in five months. l really
think l can get something out
of the book that can help
when l am released."
Noted some regret on going
back to prison and
interested in taking "the
good path" in his life. He
was looking for Mariotti's
book to help him achieve
this.



Oneida
Correctional
Facility Jan. 12th
"My problem is
impulsiveness and a dying
eagerness to get money. l
ask that you send as much
information as possible for
me to truly end this
madness."
Explicitly tells about what his
problems are and why he
has been unable to keep
himself out of the prison
system.



Oneida
Correctional
Facility Oct. 29th
"The other day l had the
pleasure of browsing
through your book and from
just the little bit of
information l absorbed l
Express that he went to
prison for selling drugs and
that he would like to change
that and become a legal
business person.



#'

know that your book is a
definitive asset that can be
vital to my success."

Coxsacki e
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y
Aug.
20t h
"l am 33 years of age,
l ' ve been i ncarcerat ed
si nce 18 years of age
unf ort unat el y on a 20 t o
l i f e sent ence meani ng l
may never get out .
However st i l l l remai n
posi t i ve and t ry t o
ut i l i ze my t i me wi sel y
and product i vel y. l
f aci l i t at e cl asses such
as re-ent ry t o soci et y
f or f el ons. "
Looki ng t o bri ng
programs l i ke NFTE t o
t he pri son. Servi ng a
sent ence of 20 years t o
l i f e.




Coxsackie
Correctional
Facility Oct. 3rd
"...a program like lTEM
would offer a great and
fortunate opportunity for the
prisoners here to further
develop and empower
themselves, personally and
professionally."
Looking to bring lTEM to the
prison.



Coxsackie
Correctional
Facility Jan. 14th
"l have been wanting to
learn more about being an
Entrepreneur, but at the
same time l don't have the
funds to buy your famous
book."
Asking for a copy to the
book to learn about
entrepreneurship.




Fishkill
Correctional
Facility Sept. 7th
"The CMP class has helped
me a tremendous deal in
realizing my faults, my
strengths, and targeting my
weaknesses to become a
better citizen."
lnteresting in learning about
business and seeking to get
a copy of the book.


Fishkill
Correctional
Facility Feb. 23rd
"l was talking to someone
about a business idea l had,
the person referred me to
your company and showed
me your book."
Requests book.

Fishkill
Correctional
Facility Feb. 16th
"l want to learn how to be an
entrepreneur. Please send
me a catalog and price list of
all your books and/or
booklets and hand-outs."
lnterested in become active
in the community and wants
to be an entrepreneur.



Beacon
Correctional
Facility Sept. 24th
"l've made a lot of imprudent
decisions in my life, however
l'm determine to make
positive changes and l want
desperately to turn my vision
into reality."
Read Mariotti's book and is
interested in more
information where he can
follow up with his education
in entrepreneurship.



Five Points
Correctional
Facility Nov. 26th
"Due to my determination to
succeed upon my release in
the near future, l have been
instructed to contact the
NFTE to request assistance
Requests book. Letter has
long run-on sentences.



#(

in obtaining any literature
pertaining to starting and
running a business."

Five Points
Correctional
Facility July 21st
"...the reason l am writing
you is because l am trying to
become an entrepreneur
and l am interested and
requesting, can you send a
copy of your book."
Requests book.


Clinton
Correctional
Facility May 11th
"l learned that l have limited
myself due to the fact that l
choose to sell drugs, l've
discovered just like l can sell
drugs, l can sell houses,
computers, CD's, vehicles..."
Shows regret for selling
drugs and would like to start
different kind of business as
well as educate himself in
entrepreneurship. He also
writes poems.



Clinton
Correctional
Facility Jan. 13th
"As of now, l only have a
GED, l have a young
daughter, l'm married and l
would like my family to be
proud of me, l also want to
be proud of myself, l can use
all the help l can get."
Wants to educate himself in
business and is asking for
information and Mariotti's
book. He is concerned about
his family and regrets being
in prison.




Hale Creek
ASATCA Nov. 15th
"l never had a role model in
my life, but you inspired me
and l really look up to you as
a role model."
Requesting mentorship, and
understands his "bad
decisions" about selling
drugs and wants to create
an organization that helps
young kids get out of the
streets.



Butler
Correctional
Facility Dec. 29th
"l am 36 years old and will
be released from prison in
2011 and l want to try again
but this time l'd like to be
more prepared."
Requests Mariotti's book
and information on
entrepreneurship in general.
Wants to start his own
business again upon his
release



Auburn
Correctional
Facility Sept. 20th

Requests Mariotti's book for
his 15-year-old son.



Mid-State
Correctional
Facility Sept. 13th

Requests book. He has
previous experience as a
business owner and wants
to start again.


Mohawk
Correctional
Facility Feb. 25th
"l've made a lot of changes
in my life over the past year
and a half. l am trying to do
something positive when l'm
released."




Franklin
Correctional
Facility Feb. 18th
"l really want to open an
E*Trade account and go into
investing for myself as a day
trader, my heart is in it..."
lnterested in online trading
and requests information
about it. He also noted that
he has money to start
investing.



Arthur Kill
Correctional
Facility Jan. 29th
"l'm starting a new business
selling food from a catalog"
Writing to get information on
wholesale operations in NY.


Franklin Jan. 26th "l am preparing for my Requests information from

#)

Correctional
Facility
release in the next few
months and am diligently
seeking all available
resources to ensure my best
chance of success in my
planned entrepreneurial
venture."
NFTE to help him with his
venture.

Bedford Hills
Correctional
Facility Jan. 20th
"l would really like to make
dream come true change my
life and hopefully re-direct
the youth so they don't end
up in a situation such as l
have."
lnterested in creating a non-
profit to help youth, and
seeks information that will
help him in that mater. He
has been in prison for 10
years.



Gowanda
Correctional
Facility Jan. 13th
"Selling drugs was my 24
hour job. l don't want to live
that life anymore."
20 years old when her wrote
letter. Sold drugs and is
regretful about it though
considers himself an
entrepreneur. Wants to take
the right direction in life.


(48 NY)
Hal e Creek Oct . 18t h
"l came up f rom a hard
scrabbl e envi ronment ,
whi ch l acked posi t i ve
rol e model s t o show me
a bet t er way t o real i ze
my dreams. l l ooked t o
peopl e who sol d drugs
because t hat ' s t he l i f e l
was exposed t o. . . l f el l
i nt o t he st reet s and i nt o
a negat i ve l i f est yl e. l
chose t o sel l drugs. . . l ' m
not a bad person, l
chose wrong l i f est yl e t o
l i ve. "
Lengt hy l et t er - want i ng
ment or shi p. Descri bes
hi msel f as hal f Puert o
Ri can/ hal f whi t e - 21 yrs
ol d when wrot e t he
l et t er. Very much want s
t o hel p yout h i n up-st at e
NY area who are
underserved - as he
procl ai ms he once was.
Servi ng a 2 yr sent ence
f or "sal e of cont rol l ed
subst ance 3rd degree. "
Was t ransf erred t o
smal l er f aci l i t y l acki ng
i n busi ness
mat eri al s/ resources i n
l i brary.

Nort h
Carol i na (1
NC)
Cent ral Pri son
March
3rd
"l ' m a 26 yr ol d
i nmat e. . . my rel ease
dat e i s i n 2015, possi bl y
sooner. l am not a
vi ol ent of f ender or sex
of f ender. l ' m doi ng t i me
on a drug charge and
sadl y. . . t hi s i sn' t my f i rst
t i me i n pri son. l
suppose l ' m your usual
st at i st i c. . . l come f rom a
l ow i ncome, broken
home. . . l am more t han
j ust anot her number as
a means of
i dent i f i cat i on. "
Cont ent of t hi s l et t er
says i t al l and i s very
usef ul t oward drawi ng
compari sons t o
Mari ot t i ' s art i cl e "Why l
Teach i n Pri sons. "



Pennsyl vani a SCl Rockvi ew June 7t h "l am an Af ri can Wrot e 2 l et t ers of

#*

Ameri can mal e f rom
Phi l adel phi a. . . t hose
ki ds f rom t hose i nner
ci t y school s you t aught
at are t he spi t t i ng
i mages of what l used t o
be. . . my heart cri es t o
l earn somet hi ng bet t er. "
i mport ant cont ent ;
prai ses book and want s
t o hel p ot hers get more
i nvol ved. Cal l s
ent repreneurshi p a
great movement - and a
way of l i f e. Has wri t t en
Mr. Mari ot t i 3 l et t ers -
t wo wi t hi n one day
(June) and one i n
Oct ober. June l et t ers
have more cont ent and
i nt erest i ng messages
wri t t en on t he back of
t hei r envel opes.
Ment i ons he' s deal t
drugs, carri ed a gun
and hurt peopl e. He
want s t o hel p yout h i n
t he ghet t os.
(2 PA)
FCl McKean April 7th

Wants to inform and educate
youth. Has a history of gang
affiliation, violence and
"street hustle"


Texas
Clements Oct. 8th
"l've had a pretty rough go at
life and nothing seems to
work...had the privilege of
encountering Thinking
outside the Cell...[need] a
copy of it, to perhaps save
my life."






Lovel ady Feb. 1st
"l coul d not read or
spel l when l came here.
A guy read me a l i t t l e
out of your book. . i t
made me want t o l earn
t o read more, t o push
mysel f . . . l ' ve got t en my
GED af t er heari ng
st ori es i n your book. . . l
wi l l need al l t he
educat i on l can get . l
know l can cont ri but e t o
our count ry and t he
busi ness worl d. "
Educat i on and
empowerment



Connal l y Uni t Jul y 23rd
"l ' m 28. . . l ocked up f or 7
yrs. . . st i l l have a l onger
st ay. . but l ' l l be 36 when
l come up f or parol e. l
st i l l have a l i f e t o l i ve. . . l
t ry t o educat e mysel f
everyday t o t he best of
my abi l i t y due t o t he
f act t hat l come up j ust
l i ke t hose ki ds you
Was l ocked up when he
was 21 years ol d. 15
years behi nd bars (i f
out at age 36). He
expresses t hat
educat i on i s rel i evi ng
hi m f rom hi s
ci rcumst ances.



$+

t aught i n NY. "

Smi t h Uni t
Aug.
31st
"l was pl aced i n pri son
at 18, drugy, drop-out
and ut t erl y bad person.
l onl y had a 8t h grade
educat i on. . . l ' m onl y 28,
4 yrs unt i l parol e.
Servi ng a 14 yr
sent ence. Has poor
wri t i ng ski l l s and
grammar. Hi s educat i on
was severel y
i nt errupt ed.


Polunsky Unit July 22nd
"...at 54 yrs of age finding
work is gonna be problem
coming out of prison."
Grammar and writing is
poor. Had 2 more years left
until his release.



(6 TX)
Coffield Unit Dec. 8th
"l'm here, because l'm a or
will be an ex-convict or
offender they call us in
Texas, l can't get no money
or no one to look at me."
Locked up for 17 yrs (was
given a 25 yr sentence);
would have been 49 when
he got out in Nov 2011.



Vi rgi ni a (1
VA)
S.l.S.P Feb. 2nd
"l'm a inmate that's doing 5
yrs on a drug charge."
requested info




Tot al Let t ers
Cat al oged: 85



Tot al Drug: 10
Tot al Money: 14

Tot al
Educat i on: 12


Tot al
Empowerment : 29

Tot al Race: 4
Tot al Young: 9

Tot al
Hi ghl i ght ed
Let t ers: 30



2011
St at e
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y
Dat e
Recei ved
Quot es General f i ndi ngs

2011
Cal i f orni a
(1CA)
CRC State
Prison June 17th
"The SBA hasn't
responded to 2 letters l've
written to them and l
sincerely want and need
entrepreneurial guidance
in order to be successful
in my business ventures."
SBA - Small Business
Administration; can get "additional
good time credits" if he can
participate in NFTE courses.



Fl ori da
Mayo
Correctional
lnstitution Jan 9th
"l am a two time loser who
lacks any type of expertise
in a specific trade or
skill...make something
constructive out of the rest
of my life instead of being
Generally wants to improve his
situation - interesting how he
insults himself and internalizes his
dilemma.



$"

a career criminal."

Santa Rosa Sep 26th
" l am in prison for a drug
charge. But l have
determined to change my
ideas, on how l look at my
life. Because l didn't like
the way l was living my life
and l want to live a better
life...please l am a young
person that want better for
himself and really want a
chance to do better."
18 yrs old when wrote the letter. ln
for drug crimes.


Apalachee
Correctional lnst. Nov 11th
"l am 21 years old and
currently serving a 5 yr
prison sentence for drug
related crimes...l am
writing you this letter
requesting any
information...as a
convicted felon."
21 yrs old when he wrote the
letter. He chooses to label himself
as "a convicted felon"


Okal oosa C. l . Nov 14t h
"l ' ve t aken over mi nd
f rames of drug deal ers
i n whol e and showed
t hem how t o gi ve back
t o t he hood. . . l had
t hem st op pl ayi ng l oud
musi c af t er 9: 00pm bc
t he ki ds had t o go t o
school and t he adul t s
had t o go t o work. . . i f
t hey don' t work, t hey
can' t buy your drugs
nor pay t hei r bi l l s or
f eed t hei r ki ds. . . Si r,
yes l know t hat sel l i ng
dope robbi ng and
ki l l i ng was wrong, but
l di d wi t h a good
heart . Even t he pol i ce
t ol d me what l was
doi ng was wrong, but
i t ' s how l do i t i s what
t hey respect . . . makes
t hei r j obs easi er and
saf er and. They' d
even j oke wi t h me and
say i f l coul d do t hat
wi t h every dope hol e
i n Tampa t hey make i t
l egal and make me
CEO. "
Born i nt o povert y, hi s whol e
f ami l y st ruggl es f i nanci al l y.
He has daught ers and
granddaught ers, and t he
Al DS vi rus i s af f ect i ng
members of t he f ami l y. He i s
af rai d f or t he pot ent i al rout e
hi s daught er/ granddaught er
coul d l i ve. He was heavi l y
i nvol ved i n t he drug i ndust ry
and commi t t ed vi ol ent cri mes
(al l udes t o ki l l i ng). He
bel i eves hi s cri mes of
st eal i ng and drug deal i ng t o
hel p ot hers (hi s f ami l y,
f ri ends, communi t y) were
act s i n good f ai t h so t hat he
coul d provi de f or ot hers:
af f ordi ng educat i on, bi l l s,
f ood, et c. Bri ngs up t he
l egal i zat i on of drugs j oki ngl y
yet poi nt s t o st ress t hat t he
drug i ndust ry has pl aced on
l aw enf orcement . He
descri bes hi s povert y-
st ri cken communi t y where
t here are si ngl e
mot hers, and ki ds who won' t
st ay i n school . He i s
connect i ng t he educat i on,
economi c and urban cri ses
t hrough hi s st ory t el l i ng - one
t hat has dramat i cal l y
af f ect ed hi s l i f e. Can draw
poi nt s on l egal i zat i on and
decri mi nal i zat i on of drugs

$#

f rom t hi s l et t er. He al so asks
f or a l ot : f avors and advi ce,
resources f or hi s chi l dren
and grandchi l d. Has hel ped
ot hers wi t h hi s "di rt y money. "
Through t hi s l et t er we are
abl e t o i dent i f y t hat t he drug
i ndust ry t hat support s hi s
communi t y al so perpet uat es
t he di spari t y of t he
communi t y. He does not omi t
t o t hi s. He i s servi ng a l i f e
sent ence.

Lawt ey C. l . Sep 19t h
"l am a f i rm bel i ever
of f i nanci al l i t eracy on
young up-comi ng
ent repreneurs t o be
prepared f or t hese
chal l engi ng economi c
t i mes we' re l i vi ng i n. l
bel i eve ent repreneurs
bui l d bet t er
communi t i es f or our
f ut ure generat i ons. "
22 years ol d when he wrot e
t he l et t er and i nt roduced
hi msel f as an "account i ng
st udent current l y
i ncarcerat ed. " Fl agged t hi s
green because he recogni zes
"f i nanci al l i t eracy" as a key
i ssue, especi al l y f or yout h.


Federal
Correctional
Complex - Med
March
2011 &
July 12th
2011
"l am a 26 yr old African
American, That is
interesting in becoming an
Entrepreneur."
Sent two letters. Both had the
same message of about two
sentences - just to get some
information about the program.
Also again, to me l find it
interesting when they introduce
themselves by their race. l have
yet to read anyone saying, "l'm a
26 yr old white man, Asian man,
native American, Latino man
(etc.)." Have only read this
introduction from African American
men with the exception of one
person who identified himself as
half Puerto Rican and half white.

HARDEE C.l Jan 18th
"l am currently serving a
natural life sentence (w/o
parole) and my case is
'closed' because l told the
truth in my appeals...After
having excused myself
from gangs and the
'hustler lifestyle' inherent
to that living...l've come to
find that l have been given
a talent..to teach and
mentor."
32 yrs old when wrote letter. He is
originally from Long lsland. l'm
curious about his race and how he
wound up in FL serving a life
sentence. Wants to encourage
people to lead a positive lifestyle.
He expresses this ability was
found in prison. What if he had
discovered this before his "hustler
lifestyle"?

(8 FL)
lndiantown -
Martin C.l. Jul 6th
"They have a small
business class here
without much information.
l'm in this class..trying to
find a better way of
There were 25 people in the class
and about 30 who were applying
for the next class.


$$

life...so l never have to do
this again."

New York
Sul l i van C. F. Jul y 18t h
"Pri son i s t he
cemet ery of t he l i vi ng
dead. . . l made some
poor deci si ons i n my
l i f e when l i ndul ged i n
my dest ruct i ve
behavi or when l was
young. . . l di d not l i st en
t o my parent s and l
t urned t o t he
st reet s. . . l was sel l i ng
drugs and robbi ng
peopl e, but l i t t l e di d l
know t hat l was t he
drugs t hat l sol d and l
robbed mysel f of a
bet t er l i f e. . . l woul d
have pai d at t ent i on t o
what my parent s sai d
and not my so-cal l ed
f ri ends. . .
Very movi ng. So grat ef ul t o
have met Mr. Mari ot t i and
has f ound i nspi rat i on.
Probabl y t urned 48 yrs ol d i n
2013 was i n j ai l si nce he was
21. Fl agged yel l ow because
he i s consi dered "young"
when he went t o pri son.



Elmira C.F. May 27th
"l am a twenty-seven year
old black male who is
currently incarcerated
within the penal system of
the sate of New York."
Another letter coming from a
young African American man.



Wende C.F. Jan 15th
Said his oldest daughter
"had started to turn to the
way of the street" but she
got herself back on track.
This man has three kids - oldest is
not biological daughter, but wants
to enroll her (and eventually the
rest) of his children into a NFTE
program because he believes in
the program. Wants everything for
his daughter and family - better
opportunities, better life and
believes NFTE can help. Flagged
as magenta due to his belief in
transformation through
entrepreneurship education and
how he wishes this transformation
for his family.


Cape Vincent
C.F. Jan 3rd
"l'm writing you for the
second time (in 3
yrs)...l've been in prison
for 5 years now and look
forward to owning my own
business."




Marcy C. F. Oct 19t h
"Thi s may be t he l ast
chance t o hel p mysel f
and t hose younger
t han l . . . our young
peopl e are get t i ng
ki l l ed and put i nt o
pri sons. . . i f l can save
Hi s l anguage i s a l i t t l e harsh
- "don' t t urn your back on
me" i s sai d a l ot . Had 9
years l ef t t o serve when he
wrot e t he l et t er. Fl agged as
magent a f or hi s st rong wi l l t o
change and hel p ot hers.


$%

j ust one person l wi l l
f eel much bet t er about
mysel f . "

Bare Hill C.F.
March
28th
"l'm really interested in
being trained to teach
entrepreneurship"
Works for the prison transitional
service program - training men to
become inmate program
associates (?). Says it is
rewarding. Wants to start up an
entrepreneurship program.




East ern NY
C. F. Feb 28t h
"Even t hough i t ' s 2011
peopl e are st i l l
i gnorant , wi t h l ow sel f
est eem. What you
have st art ed back i n
' 82 coul d change t he
worl d i n i nner ci t i es. "
Met Mr. Mari ot t i when he was
15 (i n 1990). He wrot e t he
l et t er when he was 35 and
had 9 yrs l ef t t o serve. "Can' t
get enough" of t he
ent repreneurshi p educat i on.
He i dent i f i es l ow sel f
est eem.


Clinton C.F. Jan 31st
"How did you come to
realize that many of your
students possessed
entrepreneurial
characteristics as a result
of their learning
experiences?"
Liked his question.



Fishkill C.F. Oct 14th
"l've been dreaming of
some day starting my own
business, but dream was
all i did...l too live in
Brooklyn and attended
Boys and Girls High
School but not at your
[unknown word]...ln 24
months l would be
completing a 12 yr prison
sentence for drug sales..."



(10 NY)
Fishkill C.F. Feb 23rd
"l am extremely focused
and adamant about never
returning to prison nor the
criminal thinking that
brought me here...l am 32
yrs of age and l'm feeling
the urgency to make
something of myself, for
time is no longer on my
side."
Has good grammar and spelling.
Grew up in BK around area of
B&G HS.



Nort h
Carol i na (1
NC)
Warren C.l.
March
15th

lncludes a receipt that reads
"Canteen Receipt; 1st Class
lndigent; 1 @ $0.00". Wrote letter
at 21years of age.


Pennsyl vani a
FCl McKean Dec 21st
"Here at FCl McKean,
we have vet erans who
have served
honorabl y i n t hei r
respect i ve branch of
Presi dent of l VET -
l ncarcerat ed Vet erans f or
Ent repreneuri al Trai ni ng.
Wel l wri t t en l et t er. Was
honorabl y di scharged.




$&

servi ce; Army, Ai r
Force and Navy, f rom
t he Vi et nam era t o
Operat i on Desert
Shi el d (Kuwai t ), and
Operat i on Enduri ng
Freedom
(Af ghani st an). "
Want ed t o st art a
rel at i onshi p wi t h NFTE - but
l et t er was opened on
7/ 23/ 13.
(2 PA)
Waynesburg Dec 20th
"doing time for
robbery...l'd like to help
my parents out, instead of
being the 'son in jail.'"
lndigent and 37 years old when he
wrote the letter. Saw Mr. Mariotti
on TV and had his father look him
up. Got his GED in prison - read
2,500 books - His father is 57 and
out of work. Wrote a book and
developed an app but doesn't
know how to market them.


Sout h
Carol i na (1
SC)
Evans C.l. Sep 20th
"Government agencies
like SBA, Score Ect. won't
write me back l guess
because l am
incarcerated. lnformation
in the state prison system
is very limited in that
area."
Poor spelling and writing abilities -
but passionate on starting a web-
based business.



Tennessee
(1 TN)
MCCC/ MCCX
Wart burg
March
31st
"l ' m j ust a st udent t o
l i f e t hat ' s seeki ng al l
knowl edge possi bl e
on t he busi ness
concept . . . l admi re
your. . . knowl edge of
yout h t hat came f orm
povert y wi t hout any
educat i on. l am a
vi ct i m of t hose
ci rcumst ances as wel l .
l guess t hat what l ead
me t o pri son. "
Fl RST PERSON TO
l DENTl FY THEMSELVES AS
A Vl CTl M OF POVERTY.
l MPORTANT. Been
i mpri soned f or more t han 10
yrs.



Texas
Huntsville June 30th
"...got on the subject of
selling drugs and how it all
turned out to be a
deluding trap, and we sort
of got angry at our selves
for not seeing this would
be the end results to the
so called 'good life.'"
Poor spelling and writing skills, but
is self reflecting throughout letter.



Clements June 13th
"l been broke all my life...l
have held jobs and l would
still be broke."




Cl ement s
March
14t h
"l ' m educat i ng mysel f
t o t each t he younger
generat i ons comi ng t o
be t he next
ent repreneurs wi t hi n
Second person t o i dent i f y
hi msel f as bei ng a part of a
great er soci et al i ssue.



$'

t hei r communi t i es
(Af ri can-Ameri cans)
and break t he cycl e of
school -t o-st reet s-t o-
pri son. l ' m a product
of t hat cycl e. . . "

Lovelady Nov 2nd

Convicted since a juvenile, 24
years old when wrote to NFTE.


French
Robertson Dec 27th
"committed to re-
programming my mind
and cultivating my spirit to
be a more productive
adult...towards being a
legitimate entrepreneur."
lncarcerated since 2003 for drug
charge. has had entrepreneurial
experience and desires his whole
life - starting at 11 yrs.



Lovelady
March
12th
"l've been in here for a
couple of times for selling
drugs but l want to turn my
life around."



(7 TX)
Dallas County
D.C. Oct 18th
"l am currently
incarcerated for selling
drugs and driving while
intoxicated. These cases
are old and l've been in
and out of jail or the last
10 yrs."





Tot al Let t ers
Cat al oged: 30



Tot al Drug: 10
Tot al Money: 6

Tot al
Educat i on: 4


Tot al
Empowerment : 7

Tot al Race: 3
Tot al Young: 11

Tot al
Hi ghl i ght ed
Let t ers: 12



2012
St at e
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y
Dat es
Recei ved
Quot es General Fi ndi ngs

2012
Cal i f orni a (1
CA)
California C.l.
Tehachapi Oct 19th

Been incarcerated for 10.5
yrs - wrote this letter from
the "SHU" (Solitary
Housing Unit) bc he was
in a gang. Wants to
educate himself.


$(


l l l i noi s (1 l L)
Lawrence C.C. Nov 28th
"l'm 28 yrs old...serving 6 of a 12
year term...re-united with the
free world no later than May 23,
2014."
African American man
who wants to cater to Afro
American and minority
groups though a barber
shop business - yet says
he will be "versatile in
cutting all races." Says
that the "Chicago-land
area" is increasing in Afro
American population.


Fl ori da
Madison C.l. Jun 18th
"have no way to get
money...need to get drivers
license back ... l have to help my
disabled mother and father out
with getting all the back bill paid
so they don't lose the house and
stuff...my credit is no good due
to court fees l have be unable to
pay."
Lists all the things he is up
against - wants help,
loans, education toward
learning how to get his
business "off the ground"



Okaloosa C.l. Jan 3rd
"Thank you for making
information available that can
change a person's life, this type
of information is what many
people are in need of right now."
Says that providing him
with a copy of the book
would be a "good
investment"



Santa Rosa Feb 1st
"l was arrested when l was 17
and get out when l'm 26...you
can see l'm missing a very
significant section of my life...l
am losing essential education
years...with lack of education
combined with a past l feel a
good burden."
Serving a mandatory 10 yr
sentence (under FLA
DOC).



Santa Rosa Feb 28th
"All my life l've noticed that
whenever a man is asked to be
realistic he "that man" is being
asked to betray something in
which he "that man" believes. lt
is the favorite argument of those
people who believe that only the
end matters, not the means."



(5 FL)
Tayl or C. l . Mar 6t h
"Unf ort unat el y l am
i ncarcerat ed f or usi ng my
ent repreneurshi p ski l l s i n
an i l l egal aspect . . . l have
been down t he wrong pat h
wi t h my ski l l s. . . i nt erest ed i n
doi ng t he ri ght t hi ng. l pl an
on bei ng a l egal
ent repreneur. "
Fi rst person t o i dent i f y
hi msel f (out ri ght l ) as
an ent repreneur -
al t hough he was
i nvol ved i n an i l l egal
busi ness



Georgi a (1
GA) Johnson St at e
Pri son Apr 24t h
"l came f rom a smal l t own
i n Nort hwest Georgi a, so
t here wasn' t a l ot of
educat i on, j obs, or
l dent i f i es educat i on
and l ack of sel f
est eem t o achi eve



$)

opport uni t i es. . . you want
ot hers t o i ncrease t hei r
sel f -est eem,
conf i dence. . . ski l l s,
prospect s. . . l woul d real l y
l i ke t o be one of t hose
st udent s. "

New York
Clinton C.F. Dec 24th
"Opening my small
business...and doing real-estate
has always been my dream...l
just went about it the wrong way
too many times...l'm a young
man who made a lot of bad
choices; want to change my life."
Serving a three yr
sentence - got his GED in
prison.



Elmira Oct. 15th
"l am an African American male
of 37 yrs old...from...South
Bronx...entering my 16th yr of a
21.5 prison sentence...have a17
yr old daughter...born and raised
in the Bronx, like myself."
Puts race up front - wants
the best for his daughter -
has someone who
believes in him to help
start his business.
Flagged yellow for "young"
due to his admitting of
when he entered prison
(would have been aprox.
21 years old when he was
imprisoned).

Green Haven
C.F. Jan 2nd
"l've been incarcerated for a
robbery murder that l did not
commit."




Green Haven
C.F. Sep. 27th
"l feel it's more than necessary
to develop a firm foundation in
this field of studies (business) in
order to avoid creating the same
mistakes over again, and instead
empower myself with another
option to survive."
Literally says the word
"empower."





Sing Sing Jan 24th

Explains the burden of
money - especially if an
inmate has no family to
help them out. They have
to work for the state at 12
cents a hr, for only 3 hrs a
day.




Sout hport C. F. Jan 31st
"when you descri be your
experi ence t hat you had
t eachi ng at Boys&Gi rl s hi gh
school , l f el t l i ke you was
speaki ng about me. l t was
my adversi t y t hat l endured
t hat made me real i ze. . . l
possess t he ski l l s of an
ent repreneur but al so
mot i vat ed t o set a busi ness
goal t o share. . . wi t h t he
worl d. "
He has i deas f or a
"doggy day care" and
"gardens of peace"




Southport C.F. Aug 6th "As a prisoner l am only left with

$*

the knowledge that my teachers
provided of that may be found
laying around."
(8 NY)
Wende C.F. Aug 30th
l'm good with people and selling,
for l have done it on the wrong
side of the fence...looking to take
my street hustle mentality down
a new road."
Had saved up money to
buy Mariotti's book. He
was, "forty-one years
young" when he wrote the
letter.


Pennsyl vani a
Coal Township Aug 24th
"an African American native
hailing from Philadelphia."
Was on parole but
"violated it" bc he went
"clothes shopping" so they
gave him another 2 yrs.
He had gotten his
sentence down to 9.5 yrs
vs 15.


(2 PA)
FCl McKean Oct 9t h
"servi ng a 85 mont h f ederal
sent ence f or drug
di st ri but i on. l am 28 yrs ol d
and l have never had a j ob
i n my l i f e. l dropped out of
school af t er my f i rst week
of 9t h grade. l t ook t he
GED t est 6 yrs l at er and
passed. "
Exposes connect i on of
yout h drop out and
t urni ng t o i l l egal
st reet act i vi t i es/ drugs.


Texas
Polunsky Unit,
Livingston (North
Houston) Oct 12th
"l am 37 yrs old and will be
released within the next 6-12
months...l have...business
plans...to pursue. Also l have a
17 yr old daughter that's a junior
in HS and l would like to
enlighten her on the information
in your book...please continue to
spread this information and be
an example and motivation for
others."
Comments on how
informative and easy it is
to understand Mariotti's
book. Expresses the
power of this type of
education and how it can
help others.



San Antonio Apr 24th
"l would like all the help l can
get...to help me further my
education and be productive and
successful."
ln prison for "credit card
abuse"


(3 TX)
San Saba Mar 23rd
"...you compassion and help will
forever be noticed in my heart."
Asks for funding leads and
grants - taking his next
step and planning his
future seriously for when
his release. He is nervous
about how he will find the
funds to start his business
ventures. Signs off as
"Future Entrepreneur."
Spelling is poor.



Tot al Let t ers
Cat al oged: 21




%+

Tot al Drug: 3
Tot al Money: 9

Tot al
Educat i on: 9


Tot al
Empowerment : 9

Tot al Race: 3
Tot al Young: 4

Tot al
Hi ghl i ght ed
Let t ers: 13




2013
St at e
Correctional
Facility
Dat es
Recei ved
Quotes General Findings

Fl ori da
Santa Rosa March 3rd
"l have been teaching younger
guys at prison about what l
have been studying...lnmates
have encouraged me to start
writing an educational book,
which l have been working on,
because l have really been
helping myself as well as them
with the proper understanding
and information to start a small
business."
Wants to be a part of NFTE.
lnteresting how he asks if he
could be part of the program
through mail.


Santa Rosa April 29th
"l am in a special program that
has all inmates that are military
veterans and all honorably
discharged, l am looking to
offer these inmates better for
when they get [out?]."
OK - prime example of war and
prison complex


Holmes C.l. May 9th
"Age 22...l have 35 months until
my release...l am writing to ask
if NFTE offers any
correspondence courses in
Business management or
accounting? Thank you for your
time and knowledge."
Liked how he thanks you for
your knowledge - knowledge =
power = freedom from
oppression

(4 FL)
Baker C.l. April 17th
"l'm a 32 year old, soon to be
ex-convict...looking into owing a
business."
Like how he introduced himself


l l l i noi s (1
l L)
Mt. Sterling April 3rd
"Due to my circumstances and
lack of know-how, my
resources are limited or non-
existent...solely dependant on
your organization."
He is lost and without a clue.
Uses interesting phrasing like
"hierarchy of education" and
"heighten my intellect". But he
does express how he wants to
"form a new way of life."

New Fai rt on C. l . March "l am aware of my SUPER powerf ul l et t er. He

%"

Jersey (1
NJ)
15t h responsi bi l i t y t o humani t y
t o ut i l i ze al l t hat l embody
t hat i s good and
product i ve t o hel p ot hers
avoi d my f ormer
mi st akes. . . l am commi t t ed
t o l earni ng so t hat l can
. . . be equi pped wi t h human
resources t o bet t er mysel f
and my envi ronment . "
i s 36, and has been
i ncarcerat ed si nce he was
16. Unarmed ai der t o a
f el ony murder - l i f e t erm
sent ence wi t h possi bl e
parol e. He' s i n a
correspondence col l ege
program wi t h Ohi o Uni v.
Wrot e t wo books hat he
sent t o Mr. Robi nson' s
wi f e.

New York
Wende C.l. Jan 22nd
"l've always been a
entrepreneur but l just never
know how to go about
legitimizing my ideas."
23 yrs old, doing a "9.5 year bid"
- goes home in a few years and
would like to know if he can
teach NFTE classes in the
Buffalo NY area.


Sout hport C. l .
March
11t h
"l t i s easy t o f orget about
t he peopl e t hat wi l l buy
your product , when you
are st uck behi nd 50 f t
wal l s. So t hank you f or
gi vi ng back t o t hose of us
t hat are easi l y f orgot t en. "
Wi l l be rel eased i n 2015.
The Young Ent repreneur' s
Gui de hel ped hi m answer
quest i ons t hat ot her books
coul d not .


(3 NY)
Greenhaven C.l. Feb. 26th

Also wants information and
resources for his 20 yr old son.
He is well spoken and educated
- said he had a couple of
business plans with his wife.
Would like to spread the word of
NFTE.


Ohi o (1
OH)
Richland C.l. Jan 3rd
"l will be released soon and will
be homeless, broke and with no
family."
Wants to get involved in a NFTE
program in Ohio or NY.



Sout h
Carol i na (1
SC)
Columbia SC May 14h

Starts off letter with a Booker T.
Washington quote: "l have
begun everything with the idea
that l could succeed, and l never
had much patience with the
multitudes who theorized why
my goals were impossible. l've
always had a high regard for the
man who could tell me how to
succeed."


Tennessee
(1 TN)
Sout h Cent ral
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y Feb 27t h
"l underst and by me bei ng
conf i ned i t may change
your percept i on of
mysel f . . . out si de of t he
propaganda peopl e seem
t o i mpl y on peopl e who are
i n my condi t i ons. . . "
Assumed t hat t he l ack of
response f rom previ ous
l et t ers was due t o t he
soci et al vi ew of
i ncarcerat i on and t hat Mr.
Mari ot t i al so may hol d t hat
vi ew.


Texas (1 Lovelady Eastern Jan. 24th Lent his book to a "fellow

%#

TX) Unit offender" to copy the address
down where the book came
from, but the man kept it to read
and there was a "major shake
down" at the prison. The book
was confiscated because it had
the original owner's number and
name in it.


Tot al Let t ers
Cat al oged: 13



Tot al Drug: 0
Tot al Money: 1

Tot al
Educat i on: 4


Tot al
Empowerment : 2

Tot al Race: 0
Tot al Young: 4

Tot al
Hi ghl i ght ed
Let t ers: 7



Unknown Dat es
St at e
Correct i onal
Faci l i t y
Dat e
Recei ved
Quot es General f i ndi ngs

Unknown
l l l i noi s (1 l L)
Canton, lL unknown
"Mr. Robinson and l share
the same experience of
being that 'one person'
everyone asks business
and financial questions to."
Wanted to start the "first in the
state" lTEM "or something like it" at
his correctional facility. Has put
together a proposal with his
administrator's help to generate
funding for educational programs
and new pilot programs - hence
wanting to ask for help from NFTE
(or you, Steve) in how to do
something like lTEM.

Pennsyl vani a
(1 PA)
Waynesburg unknown
"l was the bread winner in
my family - lt wasn't honest
living - But it helped
everyone - My children's
mothers - have had
evictions - l can't call
home...How can l achieve
without having the access
that free people have?"
Has 3 children from different
mothers. ls an artist, an
illustrator/draws and a poet.


Tennessee (1
TN)
SCCF unknown
"l'm currently incarcerated
due to some wrong choices
l've made in my past. But, l
Started to read The Young
Entrepreneur's Guide - that caused
him to ask how he could get one

%$

know l have a far greater
plan than being
incarcerated."
for himself.


Tot al Let t ers
Cat al oged: 3



Tot al Drug: 0
Tot al Money: 1

Tot al
Educat i on: 1


Tot al
Empowerment : 1

Tot al Race: 0
Tot al Young: 0

Tot al
Hi ghl i ght ed
Let t ers: 1



Tot al s:
Tot al s:

Let t ers Cat al oged 190

Drugs 25
Money 37
Educat i on 40
Empowerment 57
Race 15
Young 38
l mport ant 76




%%

Endnotes:

1
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Populations in the United States, 2012;
http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4843

2
Segura, L. With 2.3 Million People Incarcerated in the US, Prisons Are Big Bucks. October 1, 2013: The
Nation: http://www.thenation.com/prison-profiteers

3
Pew Charitable Trust study, Collateral Costs: Incarcerations effect on economic mobility, 2010:
http://www.pewstates.org/research/reports/collateral-costs-85899373309

4
Joe Robinson had worked with Mariotti during his incarceration to produce this book that provides
empowering messages with relevant information for those who want to start a business when they leave
prison.

5
In using home environments we are not assuming the same for immediate home life or family
upbringing within their home. We are instead referencing the environment that was of their surroundings,
one that they were placed in or born into, and one that was produced by outside social factors,
uncontrollable to them.

6
The term street life has been directly pulled from the letters themselves indicating a lifestyle that
surrounds predominantly illegal activities.

7
Ravitch, D. The Death and Life of the Great American School System. How testing and choice are undermining
education. 2010; Studies by the Center for NYC Affairs (The New School): The New Market Place. How
Small-School Reforms and school choice have reshaped New York Citys High Schools, 2009; Managing by
Numbers. Empowerment and Accountability in New York Citys Schools, 2010

8
Same reference stated above

9
Same reference stated above

10
The Corrections Association of New York, Sing Sing Correctional Facility, 2009:
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sing-sing_4-28-09.pdf

11
Kerby, S. The Top Most Startling Facts About People of Color and Criminal Justice in the United States.
March 13, 2012: Center for American Progress:
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/11351/the-top-10-most-startling-facts-
about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/

12
The American Civil Liberties Union, [Infographic] Combating Mass Incarceration The Facts. June 17,
2011: https://www.aclu.org/combating-mass-incarceration-facts-0

13
The Corrections Association of New York, Sing Sing Correctional Facility, 2009:
http://www.correctionalassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sing-sing_4-28-09.pdf

14
Adams, C, Robelen, E, Shah, N. Civil Rights Data Show Retention Disparities. March 6, 2012:
Education Week:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/03/07/23data_ep.h31.html?tkn=RNRFpTpIviHSEInUrVg%2Bb
NsoHrUv6d7QWbPa&cmp=clp-edweek&utm_source=fb&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mrss



%&


15
While we understand other causalities of why this racial disparity occurs, this report is not to reinstate
knowledge that has already been produced and can be publically acquired. Our data sources have been found
directly from the US Department of Education and through other articles written about this subject;
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201401-title-vi.pdf

16
http://www.sentencingproject.org/doc/dp_raceanddrugs.pdf

17
This chart was pulled directly from www.sentencingproject.org and was created by The Sentencing
Project.

18
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports: http://www.fbi.gov/about-
us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-39;
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/persons-
arrested/persons-arrested

19
Carson, E.A, Sabol, W. Prisoners in 2011. December, 2012: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice
Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics: http://bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p11.pdf

20
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Stats: http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats;
The US Department of Justice, National Drug Intellegence Center. National Drug Threat, 2011. August,
2011: http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs44/44849/44849p.pdf; Get the Facts Drug War
Facts.Org, Drug Offenders in the Correctional System:
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Prisons_and_Drugs#sthash.W3JBRXdS.dpbs

21
Way, A. Colorado One Year Later: Thousands Not Arrested for Marijuana, Millions of Dollars Saved.
December 10, 2013: Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-way/colorado-marijuana-
legalization_b_4421617.html; McKay, T. 6 Months Since Legalization Washington Looks Very Different than
Colorado. June 5, 2014: News Mic: http://www.policymic.com/articles/90565/6-months-since-legalizing-
pot-washington-looks-very-different-than-colorado


22
Hsieh, S. Rand Paul and Eric Holder Might Actually Get Something Important Done in Washington by
Working Together. March 4, 2014: The Nation:
http://www.thenation.com/blog/178666/rand-paul-and-eric-holder-might-actually-get-something-
important-done-washington-working; Blog reposted on The Sentencing Project, March 7, 2014 from The
Nation: http://www.sentencingproject.org/detail/news.cfm?news_id=1791&id=128;

23
Rockefeller Drug Laws were instituted in NY State in 1973 by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller during
President Nixons national War on Drugs declaration and campaign and served as a model throughout the
country; Mann, B. The Drug Laws that Changed How we Punish. February 14, 2013:
http://www.npr.org/2013/02/14/171822608/the-drug-laws-that-changed-how-we-punish

24
Mason, C. Too Good To Be True, Private Prisons in America. January, 2012: The Sentencing Project:
http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/inc_Too_Good_to_be_True.pdf; Ditton, P, Willson, D.
Truth In Sentencing in State Prisons. January, 1999: Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report:
http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/tssp.pdf; Kroll, A. This Is How Private Prison Companies Make Millions
Even When Crime Rates Fall. September 19, 2013: Mother Jones:
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/09/private-prisons-occupancy-quota-cca-crime

25
Mason, C. Too Good To Be True, Private Prisons in America. January, 2012: The Sentencing Project:
http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/inc_Too_Good_to_be_True.pdf