While confined at Fort Dix, New Jersey, I began studying toward a law degree through a correspondence program based in California. Although the American Bar Association did not accredit the program, I hoped to expand my understanding of the law. By that point, I had already earned a bachelor’s degree at Mercer University and a master’s degree at Hofstra University. My confidence in self-directed learning gave me the resolve to take on the challenge.
One day, Gary Chern, another man serving a sentence at Fort Dix, noticed me studying. He approached me with a request: could I help him understand his case? That simple question led to a friendship. Gary had operated several businesses, but a poor decision had resulted in his incarceration. Adjusting to prison life proved especially difficult for him.
Curious about how I had made it through the first decade of my term and maintained confidence into the second, Gary asked me about my strategy. I explained that although I couldn’t change the past or undo the lengthy sentence a judge had imposed, I could work to develop new skills and build confidence. I shared how studying law and learning about the stock market had opened doors to new opportunities for me.
Despite his business acumen, Gary confessed that he didn’t understand the stock market. I showed him the newspapers I read, the subscriptions I maintained, and the strategies I used to speculate in the market. When he asked how I could trade stocks from prison, I explained that my sister Julie managed the financial resources generated by my writing. She opened an online brokerage account and executed trades based on my research and recommendations, which I shared with her through daily phone calls.
Gary proposed a partnership, saying it would give him a productive distraction during the remaining months of his sentence. The partnership proved mutually beneficial, as I described in my book Earning Freedom: Conquering a 45-Year Prison Term. Over several months, I built positions in high-beta internet stocks, which led to unrealized gains of more than $1 million during my 12th year of imprisonment. While market volatility eventually erased much of those gains, the experience allowed me to net more than $100,000. This financial cushion significantly influenced the second half of my imprisonment and eventually helped pave the way for my marriage in the prison’s visiting room on June 24, 2003.
The friendship I developed with Gary underscored an important lesson: opportunities often arise from the effort we invest in ourselves. Had I not spent the early years of my term educating myself, Gary might not have approached me, and the partnership might never have materialized. This experience reinforced my belief that consistent self-improvement not only builds confidence but also attracts others who are willing to collaborate and support your growth.
Self-Directed Learning Question:
- “What skills can you work on today that might lead to unexpected opportunities or collaborations in the future?”
