Final Reflections from Inside
This will be my final post written from inside prison. In just two days, I’ll be walking out of here and starting the next chapter of my life. I wanted this last entry to be a little different—a chance to reflect on how I’ve grown and how, in some unexpected ways, this experience actually helped shape me. It’s a longer post than usual, and it feels like the right way to close this chapter.
Prison Drama: RDAP Graduation and a Sudden Emergency
Before getting into the bigger reflections, one last slice of real prison life. I officially graduated from RDAP on Thursday, and the ceremony itself went really well. I was the facilitator, which felt like a meaningful way to close out that chapter of my time here. But as I was walking out of the visitors’ center afterward, the mood changed fast. I suddenly saw twenty or thirty officers running through the compound, which is something you almost never see at a camp.
One of the officers had “hit the deuces.” That’s what they call it here when a guard hits the emergency button on their radio and calls for immediate help. When that happens, everyone responds — guards, counselors, nurses, even janitors. In this case, two cars full of officers came racing up from the medium and poured into the compound on foot. It turned out someone had been caught with a phone and refused to hand it over. After things were under control, he was cuffed and taken away. At a higher-security prison, that might be routine, but at a camp it’s rare and intense. It definitely added an unexpected dose of chaos to the end of what should have been a calm, celebratory RDAP graduation day.
Personal Growth: Accountability and Reflection
One of the biggest takeaways from this experience is that I can honestly say prison made me better in a lot of ways. That’s not something I ever expected to write, but it’s true. Being here forced me to slow down and really take accountability for my actions instead of explaining them away or minimizing them. RDAP played a huge role in that. It helped me identify criminal thinking errors like nullification and others — patterns I either didn’t realize I had, or knew were there but didn’t know how to confront or change. Learning how to recognize those thoughts in real time and actually work through them has been one of the most valuable things I’ll take with me.
I’ve also learned a lot about people — who to trust, who to keep at a distance, and how important it is to surround yourself with people who share your values and morals. In here, that matters more than anywhere else. RDAP taught me the importance of accountability, not just to myself but to the people around me, and how much stronger you are when you’re connected to people who will call you out when you’re wrong instead of enabling bad behavior.
Physical and Mental Growth
Physically and mentally, I’ve grown in ways I never imagined. My health and fitness improved more than I thought possible. I set goals I never believed I could reach, and then I reached them. Running became more than just exercise — it became a way for me to clear my head and reconnect with myself. Adding meditation and yoga helped me slow down even more and find meaning in the quiet moments. Somewhere along the way, I didn’t just get stronger physically — I found a better sense of who I am and what actually matters to me.
Reading and Learning Goals
Before I came to prison, I set a few concrete goals for myself, and now feels like the right time to take stock of how those turned out. One of my big goals was to read 100 books. I didn’t hit that number — I ended up reading about 50 — but I still consider that a real accomplishment. A lot of those were self-help and personal development books that taught me how to better negotiate, how to reason with people I don’t always agree with, and how to clarify my own values. More importantly, they helped me learn how to take ownership of my actions and beliefs, instead of just reacting emotionally or defensively.
I also read a number of classic books — the kind that everyone references but most people never actually get around to reading. I never thought I’d have the time or patience for them, but I’m genuinely glad I did. They’re part of the cultural zeitgeist for a reason.
I mixed those in with a few fun fiction books, which helped keep things balanced, and I even read a book on literature and writing elegantly. That one really surprised me. It showed me that writing can actually be fun, not just functional, and taught me how powerful memorable writing can be. It definitely changed how I think about putting words on a page.
Fitness Milestones: Running and Strength Training
Another major goal I set when I arrived was to run a half marathon. That one felt almost ridiculous at the time. When I got here, I was running maybe two miles. Over the course of about six months, I trained consistently, slowly building distance and endurance. About two months ago, I finally completed 13.1 miles — something I never once believed I could do in my life. That accomplishment meant a lot to me, not just physically, but mentally. It reinforced a lesson I’ll carry with me forever: given enough time, effort, and consistency, you’re capable of far more than you think.
After finishing the half marathon, I ended up losing about 45 pounds in the process. At that point, I knew I didn’t just want to be lighter — I wanted to be stronger. That’s when I started working with a small training group. The trainer has been down for about ten years and is in incredible shape, so the workouts he put together were no joke. He gave us a full list of exercises and standards, and honestly, most of us couldn’t do all of them at first. I made it a personal goal that by the time I left, I’d be able to complete every exercise on that list, even if it took time.
I made steady progress on most of them, but the hardest goal by far was the Saturday morning push-up workout: 1,200 push-ups done as 100 sets of 12, spread over about an hour. When I started, I couldn’t come close to that. I began by doing eight push-ups per set, which put me at 800 total. Week by week, I built it up — 900, then 1,000, then 1,100. Just last Saturday, I finally completed all 1,200 push-ups. That one meant a lot to me. It wasn’t easy, and I had pushed another guy in the group to chase the same goal alongside me. It ended up being both of our last Saturdays here, and when we finished all 1,200 push-ups together, we were genuinely excited. That strength goal came after the running goal, and while it wasn’t something I planned before prison, I’m really glad I was able to hit it before I left.
Around the same time, I set another goal: to be able to do ten pull-ups. When I first got here, I could barely do one, maybe two — and honestly, that had been my ceiling my entire life. I knew this one would take time. Throughout the week, I practice pull-ups every other day, usually after my workouts. Because I’m already fatigued when I do them, my numbers during the week aren’t very high. On the weekends, though, when I’m fresh, I test my max reps, and that’s how I track real progress.
Last Sunday, when I tested my max, I managed seven pull-ups. I’m going to try again tonight and I’m hoping for eight. It may not be the ten I originally set as my goal, but it’s still a big improvement for me and something I’m proud of.
Looking Ahead: Release and Life Beyond Prison
The future feels very different now than it did when I first came in. I’m scheduled to get out on Wednesday, and I’ll be on house arrest for about four months. That honestly doesn’t bother me much. I was on house arrest for five years before coming in, and from everything I’ve been told, this version will be a lot more lenient. I should be able to get around 20 hours a week of free time to use however I want.
What I’m most looking forward to is working again — really working. Before prison, everything felt frozen. With the uncertainty hanging over me, there was no point in putting serious effort into projects I might have to abandon. Now that that weight is gone, I’m ready. I have several solid ideas I want to start building on as soon as I get out. I plan to spend a lot of time working on apps and new projects, and I’m also going to start reaching out to investors to bring Coin Ninja back to life. That app was doing very well before I was arrested. I originally financed it myself, but this time I’ll need help scaling it back up. The good news is that I still have all the code and the user database, so the foundation is already there.
On the fitness side, I plan to spend plenty of time in the gym, but I’m also committed to keeping the routines I learned here. The trainer I worked with focused almost entirely on calisthenics, which means I can do these workouts anywhere — even in my living room with very little equipment. Staying consistent is really important to me. I’m even planning to FaceTime with one of the guys from my workout group so we can keep pushing each other and do the routines together, even after we’re both out.
I should come off house arrest just a few days before my 43rd birthday. If everything goes according to plan, I’ll be in great shape — physically and mentally — and ready to start traveling to meet investors and move these ideas forward. I’m genuinely excited about my life again. When I came in, I was distraught and convinced my life was over. Prison completely changed that perspective. It showed me how much I’m still capable of accomplishing, and how much I will accomplish. As strange as it sounds, I’m thankful for this experience.
Stay safe and legal out there.
Larry
To all my friends and family — I’ll see you in a couple days.
UPDATE: I actually complete 9.5 pullups this evening. I will be getting a pull up bar at home to continue to my goal.
Super happy for you Larry! I knew you’d use this time to better yourself.
Call me when you get out.