PREPARATION: 1. PARTICIPATE IN YOUR DEFENSE, 2. MAKE A ‘GREAT-FIRST-IMPRESSION’ AT YOUR; Presentence Interview, 3. EXPLAIN TO YOUR JUDGE WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR LIFE, 4. Express Remorse For Your Victims, While Accepting Responsibility Without Any Excuses? These ideas come from Attorney Alan Ellis ‘Interviews With Federal Judges, Nationwide‘.

Through my story, this video explains why finding the right attorney is crucial for you. Although this is your life-altering event, preparation and knowledge of what you are about to do could still result in a positive outcome.

THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES: WHAT YOU CAN DO IS:

  • Participate In Your Defense with Your Legal Team.
  • Take the time to write a well-thought-out Personal Narrative (from the heart) and Release Plan.
  • Ensure that everything is organized and spell-checked.
  • Ask for as many Character Reference Letters as possible, then pick the ten best. These letters speak to your Character from people who have known you for a long time. They are not letters that suggest to the Judge what sentence you should have.
  • Lastly, provide all relevant information to your attorney in a single file to ensure that nothing gets lost.

In addition to a 98% conviction rate, the DOJ has very deep financial pockets to prosecute, and “your case” is mainly completed. Preparing for your presentence interview should be the most critical thing in your life, no matter the length of your expected sentence. The officer conducting your interview has tremendous sway over your judge and, therefore, your sentence.

Properly prepared, are you confident in understanding what makes up your presentence report (PSR)? All the information you gather will influence your life, so it is recommended that you present it to your probation officer 1-2 weeks before your interview.

After your interview and investigation, the probation officer (at this point, the most important person in your life) will write your presentence report based on the information you provided. Your judge will sentence you based on the information that makes up your presentence report.

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO FIRST, START WITH A FREE CONSULTATION FOR YOU OR A LOVED ONE. THIS IS MY PERSONAL CELL (240.888.7778), AND I ANSWER AND RETURN ALL CALLS.

If comprehensive, it includes:

  • Copies of all biographical backgrounds
  • Copies of all personal identification
  • Personal narrative
  • Release plan
  • Allocution
  • Character reference letters

Understanding your:

  • Pattern score
  • SPARC-13
  • Good time credits
  • Eligibility Requirements of the First Step Act
  • Earned time credits, etc.
  • Financial Responsibility Program (FRP)
  • Criminogenic risk factors
  • Are you RDAP eligible?
  • Second Chance Act: become familiar with its benefits
  • Compassionate release, with the FSA providing options

Initially, it depended on your age or medical condition. The Second Look Act allows the court to examine the facts now, not just what happened at your sentencing.

  • Bad lawyering
  • The laws have changed
  • Your need as a family caregiver
  • The person got a raw deal at sentencing
  • Was this a fair sentence based on the facts today?
  • Extraordinary change in circumstances, allowing for a lower sentence or release
  • The SARS-CoV-2 variant that causes COVID-19 continues to mutate, and science and the courts struggle to keep up. As of May 2025, a new variant is emerging globally, including in the US, but it is not yet a significant issue.
  • The BOP encourages using the Administrative Remedy process (BP9-11 and 2241).
  • Case Manager, counselor, unit team, warden, and how they can influence your journey through prison and early release, for better or worse.

This video covers preparation for your pre-sentence interview and needs to include everything about you:

  1. Your Personal Narrative
  2. Your Release Plan
  3. Your biographical background (all of your medical records, for example)
  4. Your personal identification

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What are your expectations on day 1?

  • What are the best times to arrive if self-surrendering?
  • When you surrendered, what did you bring?
  • Were you put in an isolation cell? Was it a surprise? Were you given a heads-up explanation with options, which are…
  • There may be forms to be filled out, but you’re ready
  • For most things going forward, you have been prepped on what to expect and how to act

Disappointment and Frustration

Or was all of this a surprise? Based on everything we have reviewed, we plan to work toward an early release, understanding that there are no guarantees. Disappointment and frustration will likely follow, but you are the only person who can control how you react.

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This Video Covers How You Can Work or Earn Your Way Toward Freedom, with Elizabeth Holmes as an Example