That got me thinking. Where was that kind of training? Where was the real-world technology training? Where were the computer skills, software skills, work-from-home skills, freelance skills, communication skills, business skills and money-making ideas that could help someone earn legally without always having to beg a traditional employer for a second chance?

That’s when the idea for this book really started to take shape.

The title also hit me hard during the planning stage. I thought, “These men and women need hope on the outside.” Not just hope as a nice word or warm feeling, but real hope backed by better thinking, better habits, better skills, better choices, better planning and a stronger personal foundation.

That’s why I love the title Hope On The Outside. It says exactly what this book is meant to give people.

Being a trainer, author, researcher, life philosopher, motivational speaker, business owner and someone who has made a living outside of a traditional job for more than 30 years, it made sense for me to put together a book like this. I wanted to offer practical ideas, positive attitudes, life-affirming philosophies, mental approaches and success strategies that could help someone prepare for life after release.

Inside this book, I cover topics many re-entry programs either do not cover, do not cover deeply enough, or may not think to cover at all. Things like forgiveness, vows, staying away from trouble, getting clean, improving your health, learning skills, building confidence, finding work, managing money, improving relationships, keeping a journal, learning patience, getting a computer, getting tech savvy, staying busy, helping others and creating a better future.

In this updated edition, I also added a new section on how AI can help someone build their comeback plan.

Why AI? Because today, if someone has access to a phone, computer, library computer, workforce center, school computer, halfway house computer lab or similar resource, AI can become a powerful planning and learning tool. It can help someone organize their thoughts, create a 30, 60 and 90-day plan, prepare for job interviews, write letters, improve communication, build routines, identify triggers, support recovery goals, learn new skills, practice better choices and create what I call a Personal Stay Free Plan.

Now, let me be clear. AI will not save anyone’s life for them. AI will not stay sober for them. AI will not show up to work for them. AI will not make them walk away from the wrong crowd. That part is still on the individual.

But AI can help them think clearer, plan faster, write better, practice difficult conversations, learn useful skills and stay focused on the new life they are trying to build.

That is why I love the new AI section. It gives readers a modern tool they can use alongside the timeless lessons in this book. It does not replace personal responsibility. It reinforces it. It helps turn hope into action.

At the end of the day, Hope On The Outside is about helping men and women prepare mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially and practically for a better life outside the walls, fences, programs or systems they are coming out of.

I believe this book can give those readers, and their families, real hope. Not fantasy hope. Not empty hope. But the kind of hope that comes from having a plan, taking responsibility, learning new skills, making better choices and deciding, once and for all, “I am not going back.”

That’s what Hope On The Outside is all about.