- Sam Mangel is a former inmate who now works as a federal prison consultant.
- He uses his experience to help defendants navigate the system and reduce their sentences.
- After spending time in custody, Mangel learned that knowledge is power in prison.
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This told essay is based on a conversation with. Sam Mangel, a federal prison consultant with his own firm. Mr. Mangel entered the scene after pleading guilty to wire fraud in an insurance fraud scheme and being sentenced to prison.
In 2016, I retired from my job at an insurance company after 4 years. There was a knock on my door in Florida at 7am. What came out were 17 men and women wearing blue FBI windbreakers and holding guns. I definitely thought they were asking directions from a neighbor or something. Once I identified myself, they handcuffed me and forced me into the back seat of the car. I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t do any business during that period. An FBI agent told me in the car. Charged with wire fraud and insurance fraud from Philadelphia.
I hired a lawyer and spent $500,000 for a major firm. I remember when I gave him the check he gave me his 7 phone numbers where he could be reached 24/7. I called him on Monday and didn’t get a reply until Thursday. That’s when I realized that to a criminal defense attorney, you’re just a number. It’s a very transactional business.
After six months, my lawyer told me that I had to make a plea, but that I could negotiate a year without detention. I went to a pre-sentence interview and it was controversial. I didn’t understand the nuances. As sentencing approached, the judge looked down at me and said: “Mr. Mangel, you clearly have no remorse.” He deviated from his sentencing recommendation and told me, 60 monthsand detained me.
The only thing that went through my mind was that under federal law at the time, the 60-month prison sentence required me to serve 85% of it. So I ended up being away from my family for four years and a few months.
In my pre-sentence interview, I made a sarcastic joke about how I drink like a fish. Because of making such statements to staff, I ended up attending his RDAP, a nine-month drug and alcohol program, out of sheer dumb luck. My sentence was immediately reduced by 12 months. This is how I learned that knowledge is the most important thing in prison. Knowledge is power.
About a year later, I got my first release, but ended up spending 12 months in half-house and home confinement. Then the coronavirus arrived, and with the CARES Act, Congress sought to release eligible prisoners. I once helped a lifeguard with a question about bicycles, and he promised me a favor. I called and he made me a test case for the CARES Act. He said I was the first person in the Southeast region to be released under the CARES Act.
I was discharged in March of 2020 and ended supervised release early thereafter. I convinced a Florida judge that I was not a risk and was in compliance, so instead of 36 months of supervised release, my sentence was reduced to about 23 months.
I got into this business because while I was in custody, I met other white-collar criminals with far worse charges and much lower sentences than me. They worked with consultants.
I thought, “I can do it. I understand the mentality of this system and the people who deal with it.”
I believe that being close to defendants and their families is the most important part of being a consultant. Yes, I can help get someone appointed to the right place and the right program. Ultimately, it is important to lower the temperature, especially before surrendering. There’s nothing scarier than dealing with the government, unresponsive lawyers, and an unknown 800-pound gorilla. Prisons are black holes and lawyers don’t know about prisons because it’s not their job to know about them. they’ve never been there.
I ask myself how I can help my clients get the best outcome at sentencing using non-legal methods. In my case, I was my own worst enemy because I lacked humility. How do we help people prepare for oral interviews? How do we use the months the judge reads? Starting point? I strive to get my clients out of prison and back to their families as quickly as possible.
I explain to people, mainly spouses, “It’s okay. You’ll get through it.” I strongly believe in working with my client and her family on a personal level and being virtually available 24/7. Because if you can’t contact your lawyer over the weekend, the fear won’t stop come Friday afternoon.
I will be there for your loved one when you are in prison. Because I have to tell you, you’re in prison, you have three meals a day, you have clean clothes, you have a place to sleep. You won’t feel stressed. The people most stressed out are the loved ones you leave behind. My clients want a confidante, a therapist, someone who can reduce their stress, someone they can talk to when they’re primarily not at home. That’s what I’m doing.
Correction: April 29, 2024 — A previous version of this article contained an incorrect timeline for when Mangel became eligible for RDAP. He qualified during a pre-sentence interview, not in custody.