He Got 213 Years in Prison. He Walked Out With a Vision Board.

About this episode

Adam Clausen shares his journey from a 213-year prison sentence to advocating for others affected by the justice system.

Adam Clausen was sentenced to 213 years in federal prison for a string of armed robberies. He served 20 years, 5 months, and 17 days. In August 2020 he walked out through compassionate release under the First Step Act. Today he works in Washington DC fighting to free the men he left behind. In this episode of Fargo Talks, Jeff Fargo sits down with Adam at Level Nine Studios in Las Vegas for the conversation other podcasts haven't had. Not the sentence. Not the headlines. The kid with scholarship offers who disappeared. The 700-page memoir written inside. The promise he made to men still serving life: if I'm not successful, they die in prison. And why his release day wasn't the happiest day of his life. Questions this episode answers: What is the First Step Act and how does compassionate release work? Adam explains the law that ended a 213-year sentence after two decades. Can people truly change in prison? Adam built the first program of incarcerated life coaches in the country before his release. What does life after a long sentence look like? Adam now leads innovation at Social Purpose Corrections, hosts the Gritability podcast, and runs the clothing line 27th Straight…

People in this episode

Host: Jeff Fargo

Guest: Adam Clausen

Topics covered

• prison reform
• compassionate release
• life after prison
• personal transformation
• second chances

Keywords

• First Step Act
• compassionate release
• armed robbery
• life coaching
• prison reform
• personal growth
• memoir

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Social Purpose Corrections, Gritability podcast, 27th Straight, First Step Act

Places: Washington DC, Las Vegas

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