Christopher Zoukis had plenty of questions when he reported to federal prison to begin an incarceration that would last a dozen years.
What would life behind bars be like? What should he do (or not do) to stay safe? How could he communicate with the outside world? What obstacles would he – a young man – encounter as he tried to continue his education?
What Zoukis didn’t have was someone who could provide answers to those questions and guidance on how to maneuver the Byzantine prison system and come out on the other side prepared to be a contributing member of society.
Today, two years after his release, Zoukis has become the very person he once needed. As managing director of Zoukis Consulting Group (www.prisonerresource.com), he provides help and advice to people already in prison or who are about to be incarcerated.
“Prison is a vastly different world with a culture that is completely alien to those who have never experienced it,” he says. “As surprising as it might seem, even many criminal defense attorneys know little about prisons. They don’t understand what their clients will go through or are going through.”
The services that Zoukis’ team provides include consulting sessions to answer criminal defendants’ questions about what to expect in prison, along with reading materials that cover all facets of federal incarceration. The team also includes financial professionals who can help the inmate’s family deal with the financial stress associated with a family member going to federal prison. Numerous other services include providing aid with sentencing or helping to arrange legal assistance when someone is arrested.
“People unaccustomed to prison largely view the experience like something out of the TV series Oz or the movie The Shawshank Redemption, but this is rarely true,” Zoukis says. “Prisons come in all shapes and sizes. While the more brutal facilities have nicknames such as ‘Bloody Beaumont’ and ‘Victimville,’ softer facilities have names such as ‘Camp Cupcake’ and ‘Sweetersburg.’”
Even without a prison consultant to aid him, Zoukis made the most of his own time as an inmate. While in prison he earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA, penned more than 1,000 articles for newspapers and other publications, and published books including College for Convicts: The Case for Higher Education in American Prisons and the Federal Prison Handbook. His most recent book is Directory of Federal Prisons: The Unofficial Guide to Bureau of Prisons Institutions.
In addition to his consulting business, Zoukis is now attending law school. He sees his experience as an inmate as something that provides him with valuable insight for his current occupation, but also as an example of how others can successfully reenter society, even though the system appears to be stacked against such accomplishments.
A Bureau of Justice Statistics study that tracked prisoners for nine years following their release from custody found that 68 percent were rearrested within three years, 79 percent within six years, and 83 percent within nine years.
“The system is broken, but determined minds can create something out of nothing,” Zoukis says. “I’ve always been an advocate at heart. As such, I’m very passionate about criminal justice reform matters. I like to fight for the little guy. In my arena, this often means criminal defendants and prisoners.”
About Christopher Zoukis
Christopher Zoukis, MBA, is the managing director of Zoukis Consulting Group (www.prisonerresource.com), which provides help and advice to people in prison or who are about to be incarcerated. Zoukis launched the company after serving a 12-year prison sentence himself, during which time he earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA. Zoukis is now attending the University of California, Davis School of Law. He is a member of the UC Davis Law Review and Trial Practice Honors Board. He has been interviewed by The Washington Post, USA Today, New York Daily News, The Hill, CNN, Fox News, Detroit Free Press and other media outlets. In addition, Zoukis is the author of four books. His most recent title is Directory of Federal Prisons: The Unofficial Guide to Bureau of Prisons Institutions.
