The Preseason

A self-directed, in-cell study program for incarcerated people

Think you got it all figured out?

Take The Preseason Pretest to see if you have anything to learn from H2.0

Take the Pretest

The Preseason is a 348-page, softcover Hustle Guide with 12 evidence-based crash courses—each packed with self-assessments, journal exercises, case studies, testimonials, and success stories. Once students complete the 12 crash courses, they take a final exam that is mailed to Hustle 2.0 for grading. Those who pass earn a certificate.

The Preseason is perfect for people:
  • 5Currently incarcerated in jail or prison
  • 5On lockdown during COVID-19
  • 5Recently released from correctional facilities

Purchase The Preseason for yourself, a friend, a loved one, or one of our scholarship applicants!

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Peek under the cover

How to Smoke $1 Million in 20 Years

Excerpt from Chapter 1: Transform Yo’ Hustle

Values that Lead to Criminal Thinking

Excerpt from Chapter 4: Criminal Thinking

Here’s a sneak preview of what students learn in The Preseason’s 12 crash courses:

Choose a topic and scroll below for a full breakdown.

1) Entrepreneurship

Transform Yo’ Hustle

  • Use our Dope Math Worksheet and learn why drug dealing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
  • Learn why hustlers make natural entrepreneurs and have transferable skills, and how they can transform their hustle from illegal into legal profits that will keep them free
  • Learn what an entrepreneur is, study the characteristics of legal entrepreneurs, and discover if they have the mindset of an entrepreneur
  • Analyze case studies of formerly incarcerated people who transformed their hustle, are crushing it, get to be their own bosses, and don’t have to look over their shoulders

2) Healthy Relationships

Cupcakin’ 101

  • Learn the benefits of healthy relationships, including living a longer life with less stress
  • Brush up on the art of cupcakin’ to improve their relationship with that special someone, including ways to ask more thoughtful questions and engage in meaningful conversation
  • Take a quiz to determine what they have to offer in a relationship and whether they’re ready for a healthy one
  • Learn why they might want to lose their “type” and start choosing character over characteristics
  • Learn guidelines for writing effective penpal intros to gain new healthy relationships, and learn creative penmanship tips for letters and communicating meaningfully

3) Leadership

Runnin’ Point

  • Pinpoint why they get nervous when it comes to networking, and know they’re not alone
  • Learn networking basics: how to be interesting, tips to be a bomb conversationalist, and how to introduce themselves in a professional setting
  • Discover how to gain trust and get people to invest time and money in them to get what they want
  • Take an assessment to determine how successful they’ve been with setting realistic goals
  • Learn the SMART goal planning framework and use it to set achievable, realistic goals
  • Take quizzes to determine if they’re leaders and to rate their leadership qualities
  • Learn about leaders vs. followers, and gain inspiration from a case study about transforming influence

4) Criminal Thinking

It Wasn’t Me

  • Become aware of their criminal thinking through an assessment
  • Evaluate the origins of their criminal thinking; identify values that shaped their beliefs; determine if they’re addicted to criminal thinking
  • Learn the top 10 criminal thinking errors and determine how these errors played into their choices
  • Determine if they want to continue down a criminal path, or if they were meant for more

5) Employment

Gettin’ Laced Up for Work

  • Assess their knowledge for succeeding with a job hunt
  • Learn to put themselves in the employers’ shoes
  • Identify the best jobs and types of companies for people with criminal histories
  • Learn the keys to landing a job after release
  • Hear it directly from HR professionals: when it comes to hiring people with criminal histories, learn exactly what they look for
  • Master the nine advantages to having a rap sheet, and learn to sell themselves at their interview
  • Understand the most commonly asked interview question, and the best way to answer it
  • Learn to credibly articulate their criminal history and transformation to an employer
  • Analyze case studies on formerly incarcerated people who overcame obstacles while job seeking

6) Becoming the Solution

Common Ground-Bound

  • Evaluate their personal contributions to their predicament
  • Get inspired by case studies on taking steps to reduce criminality
  • Learn to promote and practice peace and positivity with staff
  • Recognize they have a choice when it comes to engaging in criminal activity
  • Identify how people have made enemies out of fellow human beings

7) Purposeful Living

Mining Fo’ Meaning

  • Take a quiz to determine if they’re living their purpose, or think it’s been ruined with bad decisions
  • Analyze case studies on people who found their purpose and are living it while incarcerated
  • Decide the life path they’re committed to

8) Reentry

Get Out the Do’ Fo’Sho’

  • Learn the importance of separating from crimeys through a case study
  • Get curious about their loved ones’ expectations for their release
  • Reconnect with loved ones by completing a 50-question survey to prepare for reentry

9) Anger Management

Unnecessary Roughness

  • Identify the roots of their anger, and think about the last time their anger chose for them
  • Analyze a case study on anger, the costs and consequences of anger, and the violence in their past
  • Learn strategies for not taking the bait

10) Character Development

You Ain’t Gotta Lie to Kick It

  • Complete a case study that leads to forgiveness
  • Study the consequences of unforgiveness, what it means to forgive, and how to do it
  • Learn about vulnerability, depression, and healing from abuse
  • Learn about lying to others and themselves, and how romanticized thinking keeps people locked up
  • Assess their integrity
  • Learn tips for confession and take an assessment to determine if they want to come clean
  • Learn to work with accountability partners to reach their goals
  • Understand the difference between values and beliefs, and how these affect personal transformation
  • Identify where their values come from; take a values inventory to determine the most impactful values; determine the positive values they want to embrace for a new future
  • Determine the composition of their identity, and learn how to shift away from a criminal identity

11) Victim Awareness

Ripple Effect

  • Assess their knowledge about victim awareness
  • Evaluate a case study to see what it looks like to take responsibility for their actions
  • Learn about restorative justice
  • Identify the victims of their crimes, and understand the ripple effects of their crimes
  • Apply concepts about victim awareness through a case study on selling drugs

12) Persevering

2 Legit 2 Quit

  • Learn to affirm themselves through hard times
  • Get inspired by two case studies on persevering through seemingly insurmountable obstacles
  • Learn tips on maintaining hope from those who survived 30+ years in isolation
  • Learn about grit and how important it is to overcoming obstacles
  • Rate their level of grit and learn to grow it
FAQ
Are Hustle 2.0's courses only written by incarcerated people?

Hustle 2.0’s team consists of entrepreneurs, correctional experts, psychologists, educators, and writers. All of us have spent countless hours inside of prisons and jails, though many of us have never spent the night in a cell. We create courses in partnership with incarcerated writers and artists, who provide testimonials, artwork, and case studies that bring to life our evidence-based curriculum.

Are Hustle 2.0's programs evidence-based?

We have built our programs around the evidence-based research and practices that indicate effectiveness at reducing criminal behavior and recidivism. Our programs utilize the primary interventions of structured journaling and expressive writing to address the criminogenic needs of anger/hostility, anti-social peers, criminal orientation/thinking, emotional stability/mental health, family/parenting relationships, and employment.

Are Hustle 2.0's programs trauma-informed?

Most, if not all, people in prison have been affected by trauma. Hurt people hurt people. We acknowledge the harmful impacts of the past and hope for a future filled with healing. A Ph.D. in clinical psychology reviews our trauma-related courses to ensure we’re providing a trauma-informed curriculum.

Who can participate in The Preseason?

The program is designed for men, women, and youth who are currently or formerly incarcerated. That said, anyone can purchase the program, complete it, and earn a certificate. A criminal history is not a requirement for participation. We do not discriminate against any crime-type or sentence-length. The student can be serving one month in jail or life in prison, or reside in any place (or any country!) that will accept our softcover textbook via mail.

What are the different options for implementing The Preseason at my facility?

The Preseason was designed to be effective when completed individually in-cell. All interactions with participants are handled via correspondence through the mail. It can be implemented as simply as Hustle 2.0 mailing The Preseason workbook directly to the participant, and the participant mailing their completed homework packets back to Hustle 2.0 for grading. We can also implement The Preseason through an appointed staff member at a facility, who would be responsible for distributing workbooks to participants, collecting homework packets, and mailing the packets to Hustle 2.0.

We do have program partners who facilitate The Preseason with an instructor in the classroom or via Zoom, or who supplement an existing program or group activity with The Preseason.

We do have the ability to implement The Preseason digitally on tablets/Chromebooks.

If you have questions about program implementation for The Preseason, email us at sales@hustle20.com and someone on our team will be happy to speak with you further.

I’m considering purchasing The Preseason for my group or institution. Who can I speak with to learn more?

Email us at sales@hustle20.com and someone from our team will follow up with you.

Is there an educational prerequisite to participate in The Preseason?

No. However, people who read and write at a 7th-grade level or above do best in Hustle 2.0. Many students thrive in this program despite learning disabilities.

How do you earn a certificate for completing The Preseason?

Complete the four-page deliverable included at the end of the textbook, and mail it to Hustle 2.0 for grading. The deliverable includes a 50-question final exam based on the content in the textbook. A score of 80%+ is required to earn a certificate.

How hard is it to complete The Preseason?

The Preseason is designed as a one-month introductory correspondence program. There isn’t a time limit, however. If the student just wants to earn a certificate, they will invest less time than if they are committed to their personal growth. High achievers will invest more time completing the optional projects, assessments, journaling assignments, and recommended reading. 

I’ve completed The Preseason and want more Hustle 2.0. What’s next?

This program is called The Preseason … because it’s only the beginning of the journey with H2.0. Email us at sales@hustle20.com to join the waitlist for our next program.

The Preseason is followed by:

Each of the 12 Hustle Guides (i.e., textbooks) contains evidence-based courses that come with rigorous homework assignments that are graded by H2.0. As we do in The Preseason, we hit students with a combo of serious stuff and tons of fun.

For those preparing to face a parole board, we also offer a Parole Board Readiness program with customized exercises and insight from parole commissioners. Students who complete all 12 Hustle Guides earn a university certificate from Southern Utah University in Leadership & Management.