This is an amazing story about two people who met through a friend that changed their lives forever. Ro Clausen had a friend whose boyfriend was in prison. Her friend suggested that she communicate with her boyfriend’s friend, Adam Clausen, who was also incarcerated. Little did she know how much they would have in common and that they would be able to create a deep relationship. Adam was hesitant to start a relationship because of his circumstances, but Rosanne opened his heart, and their journey began.
This is the first of two podcasts where they share their story about how they met, their 10-year journey while Adam was incarcerated, and what led to his eventual release. In part two of their story, you’ll learn about his release, the beautiful life they created, and how they use what they learned to help others.
—
Listen to the podcast here
A 213-Year Sentence And 10 Years Of Hope With Ro And Adam Clausen
—
First of all, thank you so much for having us on. We love you so much, Julia. We’re so excited that we’re local and we get to see you in person more frequently than just once a year at a conference. Adam and I met when we were young. We were in high school. I went off to college. Adam went off to prison. He had a little bit of different education. While I was away, he was released. We completely lost touch. When I came home, I didn’t realize he had gone back to prison. Years later, a friend got us back in touch.
There’s one of my very best friends. Her boyfriend wound up getting incarcerated as well. He happened to go to the same facility that Adam was at.
I have to be honest. I was at a point where I was feeling the weight of the sentence that I was serving. I was serving a life sentence. I had spent a number of years slowly disconnecting from the outside to a certain degree. Part of that was for my health and well-being. Not all of my relationships in the past were positive. Many of them were taking a toll on me. I had finally gotten to a point where I was at peace. I was focused on myself. I turned inward. I felt good about who I was and who I was becoming.
I wasn’t sure if I was ready to connect with anyone on the outside, but through this friend, Ro and I started exchanging emails. It was at a time when they had introduced the email system. We were one of the pilot facilities to do that. The timing was right. It was through the exchange of those emails that I very quickly realized how much that connection meant. It wasn’t just the connection. If I’m being honest about it, none of my previous relationships ever had much substance.
This was an opportunity for us, even though we were apart, to get to know one another and who we were at that point in our lives on a much deeper level. I quickly realized that although I went into this not wanting to get involved with anyone and that it was just going to be a friendly exchange, there was far more to it. I was emotionally getting attached through these emails to Ro. It was something that I had never experienced before.
It felt like an eternity later, but it was probably about 3 or 4 weeks later. It was Labor Day weekend. On the long weekends there, you could visit for three days. Otherwise, it was Saturday and Sunday, but we were able to go on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday because that Monday was a federal holiday. I went with that girlfriend, which was great because I had no idea about visiting a prison.
She showed me the ropes and told me what I should wear, what I shouldn’t wear, how to behave, and those kinds of things that somebody on the outside would have no idea what to do or how to behave. It was about three weeks into our communication, but it was a few times a day every single day of emails back and forth. 1.) It felt like we were communicating for years. 2.) We were communicating more deeply than I had communicated with somebody that I had dated for years on the outside in the past. It was incredible.
Without the physical aspect, you can communicate almost on a soul level where you could go deep and ask deep questions. You can be more vulnerable with one another. Share on XHonestly, I don’t. It was more the fact that we were able to communicate without a physical aspect. We were able to communicate almost on a soul level where you could go deep and ask deep questions. Without that physical aspect there, it was almost like you were able to be more vulnerable with one another.
I didn’t. In a good way, looking back, even at visits, I had no idea where I was. I knew that he was in prison, I was visiting a prison, and my emails were being monitored, but I enjoyed this communication with him. I was developing such a sweet and deep relationship with him that it was the last thing in my mind. You have to remember that we weren’t talking about anything criminal or anything other than what makes us tick and operate on a deep level that it was an afterthought. I wasn’t worried about it because I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Maybe it was a denial thing because you’re not used to that, but it never bothered me.
In the beginning, it was a whole heap of denial. I was 31 at the time when we got back in touch. I was like, “We’re going to get them out by the time I’m 35 because I’m going to manipulate this. I’m going to be the one that finds a loophole in the law that gets him out.” I did that for maybe a year or two. I remember specifically the day when I had to let that go because I would go to work, go to the gym, come home, and spend the rest of the night researching.
I was online. I was trying to figure out this loophole or find the one person who would help me get him out so we could live happily ever after because that’s what I deserved. I was going to manipulate this. After about nine months of that, I was in a fitting room. I had to get clothes from the little girls’ section because I didn’t realize that I wasn’t even eating anything more than an apple and peanut butter a day. I was living on coffee, unfortunately, and cigarettes at that point.
I looked in the fitting room mirror and saw this skeleton. I was gray and sallow. I thought to myself, “What are you doing? I can’t do this anymore. It’s not on me. If we’re going to fight to get him home, whenever that’s meant to be and if it’s meant to be, then I have to be healthy. I have to keep myself healthy and find healthy coping mechanisms to get myself through this.” We have always bonded over our health and wellness. We both love it. We both always have on our own a passion for it.
I don’t even know why I put that to the wayside but ever since then, until he got home, I would go to work, have my routine, and keep a schedule. I developed a nonprofit for women and family members who were also going through this at the same time because I figured if I could use what I learned and how I coped with this to help other people, then at least I was doing something constructive and positive with all of this negative that was surrounding his sentence.
From there, it was one day at a time. That’s the last thing that I did to get myself through this because there were ups, downs, highs, and lows. We thought we were going to get him home. It felt close and then the rug got pulled out from under us. The next time it felt even closer and the crash was even harder. This went on year after year. We developed this thing called the 24-hour rule where you can’t say magically, “Everything is going to get better. I have to positive myself through this.”
That’s not human nature. It’s not going to work. You’re going to head yourself into a deep and dark depression if you do that. I gave myself 24 hours to feel my feelings, maybe call out of work if it was that bad, and wallow, but after 24 hours, I had to get up, live my life, and do the things that I needed to do like my coping skills but also my responsibilities to get through every single day to make sure I didn’t fall into a depression.
In 24 hours, the sun didn’t magically shine and everything was happy again because it was 24 hours later, but after a few days, I felt good because I was eating healthy again. For me, exercise is important for my physical health and also my mental health. After a couple of days of those exercise endorphins, I would feel better. We would communicate in a way where we would help one another get through. I felt better. It was a day-in-day-out and one-day-at-a-time thing.
I credit who I am now to the result of her support and the love that I felt over all those years. When Ro was talking about initially that first year and a half when she was so focused on doing whatever she possibly could to get me out of there so that we could have this life together, that was instrumental in me finding external motivation. It’s knowing that someone else depended on me to do everything that I could possibly do on a day-to-day basis to ensure that eventually, I would get out.
A lot of people succumb to depression, despair, and a sense of hopelessness because they feel isolated. They don’t even feel worthy of that second chance. Sometimes, when someone comes along and is so committed and supportive, that’s what we need. For me, that was a huge piece of me staying positive and continuing to work on those things every single day, even on the days when I didn’t feel like it, when I didn’t want to get up out of bed, and when I looked around me and all I saw was the negative. That’s what kept me going.
I also want to point out that during that initial period, Ro, through her diligence online, searched for means to get me out of there and find that loophole that she talked about that she connected me to an individual. While he was in prison, he became a paralegal and then eventually an attorney. It was through that connection and relationship. Ultimately, all these years later, that individual was the one responsible for helping us finally gain that release through the motion that got us through the courts.
It was through that individual. That connection would not have happened without Ro being committed to tracking down all those possibilities. None of that was in vain, but unfortunately, it did come at a cost. You heard her talk about her physical health. There were times when my health suffered when we went through the highs and the lows. There were a lot of expectations where it seemed like the end was near and we were holding onto hope only to have those aspirations dashed and come tumbling back down.
We were there to support one another through both those difficulties and also in those times when things were good. We supported one another in continuing to grow and evolve. This is the key to relationships, not just in situations like this where we were separated and had to focus on finding that connection. In relationships in general, if you’re not focused on growing and evolving together, then you tend to slowly drift apart.
Unfortunately, I believe that’s what happens in most relationships. Despite our physical separation, we were able to focus on those points of connection and very intentionally do things together, like our daily journaling, which we did for many years together. We would exchange those on a daily basis. We were constantly checking in with one another. It’s the skills that we developed by both becoming certified coaches.
It’s having those tools to build our relationship over time and increase that connection. I can’t imagine how our relationship would have gotten to where it is now without having gone through all of those tumultuous times, overcoming all of those adversities, and being able to clearly communicate and support one another through those. That’s what built the foundation and that’s why we have the strength of the relationship that we have.
It’s funny because originally, I was like, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” The timing of everything is impeccable. I had broken up with this guy. In my head of time, I was like, “Here’s another one. They’re all the same.” She was like, “Get back in touch with Adam. Bounce stuff off of him. It’s an outside opinion.” I wasn’t going to do it and I did.
You can't say that everything will get better, and you can positive your way out of things. It's not going to work. You're going to head yourself into a deep and dark depression if you do that. Share on XAfter that first visit, I was talking to another girlfriend. She’s like, “How did it go?” I was like, “It’s incredible. He’s perfect for me. It’s a big cruel joke because I can never have him.” My girlfriend at the time said, “Why don’t you continue the friendship and see where it goes? For one time in your life, follow your heart.” That’s what I did.
That’s the most challenging part for everyone to allow yourself to be vulnerable. When you are in a situation like that and you’re incarcerated, you feel extremely vulnerable all the time because you’re at the mercy of other people. I believe that the tendency and the way that I always dealt with it was to try and control at least myself and everything immediately within my circle of influence as much as I possibly could. That’s generally relationships.
Men and women on the inside will hear, “I need to do me and my time.” Somehow the rationalization, when you’re on the inside, is, “If I can completely disconnect from the outside world, I will be able to protect myself and insulate myself from those things that if I don’t think about them are only going to cause me more pain, heartache, and shame about what I’ve done or regret and remorse.” It’s generally negative emotions that are attached.
As much as we want to be able to receive some love and support, it’s all of those other negative emotions that come along or flood in as a result. Often people on the inside choose instead to disconnect, “Let me cut myself off. I’ll live in this small space and get into my daily routine.” The routine in any facility is very repetitive. It is a structured routine. You can get lost in that. If you have a date, it’s easier to move towards that because the days then begin to blend.
You figure to yourself, “When I get out, then I’ll be able to reconnect and remedy or fix those relationships. I can’t do that from in here.” The mentality is that it’s not possible. For me, having the support that I did from Ro and eventually from some other family members and friends, I had to learn that over time. That connection is what pulled me out so that I did not succumb to all of the other negativity, but it took me being vulnerable and acknowledging that.
That was the biggest hurdle to overcome. I saw it all too often that other people around me weren’t willing to do that. I’ll add one more thing. It’s depending on the level of security. Our relationship started when I was in a level six maximum-security federal prison. That’s as difficult as it gets, as separated as you can possibly be from the outside.
In that environment, it’s very difficult to have connections. The system, structurally, is not set up to promote that. It’s meant to separate. By coming down in custody when I came down to a medium-security, the simple fact that I could sit there with Ro and hold her hand to have that physical connection, I can’t tell you how significant that was in me becoming or reconnecting in a way that allowed me to become who I am now.
Before that happened, it was over a year. I had been incarcerated for over a decade at that point. Ro and I had been exchanging emails. She had been coming up to see me in that maximum security where we were very much separated. There was physical separation, “Do not touch each other. If we even see you look at each other like you’re going to touch, you’re out of here.” Living in that was an unhealthy, restrictive environment. Despite it, that shows the strength of our connection, but it also gave us such an appreciation for something as so seemingly simple yet incredibly intimate as being able to hold her hand.
A memory that defines that in a lighthearted way is there was one point when we were sitting in the very last row of seats. The seats were set up. They were individual. Think of church pews. All the seats on one side and the other side were facing the middle. There was an aisle behind you at the end of vending machines and right next to us. We’re in the last row at the last set of seats. There was a pillar about a foot away.
Instead of walking around the pillar to get to the vending machines, people were cutting through. Adam was sitting on the end and I was sitting right next to him. He was jumpy as everybody walked through. I said to him, “Why don’t we switch seats?” He was like, “No.” Adam was always so good at being so positive and thinking forward. He said, “I’m going to have to get used to this for when I’m on the outside.” He didn’t even get released for another eight years, but that’s Adam.
He got up to go to the bathroom. While he was gone, I switched seats because, in my head, I thought, “You will have to get used to it eventually, but I don’t want you to be miserable and suffer through this whole visit.” We switched seats. When he came back, he sat back down. First of all, that shows how jumpy you get after not being touched and being in that high-stress environment for so long.
I said something, joking with him. I poked him on his side because, at this point, we were in the medium where we could touch. We were allowed to, so I poked him. He jumped and looked at me. His face was serious. He said, “I didn’t even know I was ticklish.” That was funny, but at the moment, I was like, “You haven’t been touched in so long. You don’t know you’re ticklish.” That’s a lighthearted illustration of what happens.
We probably have thousands of stories. I did document most of my journey on my YouTube channel, full disclosure. Now there’s a lot of mommy stuff on there because I wanted to document that and diary it for Christian when he gets older. For anyone that’s going through it, it was like, “I’m going to visit this weekend. Come with me. Here’s what you can wear and can’t wear. Here’s how to get through the metal detector. Make sure you wash your hands and bring your money.” Instead of me sharing more stories for people that need it, it’s all there, years for you.
One of the focal points that brought us together and gave us that initial connection was this shared passion for fitness and all things health and wellness-related. We were both at a point in our lives where that was something that was a priority for us. We were looking to live more healthily and both were transitioning into that. It was a point where we could grow together. It remained a key focal point and does to this day of our relationship.
We made a point early on to continue to share that experience and find a way to use that to bring us together, specifically during those times when things were tough. Instead of each of us going inward and getting caught up in the depression and all of those emotions, we used that shared passion as a means to constructively work through individually some of those emotions to give us a healthy outlet for them. It was also that point of connection.
What I mean is I love program design. I spent a lot of time teaching fitness classes. I love all things health and wellness-related. My focus is on the fitness part. Ro has the complimentary side. She loves all things health and fitness but enjoys the nutrition side. The nutrition and the fitness are something where she and I would always connect. On a daily basis, I would write up workouts that we could share and each of us could do.
Many people succumb to depression, despair, and a sense of hopelessness when they feel isolated. Share on XWe’re doing these separately. We don’t get to work out together, but we would do them, exchange results, and talk about it and some of the challenges. Something so seemingly simple became a healthy, productive outlet for us but also a point of connection. It has remained that same point of connection in our lives now because we carried that practice with us from the inside to the outside, where now we look forward to working out together every day. We do have a new addition to our workout crew. Christian comes with us every day. We’re trying to set those same healthy habits for him early on.
I felt very fortunate that I was able to find my passion for fitness and have a constructive outlet because, in prison, there are few outlets. I had someone who carved out physical space at a premium. It’s hard to find that in prison. This individual became a mentor and a dear friend. He carved out this space and gave me the opportunity to first work with him in delivering these fitness classes. My classes evolved into a multitude of different facets, whether it was yoga, indoor cycling classes, HIIT training, and weight training.
I had all these different avenues where I got to explore that passion. I found my sense of purpose in having the opportunity to share that passion with others. There’s passion and purpose. Those two things helped keep me in a good place mentally and physically despite the environment I was in. That was something that was able to carry me throughout over two decades in those environments.
It became a point of connection in my relationship with Ro. Finding a way to bring all of those things together was instrumental in me maintaining that positive frame of mind throughout and my physical health because I wanted to make sure that eventually, when I got out that Ro and I had many good, healthy, and fulfilling years together.
These were all on the inside. Initially, when I came in the early 2000s, there were still more resources, such as the spinning classes. I became a certified indoor spin instructor, group trainer, and personal trainer. I had access to all those things, which were slowly removed over time. I saw the impact that it had. I continued to deliver my classes by whatever means were available to me. Sometimes there wasn’t much and sometimes, it was a matter of utilizing bodyweight movements. I got to the point where I learned to adapt to whatever the environment was and whatever resources I had.
I saw those challenges as an opportunity for me to become better at honing that craft. I made it fun. It became fun for me to figure out how to do that. It was those individuals that I had the opportunity to work with and how grateful they were in return for the results that they saw in themselves physically. For me, it’s about when you have a physical goal and you can help someone achieve that physical goal to do something that they had never done before or thought themselves capable of.
That’s the key to transforming your belief in yourself and what you’re capable of to developing mental fortitude. It was incredibly fulfilling for me to be able to work in that arena for so many years and see many individuals transform their mindset and ultimately achieve some pretty incredible things, not just inside the prison. To have them then reach back and let me know the great work and the lives that they were leading on the outside was fulfilling for me as well.
Those conversations were very aspirational. We used to joke around about the meals that I would make on the inside. It was about making the best of limited options. Healthy choices are relative under those circumstances. You do the best that you can. Sometimes it’s incredibly frustrating because the more knowledge I gained on nutrition and well-being, the more frustrating it became because I didn’t have those options regardless of where you are.
It’s having access to the food that they generally provide or what’s available in the commissary, which is going to have an extended shelf life, tons of preservatives, and other things that clearly are not healthy for you. You have to be committed to doing the best that you possibly can. Part of my motivation or aspiration was to get to the grocery store one day and for us to be able to walk through the fresh produce aisle.
I used to talk about this all the time. I can’t wait to see the fresh yellow, green, and red bell peppers, fruits, and vegetables because those were things I was so starved for that I couldn’t wait to have access to again to this day. I’ve been out and I still have the same excitement when we go into the grocery store. We would go to the store all the time and constantly hit those areas where we were buying those fresh fruits and vegetables. It has given me such a great appreciation for it, but at the same time, I’m all too well aware of those individuals who are on the inside with limited options.
I’ve done my best to outline some healthy meals using those commissary items and tried to advocate here on a local level for improved access. It’s one of those things where it’s the first place where budgets are cut, yet there is the most minimal margin for savings, which doesn’t make any sense. Honestly, the long-term healthcare costs as a result of not having access to good nutritional foods is a foresight that most state agencies don’t have. They’re more concerned about current budgets. They generally won’t invest in those healthy items. You have to be committed to doing the best that you can.
I’m down. You set it up. We would love to go.
It was 2010. There was a New York Times article that told the story of a man who was a bank robber, became a jailhouse lawyer, and won some incredible cases that most attorneys out here wouldn’t be able to win while he was on the inside. When he came out, he became a lawyer. He worked his way up. He was a Georgetown Law professor. At that point, I don’t think he was working for Georgetown. I don’t remember exactly what he was doing.
He was working for a legal publishing company while finishing up law school and attempting to pass the Washington State Bar as a convicted felon. He had the support of a Supreme Court attorney who happened to see both of the motions that he had submitted while in prison. He was so impressed and told him, “Whatever I can do to support your success when you get out, I’ll be there for you.”
True to his word, he helped him attain a Bill and Melinda Gates scholarship to law school and when he came up to the bar spoke support because you need that character reference when you have any negative history. He was there to support him in that. From that point forward, his career took off based on not just what he had done while he was on the inside but also what he continued to do on the outside.
There was a New York Times article that was written about him. I read the article and reached out to him on Facebook. I never expected him to reach back out and he did. I got him in touch with Adam. They became fast friends. What I didn’t realize at that point was their cases were very similar. Shon, the attorney, chose not to go to trial, whereas Adam chose to go to trial and was punished for it. That’s what created Adam’s long sentence. Not only did he like Adam, but it was also a package contract.
Continuing to grow and evolve together is the key to relationships. Share on XThis was stretched out over the course of about ten years.
There were many similarities between our backgrounds and a lot of different characteristics, yet we were treated very differently by the system. He was offered that time, still a substantial sentence of twelve years. I was not offered that same opportunity at even a reasonable sentence. I was put in a more difficult situation. I felt like I had no option but to go to trial and face these mandatory minimums.
When Shon and I mutually connected and he learned about the disparity between our situations, he felt a personal responsibility because being on his way to becoming an attorney, he felt like these were the sorts of situations that he could have the greatest impact, especially coming out of that environment where he still felt a need to give back.
I’m very fortunate that he saw that in me and we had that relationship. This was before he gained too much national attention. As the years progressed, he and I had many conversations on what it would take to ultimately change the law that gave me the mandatory minimum sentences because that was the only option there was for me to ever be released. My appeals had long since run out. This was the means that we needed to focus on for my release.
Over the course of those many years where he gained acknowledgment for his legal acumen and what he had overcome, there was a lot of interest in his personal story. He published a book that helped. Ultimately, Georgetown Law school came to him and offered him a position as a law professor. Being at one of the top law schools in the entire world elevated him to an even higher level of recognition and outpour of support from other individuals throughout this community.
Being in Washington, DC, gave him access to The White House, where he became a frequent guest. Through these relationships that he developed, he ended up in a position to help influence the actual amendment to the law, which resulted in my eventual release. This is over the course of a decade. This isn’t something that happened in a relatively short amount of time.
Maybe I should clarify this because my attorney Shon and his frequent trips to The White House for sentence reform in 2018 resulted in the First Step Act. There were two key pieces within that legislation. The first was an amendment to the statute that gave me the mandatory minimums. Congress came back and said, “You can’t do this anymore. No one will ever be sentenced the way you’ve been sentenced. However, it’s not going to be made retroactive.”
I and thousands of others remained trapped and stuck behind those sentences. That was the first part. The second component of the First Step Act of 2018 was a change of a few words to what’s called the Compassionate Release vehicle. That is the ability to petition the court for a reduction of sentence. Prior to that, there was no way for me to get back into court. Shon was responsible for making that change to the law. The problem was that no one believed when that change was made that it would have an impact on people like me.
Shon had to go out to all of the media and the law or legal community and convince people through numerous articles he wrote, interviews he conducted, and many conversations with people of influence to say, “This is what this change means. We can now do this.” That is a Herculean task because very few people believed what he believed at that time, but he remained committed to it and ultimately used my case as an example of how this could be done and why it should be done.
He effectively changed everyone’s mind as to what was possible. I would like to say that it was my case that did this and broke the doors open, but that’s not how it went. My case was used as an example in thousands of other cases where people were first granted relief. It was stressful for us to sit on the sidelines for years, allowing the case law to develop in support of my release because the reality is that there are politics involved. I was serving a life sentence. I had 213 years.
We always knew that would require a person of influence, either the judge or the president, to put their name on a piece of paper granting my release. That’s viewed as a severe political liability considering the time I had, the charges that I had, and the prior convictions I had. We knew what we were up against. When Shon was telling us that he had to form this record and allow all of these other cases that were a little bit easier for the courts to acknowledge and build that record to go first, that was tough for us.
It was tough to sit on the sidelines and watch people get released. We could be happy for them, but we felt like our time was there too. We wanted to start a family and take that next step forward in our lives. Ultimately, it took 18, 19, or 22 and a half years for us to finally get that motion back in front of a judge who was willing to acknowledge that I had accomplished what were deemed extraordinary and compelling reasons for a sentence reduction. He granted the motion and vacated my sentence. I no longer had 213 years.
However, he didn’t immediately release me or say even what time he was going to pose in place of my original sentence. There was an additional waiting period where we were left in limbo, not knowing whether or not I was still going to have to serve another 10, 15, or 20 years based on whatever the judge decided. We didn’t know if our life together was about to start, begin our family, and move on with our lives or if we were going to have to wait another decade or possibly longer. That was a very challenging time.
It worked out. I didn’t make it out. It’s a spoiler alert, but there was another hearing. The judge decided that he wanted to hold one more hearing after he vacated my sentence. He wanted Shon and the US attorney to weigh in on why he should or should not grant my release. This is where Shon did an amazing job advocating for me. I have to be honest. There is no other attorney or person on this planet that I would allow to go in there and speak solely on my behalf.
After spending twenty years focused on this one singular issue, Shon was the only person I could be completely confident in going in there knowing that he had the issue. He could speak about me as a person and be truly my advocate. That rarely happens in the criminal justice system. Attorneys don’t generally know their clients very well. Here’s someone that I have a close personal relationship with who can go directly to the source and speak to them on my behalf.
I left that in his hands, which was a bit of a challenge, but I left it completely in his hands. He did such an outstanding job advocating for me that the US attorney and the government said that they would not deny or oppose my immediate release. Furthermore, they would not appeal any decision that the judge handed down. Since he had already considered he had the authority to vacate my sentence, they had no further objections and supported my release.
In doing so, that allowed the judge full autonomy and the political cover as well because he could say, “The government went along with it.” It freed his hands to finally impose a sentence of time served, which was my immediate release. That’s an amazing thing. That’s what we had always dreamed of. That moment coming to fruition was hard to believe when it finally came.
As much as we wanted to celebrate, I have to be honest. When I got the news, there was some hesitation. I was like, “It has been twenty years. Is this real? Is this happening? She’s about to come to pick me up out front. I’m going to walk out those doors that she has walked in all these years, over a decade, to come to see me and visit. I’m about to go out those doors and meet her in front of the building.”
I could envision it perfectly, but there was that hesitation. It didn’t happen immediately. Although it was an immediate release, there were some complications. It took a couple of days before I was finally released and I walked out the door to Ro, who was out front with a car parked, ready to go for our journey across the country toward our new life.
Thank you. We appreciate you having us on. We look forward to taking that trip to the farmer’s market.
Important Links
- Ro and Adam Clausen – YouTube
- www.RiseVillageLV.com
- www.RiseTogetherStaffing.com
- www.ApexAlternativeSolutions.com
- PrisonFamiliesAlliance.org
- PrisonTheHiddenSentence.com
- Prison: The Hidden Sentence™: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR LOVED ONE IS ARRESTED AND INCARCERATED
- The Comeback Code: Strong Prison Wives & Family Members’ Life Journal
About Rosanne Clausen
Rosanne Clausen is the founder of Strong Prison Wives & Families, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that has helped more than 80,000 people. Since 2008 “Ro” has provided extensive support, coaching and private counsel to wives, girlfriends, sisters, mothers, and family members around the world who have an incarcerated loved one. During that time, she has become an expert in personal development, criminal justice reform advocacy, correctional institution policy and procedure, and the prison industrial complex.
In addition to private coaching, Ro has produced and starred in hundreds of videos that document her strategies on how to deal with nearly every conceivable situation, emotion and experience shared by all those who endured the separation and hardships associated with having an incarcerated loved one. Her book titled “The Comeback Code” serves as an invaluable resource for anyone in need of inspiration and sound strategies engaged in the process of self discovery, personal development and/or relationship enhancement. In recent years Ro has begun working with media representatives, as both a consultant and talent, to help bring attention to the mental, emotional and physical well-being needs of those citizens suffering through the long term separation and ongoing support of an incarcerated loved one.
About Adam Clausen
Adam Clausen is a Leader, Life Coach, Trainer and Entrepreneur whose purpose in life is to inspire others to live into their full potential. In 2001 Adam was sentenced to 213 YEARS in federal prison with no chance of parole. He spent the next 20+ years transforming his life while compiling an extensive list of “extraordinary and compelling” achievements. Finally, on August 12, 2020 Adam was granted “compassionate release” and awarded a second chance at life. He’s now experiencing levels of success in his life most people only dream of.
While trapped behind 50 foot walls, Adam acquired all of the knowledge and skills he needed to not only survive for over two decades in federal prison, but which allowed him to consistently thrive in the face of unfathomable adversity. He is highly regarded as an expert in; crisis management, conflict resolution, public speaking, physical fitness, leadership and networking.
Adam is a Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund Manager for RISE Village, which provides transitional and affordable housing solutions for returning citizens. He is also the founder and Managing Partner of Rise Together Staffing, a company that connects returning citizens to second chance employers, as well as the CEO of APEX Alternative Solutions, LLC a company that designs custom tailored solutions to complex interpersonal challenges.
Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!
Leave a Reply