I got a 65-Year Jail Sentence. Then this happened... | Damon West's Story

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Society & Culture, Talk Radio, Writer, Philosophy, Comedy, Chess, How To, Entrepreneurship, Jay, James, The James Altucher Show, Altucher, Author, Jay Yow, Education, Jay The Engineer, Business, James Altucher

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2025

⏱️ 88 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A Note from James:

Oh my gosh. This guy was thrown in jail for 65 years—and he deserved it. You'll hear about his crimes and misdemeanors. He started as a superstar quarterback, high school and college hero turned meth addict, and eventually became a hardcore RICO gang criminal. Sentenced to essentially life in prison, Damon's story is genuinely one of the most inspirational I've heard. He's got a bunch of books out—his latest, Six Dimes and a Nickel: Life Lessons to Empower Change, just came out and refers to the 65-year sentence he received. You need to read this book, which follows his memoir The Change Agent and The Coffee Bean, teaching a simple yet profound lesson about creating positive change. I could have talked to Damon forever about jail, prison fights, criminal life, meth addiction, and most importantly, the transformation that changed everything. By the way, this conversation will change your life, too—I really took a lot from his insights.

Episode Description:

Damon West was handed a 65-year prison sentence, effectively life behind bars, after spiraling from a promising college quarterback into meth addiction and becoming the leader of a burglary ring. This episode covers the dramatic highs and devastating lows of his journey, from his arrest and brutal introduction to prison violence to his profound transformation inspired by the "coffee bean" metaphor. James and Damon discuss deeply personal stories about addiction, identity, and redemption, offering listeners unique perspectives on overcoming profound adversity and using pain as a catalyst for extraordinary personal growth.

What You’ll Learn:

How identity can become an addiction, and strategies to rebuild after losing it
The "coffee bean" metaphor and how it can help you transform difficult situations into opportunities
Specific ways Damon earned respect and survived brutal prison conditions without joining a gang
Practical insights from the 12-step recovery program applicable to anyone facing challenging circumstances
How forgiveness and accountability can become powerful tools for personal change

Timestamped Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction to Damon's Story
[01:27] Damon's Early Life and Downfall
[02:40] Life of Crime and Addiction
[17:02] The Arrest and Trial
[29:06] The Verdict: 65 Years in Prison
[30:25] A Mother's Ultimatum
[31:06] Advice from Muhammad
[32:19] Surviving Prison Fights
[39:33] The Coffee Bean Story
[41:38] First Day in Maximum Security
[49:00] Earning Respect on the Rec Yard
[51:08] Spiritual Awakening and Self-Improvement
[55:38] Understanding the Eighth and Ninth Steps
[56:31] Living Amends: A Path to Redemption
[58:49] The Impact of Crime and Seeking Forgiveness
[1:03:56] The Power of Forgiveness
[1:10:29] Lessons from Prison: Servant Leadership and Community
[1:15:41] The Journey to Freedom and Beyond
[1:18:02] The Coffee Bean Message: From Prison to Global Impact
[1:24:54] Final Thoughts and Reflections

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh my gosh.
0:07.8	This guy was thrown in jail for 65 years, and he deserved it.
0:13.5	You'll hear his crimes, but he first, he was a superstar quarterback, high school college,
0:19.9	turned meth addict, turned hardcore RICO gang criminal.
0:26.5	And from that point on, given a 65 year, basically a life sentence, he is the most inspirational
0:32.6	story. I want you to listen to it. He's got to book out six dimes in a nickel. Life lessons to empower change, but six times in an edel refers to the 65 years. He was sentenced to prison. You got to get that book. It's coming out. This is a follow-up on his memoir, The Change Agent, how a former college quarterback sentenced to life in prison transformed his world, and also the coffee being a simple lesson
0:55.8	to create positive change. But his book just coming out, I highly recommend six times
1:00.8	in a nickel. And we talk, I could have talked to this guy forever. So here's Damon West
1:07.0	to talk about jail, prison, fighting, being a criminal, being a meth addict, and what changed
1:15.9	it all? And by the way, this is going to change my life, too. I liked his thoughts on this.
1:25.6	This isn't your average business podcast, and he's not your average host.
1:30.8	This is the James Altasier Show.
1:42.0	So look, Damon, you were sentenced in 2009 to 65 years in jail.
1:49.0	You got out only, what, six years later, you got out of jail?
1:52.7	There's so many ways we could start this.
1:54.7	One is, why did you go to jail?
1:57.3	The other is, why did you get out?
2:00.1	The other is what you've been doing since. I mean,
2:01.9	you've got like, I would say you've got four parts to your story. There's kind of like
2:07.2	the dream come drew quarterback athlete. The road is clear. You got the golden road in front
2:13.0	of you. Then there's the downfall. Then there, and it's the worst thing. Like, nobody wants to get sentenced to 65 years in jail. Then there's the downfall. And it's the worst thing.
2:17.6	Like nobody wants to get sentenced to 65 years in jail.
	...

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