Florida has nearly 101,000 inmates in 49 major state prisons and numerous correctional facilities called annexes and work camps.

A clemency commutation of sentence and parole are alternate paths to the same goal, which is to release the inmate early. Both involve compassion, redemption, and forgiveness, and are the ultimate grant of a second chance. To get either, you must convince elected or appointed officials that the inmate will never commit another serious crime. However, clemency and parole involve different decision-makers, rules and timeframes.

Here is the so-called secret sauce (the actual “how-to” steps to leave prison early), written by one of Florida's most distinguished clemency lawyers.