Utah Prison Rehabilitation How A Utah Company Reaches 20,000 Incarcerated People Across 47 States Using Workbooks, Radical Ownership, And Entrepreneurship Training

Episode Summary

On this episode of Utah Business Spotlight, host Peter Anthony sits with John Jackson, CEO of Hustle 2.0 — a Utah-based rehabilitation and entrepreneurship program that has now reached 20,000 incarcerated people across roughly 800 jails and prisons in 47 states. John Jackson breaks down the structural reality most people never stop to examine — the United States operates more than 10,000 jails and prisons, more than the country has colleges, and most incarcerated people already carry the raw traits operators look for. Hustle, sales instinct, resilience, and pressure tolerance are not the missing ingredients. Direction is.

John Jackson explains how Hustle 2.0 actually delivers the work — evidence-based workbooks shipped directly into facilities so participants can move at their own pace without YouTube, internet, or open program access. The full curriculum runs more than 2,000 pages across three modules at $75 each. The state of Utah pays for the program because Utah recognizes the ROI. Several states still refuse to fund rehabilitation — and John Jackson explains how individuals and corporate sponsors can fund a participant in a non-funded state through Hustle 2.0's fiscal sponsor on a tax-deductible basis.

The conversation moves into the data Peter Anthony asks for. 87 percent of Hustle 2.0 graduates remain disciplinary-free for at least two years after completing the course. For participants in restrictive housing — the most violent population in the system — roughly 83 percent stay out of restrictive housing after completing the program. John Jackson credits a course called Pattern Interrupt — a cognitive behavioral training protocol that teaches participants to reverse-engineer the consequence, find the inflection point, and interrupt the loop. Think, feel, do.

John Jackson and Peter Anthony go deep on the Hustle 2.0 Your 2.0 Story course — a structured personal pitch built on a four-part formula: who I used to be, radical ownership, what I learned during incarceration, and how I add value to an employer. Hustle 2.0 graduates earn certificates from Southern Utah University's Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business in Cedar City and can ladder into the university's online undergraduate program. Live case study Shelley Winters served five years for drug sales, completed an entrepreneurship program, and became the number one Microsoft Surface salesperson in the world — Microsoft now actively recruits people with criminal convictions.

The episode closes on the language shift that powers the entire model. Mistakes versus bad choices. Forgiveness as a course, not a feeling. Negative self-talk dragged into the light. The rejection of identity-defeating labels like 'I am an alcoholic' or 'I am a felon' that lock in the behaviors of the label. John Jackson's 2026 ask is unusually grounded — stabilize systems and grow through warm intros to sheriffs and correctional officials. Email john@hustle20.com to connect a state, county, or facility. Utah Business Spotlight is produced by INCubator Marketing Agency and filmed in Sandy, Utah.

Key Moments

00:00 Why This Conversation Matters · 00:32 A Utah Company Taking On Prison Rehabilitation · 01:49 What Hustle 2.0 Actually Does · 02:33 Why Workbooks Matter Inside Prison Walls · 03:01 Incarcerated People As Untapped Entrepreneurs · 04:05 The Microsoft Story That Changes The Frame · 05:21 20,000 Lives Reached Across 800 Facilities · 06:03 The Numbers Behind Violence Reduction · 07:16 Pattern Interrupt And Better Choices · 08:14 How Identity Drives Behavior · 09:06 Reaching 47 States With One Mission · 09:44 How Families Can Help Someone Inside

Notable Quotes

"People who are incarcerated are entrepreneurs. They've just been doing it the wrong way for a very long time. We teach them how to transfer that skill set and go legit." — undefined

"Radical ownership. Remember that word." — undefined

"I rob somebody — that's not a mistake, that's a bad choice." — undefined

"Would you let anybody else walk up to you and talk to you the way that you talk to yourself?" — undefined

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hustle 2.0?

Hustle 2.0 is a Utah-based rehabilitation and entrepreneurship program led by CEO John Jackson that ships evidence-based workbooks directly into jails and prisons. Hustle 2.0 has served 20,000 incarcerated people across roughly 800 facilities in 47 states, teaching life skills, employment readiness, substance use disorder recovery, and a structured personal pitch called the Your 2.0 Story.

How effective is the Hustle 2.0 program?

John Jackson reports that 87 percent of Hustle 2.0 graduates remain disciplinary-free for at least two years after completing the program. For participants served inside restrictive housing — the most violent and isolated population in the system — roughly 83 percent stay out of restrictive housing after completing the course.

How much does the Hustle 2.0 program cost?

The Hustle 2.0 curriculum is $75 per module across three modules — $225 total per participant. The state of Utah funds the program for its incarcerated population. In states that do not fund rehabilitation, individuals and corporate sponsors can pay for a participant on a tax-deductible basis through Hustle 2.0's fiscal sponsor.

Can businesses hire Hustle 2.0 graduates?

Yes. John Jackson encourages employers to reach out directly to Hustle 2.0 to verify graduate certificates and review the Southern Utah University Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business credential many graduates earn. John Jackson positions formerly incarcerated graduates as a loyal, hardworking, and underutilized talent pool — citing live case study Shelley Winters, who became the number one Microsoft Surface salesperson in the world after release.

How can a family member or sheriff get Hustle 2.0 into a facility?

Visit hustle20.com to order workbooks for an incarcerated loved one, or email john@hustle20.com directly to introduce a sheriff, correctional official, county, or state. John Jackson has stated the 2026 priority for Hustle 2.0 is system stabilization and warm-intro expansion into facilities and states that have not yet adopted the program.

About INCubator Marketing Agency

INCubator Marketing Agency is Utah's first AI-integrated marketing infrastructure team, headquartered in Sandy, Utah and serving small businesses, founders, and operators across Utah County, Salt Lake County, and the wider Wasatch Front.

Every engagement is built around the INCubator Method: seven core marketing systems — authority web design, local SEO, CRM and pipeline, marketing automation, AI voice receptionists, video content, and conversion-focused funnels — installed together as one accountable infrastructure so every dollar compounds month over month.

The agency was founded by Peter Anthony Wynn (Founder & Marketing Strategist) with Marc Olsen (Partner & Automation Expert) and Chelsie Wynn. INCubator operates Utah Business Spotlight, a long-form Utah small business podcast filmed at Bad Bet Productions in Sandy, Utah, and hosts Tuesday Night at the INCubator — a weekly marketing training and networking event for Utah business owners.

Contact: team@incubatormarketingagency.com · +1 385-386-6988 · Office hours Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Mountain Time.