Some may have wondered what it would be like to be in prison.

What awaits you there, how should you behave?

For people who actually have to go there shortly, Peter William Meyer could be a good contact.

According to Meyer, he is the first and only "prison coach" in Germany.

Meyer is 58 years old and a trained business coach;

he runs his Düsseldorf company under the name "Schwarzer Peter".

Its services include the care and support of future convicts, but also of their relatives and offenders who are already in prison.

For this, Meyer sometimes travels all over Germany.

However, he rarely visits his clients in prison, but rather before they serve their sentence.

Sometimes the "prison coach" is also contacted when the prisoners are about to be released, in order to prepare them for life in freedom.

Because of bank robbery

Meyer had the idea for this extraordinary profession after his own release from prison.

He was there for four and a half years for bank robbery.

During this time he supported his fellow inmates emotionally, he says.

After his release, a friend gave him the idea of ​​coaching people who have to go to prison.

After about three years of coaching training at VIEL Coaching + Training based in Hamburg, he began his work.

Since then, he has been preparing his clients on how to work on themselves while in prison and how to make the most of their sentence.

His own experiences in prison help, he says.

For example, he tells his customers about the "hierarchy of everyday prison life": sex offenders are despised the most.

His time in prison is now a part of him, says Meyer.

He can no longer undo it and has learned to deal with it and accept it.

His faith in God in particular supported him on this path.

Meyer makes the price for his service dependent on the type of customer.

He charges a manager at a company around 300 euros for a session, plus VAT, expenses and travel expenses.

Meyer offers people with lower incomes his support for 100 to 150 euros.

Meyer sometimes works on a voluntary basis for people who are already in prison, or he is paid for this by the ministry.

No more than two clients a day

He can live well off his earnings, says Meyer.

"It happens this way and that, but I always come up with an average of 3,000 euros a month." The number of clients varies greatly from month to month.

In some months he is not even in demand as a prison coach.

But he also offers other types of coaching, such as addiction coaching.

Meyer does not treat more than two clients a day.

"More than two is not possible, that's an eerie concentration story.

It's very intense, people cry and laugh.” Meyer doesn't just want to listen to his clients, he wants to get to the bottom of their pain and problems.

And he wants to give them confidence, make them understand that there is always a glimmer of hope that should never be lost.

There is always a way to get the best out of a situation, no matter how difficult or hopeless it may seem at times.

afraid of imprisonment

How many sessions a client needs varies.

Someone may only need one session.

Some come several times a week, while others have longer intervals between meetings.

It is very important to him that his clients are charged with positive energy and inspired and see more clearly after his coaching.

Good listening and good communication are important.

Meyer uses neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) methods, such as perceptual shifts, to help reinforce goals.

By reporting on his own experiences, he wants to take away the fear of imprisonment from his clients.

It is important for Meyer to emphasize that he is not in competition with lawyers.

They are concerned with what is happening in court, he helps with what is before and after the trial.

All in all, Meyer would like his work to be viewed with less distrust.

Again and again he faces criticism.

The article comes from the student project "Youth and Business", which the FAZ organizes together with the Association of German Banks.