JustUs Speaks Podcast

S3 E12 | Jamala Taylor Spent 15 Years in Solitary Confinement and Now Helps Others Inside and Outside of Prison

Jamala Taylor (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) was initially sentenced to a daunting 99-year-to-life term and spent 15 years in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State P

S3 E11 | Stephanie Jeffcoat Lost Her Daughter While Being Incarcerated for 6 Months and That Drove Her to Pursue a Career in Law

Stephanie Jeffcoat (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) was in and out of prison because of substance use and addiction, which led to a six-month period of incarceration where

S3 E10 | Alexander Brown on fair chances at employment and becoming a paralegal after incarceration

At the time of this interview last year, Alexander Brown (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) was working with Live Free Illinois, as well as being Community Liaison for Cook

S3 E9 | Ronnie Carrasquillo and Dan Protess Discuss the “In Their Hands” Documentary Airing Nationwide on PBS in April for Second Chance / Fair Chance Month 2026

The In Their Hands documentary tells the powerful personal story of Ronnie Carrasquillo. Ronnie was only 18 years old when he committed the crime for which he was convict

S3 E8 | Ashley Furst on Experiencing Imposter Syndrome After Incarceration

Ashley Furst (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) grew up with a father who worked for Wackenhut (later rebranded The GEO Group), the private prison corporation, believing tha

S3 E7 | Paul Rothschild on Transferring Skills from the Corporate World to Social Justice, White Privilege, and Wisdom of the Buddha

Paul Rothschild (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) talks about taking his skills from 25 years of experience in the corporate world—in technology, business, and healthcare—a

S3 E6 | Crystal Voight on Breaking Barriers for Women in Construction and Helping Others with Reentry

Crystal Voight (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) grew up in a household of domestic violence, which led her to running away and spending time on the streets, getting involv

S3 E5 | Marcus Kelley talks about Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) and ending the legal slavery exception in the 13th Amendment

After spending multiple stretches in solitary confinement as a result of standing for human rights, Marcus Kelley (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) was diagnosed with PTSD

S3 E4 | Melissa Ludin on Work/Life Balance in the Current Challenging Political Landscape

Melissa Ludin (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) talks about balancing her work with the ACLU of Wisconsin and being a partner and mother of four boys—especially during the

S3 E3 | Kyle Giddings on Discovering His Purpose While in Prison

Kyle Giddings (Leading with Conviction™ 2024) says it was a conversation with another person while incarcerated that helped him realize how many people believed they were

S3 E2 | Tamara Springs: “Sordid Injustice” Author Talks About the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal

Tamara Cotman Springs (Leading with Conviction™ 2024), author of Sordid Injustice, discusses her journey through 16 months spent mostly in a maximum security prison follo

S3 E1 | Stanford Professor Keith Humphreys on the Decline in Mass Incarceration in the U.S. and Will It Continue? Or Is It Going Back Up?

Ronald Simpson-Bey, Executive Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), and Zach Ruppel, Policy Analyst for JLUSA, sat down recently with St

S2 E14 | Ruby Welch and Sheriff Eric Higgins Discuss the “Unlocked” Docuseries on Netflix

Ruby Welch (Leading with Conviction™ 2023) works with Sheriff Eric Higgins in the Pulaski County, Arkansas, jail system. They sat down with us to discuss the Unlocked: A

S2 E13 | Kristy Laschober: “Perfectly Flawed” Author Advocating for Prison Reform in Louisiana

She spent five years in prison and says she was angry at how women were treated behind the walls. She’s now a fierce advocate for reentry and prison reform in Louisiana.

S2 E12 | Ronnie Waters & Felicia Tyson-Waters: A Powerful Husband-Wife Team Fighting for Criminal Justice Reform

He was sentenced to life without parole as a juvenile and spent 40 years behind bars. She stood by him and fought for his release for all four decades. Now they are a pow

S2 E11 | Jessica Snow: Education, Rehabilitation, Reentry

As a teacher, she allowed boundaries to become blurred, which led to her incarceration. She lost her career, her home, and was forced to start all over again. Today, she

S2 E10 | Thad Bereday: From Federal Fraud Charges to Redemption Radio

He went to federal prison for financial fraud charges, and it changed his life forever. He has since received a presidential pardon and committed himself to criminal just

S2 E9 | Simone Price: Helping Others Like Her Become Advocates for Criminal Justice Reform

She was always interested and engaged in politics and fundraising, but her personal experience with the criminal justice system is what put her on the path that she is on

S2 E8 | Pauline Rogers: 35-Year Veteran of Criminal Justice Reform in the Deep South

For 35 years, she has provided housing and other direct and supportive services to those reintegrating into society upon release from incarceration. Well before criminal

S2 E7 | Ladji Ruffin: Braille Transcription and Forensic Peer Mentorship

After 23 years incarcerated, he took the skill he learned while in prison and started a Braille transcription business as an entrepreneur. He is also a pioneer as the fir