In this episode, Eric and Amy sit down with Johnny Ohta, a legendary youth recovery advocate and longtime leader at Ryther, whose life and work have helped shape how Seattle responds to youth addiction, homelessness, and fentanyl. Johnny shares his deeply personal journey—from growing up amid violence, addiction, and incarceration to finding recovery, purpose, and a calling to walk alongside young people in crisis.

With raw honesty, Johnny unpacks what real recovery looks like in the age of fentanyl, why one-size-fits-all solutions fail, and how “long game” relationships rooted in compassion, accountability, and presence can save lives. He challenges false binaries between harm reduction and recovery, emphasizes the power of exposure, connection, and love, and explains why investing in young people—before it’s too late—changes everything.

This is a powerful conversation about resilience, adaptation, and what it truly means to care for young people when the stakes are life and death.

Learn more about Ryther and youth recovery services at https://ryther.org/

In this episode, Eric and Amy talk with Ellyse Bracken, Executive Director of Bridges, about her powerful journey from addiction and incarceration to becoming a leader in youth recovery. Ellyse shares how structure, accountability, and peer support helped her rebuild her life—and why teens need community, not harm-reduction messaging, to thrive. Her work with Bridges and Seattle’s Alternative Peer Group is transforming what recovery looks like for young people.
Learn more at https://www.seattleapg.com/

In Part 2 of their conversation, Eric and Amy Barden continue their deep dive with independent journalist Brandi Kruse, exploring what happens after you choose to break away from traditional media—and don’t look back. Brandi opens up about the personal and professional consequences of pushing against narratives, the cost of telling uncomfortable truths, and what it means to stay grounded when criticism gets loud. Together, they examine the evolving role of independent journalism, why honest dialogue is worth protecting, and how integrity becomes your compass when the world wants you to choose a side.

In this episode, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with independent journalist Brandi Kruse to explore what happens when you step outside traditional media and speak freely. Brandi shares her journey from newsroom reporter to independent voice, reflecting on the challenges of maintaining public trust in a divided media landscape. Together, they unpack what honesty, transparency, and accountability look like when the microphones are always on—and why telling the truth can sometimes mean standing alone.

In this continuation of their conversation with MacArthur Fellow and justice reform leader Lisa Daugaard, Eric and Amy Barden explore how communities can define—and measure—real success in diversion and public safety. Lisa discusses what’s working, what’s changing, and how the Purpose Dignity Action and LEAD programs continue to evolve through constant learning and collaboration.

Together, they examine how shifting from punishment to care can create safer, more resilient communities—and what it takes to prove that change truly works.

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Lisa Daugaard—MacArthur Fellow, co-founder of the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, and longtime advocate for criminal justice reform. Lisa shares how her career as a public defender and activist led to pioneering new models that divert people away from jails and courts and toward community-based care.

The conversation moves through Lisa’s personal journey, the systemic failures that keep communities trapped in cycles of incarceration, and the practical solutions she and her colleagues are building to replace punishment with restoration. Eric and Amy bring in their own experiences from law enforcement and nonprofit work, creating a candid, often challenging dialogue about safety, accountability, and what true reform looks like on the ground.

This episode is a thoughtful and unflinching look at how communities can reimagine justice—offering listeners not just critique but a path forward toward healing, safety, and dignity.

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Deaunte Damper—community leader, activist, and the first LGBTQIA+ Chair for the Seattle NAACP. Deaunte shares his personal journey of resilience and advocacy, from navigating the challenges of being a Black queer man to driving change at the intersections of race, identity, and justice.

The conversation moves from deeply personal experiences of stigma and survival to broader issues of systemic inequality, addiction, and the urgent need for safe, affirming spaces. Eric and Amy weave in their own perspectives from law enforcement and nonprofit leadership, creating a raw and layered dialogue that highlights both struggle and possibility.

This episode is a powerful exploration of courage, identity, and leadership in the face of adversity—offering listeners not only perspective but also hope for what true community healing can look like.

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Dr. Robert Marbut, a nationally recognized expert on homelessness policy and intervention. With decades of experience advising cities and serving as the Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, Dr. Marbut brings deep insight into why traditional approaches are failing and what needs to change.

The conversation explores the complexities of addiction, mental health, and housing policy, while challenging the assumptions that often drive public debate. Eric and Amy bring their own lived and professional perspectives into the dialogue—Eric from his decades in law enforcement and Amy from her work in nonprofit leadership—creating a rich, nuanced discussion about what real solutions might look like.

This episode is an honest, sometimes uncomfortable, but deeply necessary exploration of homelessness in America—and how compassion and accountability can coexist in lasting reform.

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Judge Dave Larson, a nationally recognized leader in reforming how our justice system responds to people disrupting public order. From the bench in Washington State to national advisory roles, Judge Larson has spent decades confronting the courtroom, law enforcement, and community-based service gaps that predictably fail to break patterns of destructive behavior. 

Through candid reflection and storytelling, Judge Larson shares lessons he’s learned about what actually motivates individuals to exit cycles of crime, addiction, and homelessness. He highlights how simple changes, from courtroom culture to the engagement of peers in case management, can dramatically shift outcomes, improve individual lives, and restore public safety.

Eric brings his street-level law enforcement perspective, while Amy grounds the conversation in the current systemic and policy contexts that predictably fail people. Together with Judge Larson, they explore the failures that have kept our systems reactive instead of proactive, how to balance compassion, accountability, and common sense, and the urgency of building criminal justice solutions that tap individual motivations and fundamental humanity.

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Nichole Alexander — a powerhouse in the fight for effective homelessness response and a leader whose credibility comes from both lived experience and deep professional expertise. Nichole’s journey from surviving the very challenges she now works to solve, to becoming one of the most respected voices in the field, is nothing short of extraordinary.

Through candid conversation, Nichole unpacks the systemic failures she’s witnessed firsthand, the barriers that keep people from stability, and the changes she believes are essential to breaking the cycle. She and the Bardens dive into the intersection of compassion, accountability, and smart policy, revealing how real change happens when people with direct experience have a seat at the table.

Eric brings a law enforcement lens shaped by decades of navigating the realities of crisis on the street, while Amy offers a perspective rooted in nonprofit leadership and pragmatic compassion. Together with Nichole, they explore the tension, hope, and urgency in building systems that actually work.