What if prisons focused less on punishment and more on healing? In this episode, Brian Koehn shares his journey from overseeing 65 prisons to launching the world’s first full-service nonprofit prison model. He explains why a human-centered approach could transform corrections, and why it’s time we expect more from our corrections system.

Is drug prohibition doing more harm than good? In this episode, Harvard’s Dr. Jeffrey Miron explains the economic principles behind his long-standing opposition to criminalizing drugs, and offers thoughtful responses to 10 common objections. If the idea of legalizing heroin sounds outrageous, this episode is for you.

Links:

A social worker, author, and national recovery advocate, Caroline Beidler opens up about how addiction shaped her identity, how faith and family played pivotal roles in her healing, and why recovery is about much more than sobriety. 

She offers deep insight for families walking alongside a loved one struggling with addiction and challenges the idea of “tough love” with a call for “extravagant love” rooted in connection and community. 

Whether you’re in recovery, love someone who is, or want to better understand addiction and healing, this episode is for you.

Connect with Caroline:

Dr. Lisa Stanton was thriving in her career, advancing in clinical research, and checking every box of outward success, but behind closed doors, alcohol was quietly taking control. In this episode, she opens up about living with functional addiction, the moment of reckoning, and how recovery brought her true freedom. A candid conversation that challenges how we think about addiction and who it affects.

Connect with Dr. Stanton:

Mark LaPalme spent years in active addiction and was arrested upwards of 40 times. He couldn’t have imagined he'd one day be at the forefront of addiction recovery. But after finding freedom through his own recovery journey, he built a network of treatment centers in Kentucky called Isaiah House that would become a lifeline for thousands, and the unlikely site of a groundbreaking clinical trial.

In this episode, we explore what happened when Mark said yes to testing a new detox device called Neuro-Electric Therapy (NET) that promised big things in a small package. What followed was both deeply personal and quietly revolutionary, resulting in FDA clearance in 2024. The future of detox (and how it will reshape addiction treatment) is here. 

Mark is a masterful storyteller and passionate advocate, living out his values in inspiring ways as he continues to work to save every life and give every person hope that he can. He describes watching people on NET as watching "a miracle happen before your eyes."

If this episode moved you, taught you something new, or sparked hope, please leave a review! It helps others find the show and join the conversation.

Resources & Links:

- NET Recovery: https://www.netrecovery.net/

- All Together Recovery: https://alltogetherrecovery.com/

- Christina's book Curious: https://a.co/d/fVecLLx

Jeff Lott once thought the NET Recovery device sounded too good to be true. Today, he’s the Communications Director for the company behind it. In this episode, Jeff shares how a chance family connection led him into the heart of a growing movement to transform withdrawal and recovery.

Developed from an accidental discovery involving electro-acupuncture, NET Recovery uses a small device to ease withdrawal symptoms and eliminate cravings in just a few days—without the use of medication. It’s already changing lives in jails and treatment centers, offering a third path that doesn’t fit the usual “medicated or abstinent” binary.

Jeff walks us through the origins of NET Recovery, the clinical trial process, and the roadblocks they face in gaining acceptance—despite promising results. If you care about innovation in addiction recovery, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

🔗 Learn more at netrecovery.net

In this deeply moving and ultimately uplifting episode, Christina Dent sits down with Pattie Vargas—a mother who has lived through the heartbreak of losing a son to overdose and the joy of watching her daughter find lasting recovery.

Pattie shares her family’s journey with remarkable honesty, from years of struggle and loss to an unexpected turning point: discovering NET Recovery, a device designed to ease the pain of withdrawal and help reduce cravings. It was this breakthrough approach, used at Isaiah House in Kentucky, that helped her daughter begin a new life after years of homelessness and addiction.

More than a story of loss, this is a story of what’s possible. Pattie offers hard-won insight, fierce compassion, and a vision for recovery rooted in connection, innovation, and hope. If you’ve ever wondered whether real change is possible—even after everything—this conversation is for you.

🔗 Learn more about Pattie Vargas and her grief support offerings https://theresilientjourney.net

🎧 Subscribe for future episodes at enditforgood.com/podcast

What if Mississippi could lead the nation in turning the tide on addiction?

In this episode, Christina Dent talks with Dr. Dan Edney, Mississippi’s State Health Officer and a physician specializing in addiction medicine. They dive into the quiet revolution taking place in our state—from expanding access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to legalizing fentanyl test strips to saturating communities with naloxone.

Dr. Edney shares how Mississippi became one of only five states to reduce overdose deaths for two years in a row—and why saving lives must be prioritized. They discuss why harm reduction saves taxpayer dollars, how recovery truly happens, and what still needs to change—like ending the ban on syringe services.

You’ll also hear about Mississippi’s groundbreaking MSUD program, offering free treatment and MAT through local health departments, and why Dr. Edney believes it's time to treat addiction as a health issue.

Whether you're new to these conversations or deeply engaged in reform, this episode will leave you with real hope.

🔗 Learn more and get a free naloxone kit (for Mississippi residents only): odfree.org

🔗 Mississippi Department of Health MSUD Program: https://bit.ly/4cLYqfa

🎧 EFG Podcast Ep. 24 - The Success of Prescription Heroin - Dr. Scott MacDonald

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Carr McClain, a seasoned cardiovascular surgeon who has seen the human toll of failed drug policy in the ER as well as the OR. He helps us connect the dots between drug policy and the health of everyday people who pay the price.

In this episode, we discuss:

About Dr. Carr McClain: Dr. McClain is a cardiovascular surgeon, father of six, and husband to Pam. When he's not in the operating room, you can find him cheering on his alma mater, Duke University, where he studied before completing medical school at the University of Virginia, a residency at VCU, and a fellowship at the University of Florida.

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