Episode 56: How Do You Survive Solitary Confinement? – features Leon Benson, who shares his journey from wrongful conviction and 10 consecutive years in solitary confinement to eventual exoneration.

Episode Summary: This episode of The Simple Questions Podcast features a conversation between Dylan Carnahan and Leon Benson, the Director of the Solitary Justice Project, who was wrongfully convicted and spent 12 years in solitary confinement.

Listen as Leon shares his story of being wrongfully incarcerated, what it was like surviving years inside for a crime he did not commit, and the psychological toll of losing time, freedom, and identity.

In this episode we discuss:

• 00:30 – Introducing Leon Benson
• 01:34 – Wrongful arrest and murder conviction
• 03:47 – Eyewitness misidentification and flawed evidence
• 07:13 – 60-year sentence, entering prison young
• 19:23 – False accusation, sent to solitary
• 20:53 – Solitary confinement conditions and isolation
• 23:29 – Personal loss, appeals denied, breaking point
• 33:13 – Indefinite isolation, “existential purgatory”
• 37:21 – Finding meaning through philosophy, mindset
• 42:49 – Turning isolation into mental survival
• 59:24 – Advocacy, growth, release from solitary
• 1:07:07 – Mentorship, leadership, prison programs
• 1:18:58 – Clemency effort leads to legal help
• 1:22:00 – Conviction Integrity Unit takes case
• 1:23:10 – Exoneration and release in 2023
• 1:23:45 – Reentry advice and mental wellness
• 1:31:10 – Conclusion

Resources:

• ⁠Exoneration Registry
• Leon's Writing

This episode includes the track 'RSPN' by Blank & Kytt. The song is used under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. You can find more of Blank & Kytt's music ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠