February 18, 2026

I Accidentally Killed Someone — Then Had to Survive Prison | Jesse Smithers

2 hours 58 minutes

Jesse Smithers was just a teenager when a street fight turned fatal, forcing him to accept a 10-year plea deal in the Minnesota prison system. In this interview, Jesse breaks down how he survived a decade behind bars only to face a new battle upon release: a system that wouldn't hire him. Pushed back into selling drugs to survive, Jesse reveals how a miraculous case dismissal became the final wake-up call he needed to leave the life of crime behind forever.

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#ianbick #prisonstories #minnesota #prisonsurvival #lockedin #truecrime #inmate #survival #prisonlife #minneapolis

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Thank you to FACTOR & AVA for sponsoring this episode:

FACTOR: Head to https://factormeals.com/lockedin50off and use code lockedin50off to get 50% off your first Factor box PLUS free breakfast for 1 year. Offer only valid for new Factor customers with code and qualifying auto-renewing subscription purchase. Make healthier eating easy with Factor.

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AVA: Take control of your credit today. Download the Ava app and when you join using my promo code LOCKEDIN, you’ll get 20% off your first year—monthly or annual, your choice.

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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:

https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en

https://ianbick.com/

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Shop Locked In Merch:

http://www.ianbick.com/shop

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Timestamps:

00:00 The Fight That Got Me Locked Up

02:00 Jesse’s Story Starts Here

04:40 Meeting My Dad & Family Truths

07:00 Growing Up Without a Father

10:00 Teen Sports, Trouble & Getting Put on Probation

13:20 When the Justice System Got Its Hooks in Me

16:20 First Time Locked Up: Juvenile Detention

20:20 Inside Elmore Academy: What Really Happens

27:40 Life Right Before Everything Went Wrong

32:00 The Night Everything Changed

36:00 After the Incident: Shock, Panic & Arrest

41:00 Tried as an Adult & Facing Serious Time

49:40 Courtroom Strategy: Lawyers, Bail & Playing the Game

01:00:00 The Case, Community Rumors & Hidden Plea Deal Pressure

01:10:00 Sentencing Day: Victim Statements & Walking Into Prison

01:18:00 First Time in State Prison

01:25:00 Prison Politics 101: How to Survive Inside

01:36:00 Fights, Gangs & the Real Rules of Prison

01:43:00 Stillwater Prison: Violence, Wars & Survival Stories

01:56:00 Getting Out of Prison & Starting Over from Nothing

02:05:00 Life After Release: Temptation of Fast Money

02:19:00 Back in the Game: Drug Dealing, Addiction & Another Arrest

02:30:00 New Case, New Charges & Choosing Sobriety

02:41:00 Turning Point: Recovery, Family & Real Success

02:50:00 What I’d Tell Any Kid Before They Ruin Their Life

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By Ian Bick

4.8

666666 ratings

February 18, 2026

I Accidentally Killed Someone — Then Had to Survive Prison | Jesse Smithers

2 hours 58 minutes

_____________________________________________

#ianbick #prisonstories #minnesota #prisonsurvival #lockedin #truecrime #inmate #survival #prisonlife #minneapolis

_____________________________________________

Thank you to FACTOR & AVA for sponsoring this episode:

_____________________________________________

AVA: Take control of your credit today. Download the Ava app and when you join using my promo code LOCKEDIN, you’ll get 20% off your first year—monthly or annual, your choice.

_____________________________________________

Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:

https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en

https://ianbick.com/

_____________________________________________

Shop Locked In Merch:

http://www.ianbick.com/shop

_____________________________________________

Timestamps:

00:00 The Fight That Got Me Locked Up

02:00 Jesse’s Story Starts Here

04:40 Meeting My Dad & Family Truths