Just Justice

David Singleton has worked for the poor and against racial inequity throughout his career. Join us as we talk with David about being a public defender, his service as the Director of the Ohio Justice, and the "Beyond Guilt" project. David exhorts us to "never write anyone off," and persuasively makes the case for second chances. 

Bobby Bostic was only 16-years-old when he was sentenced to 241 years for an armed robbery in Missouri where no one was seriously injured. In this episode, Bobby takes us through the heartbreak and hope that he carried with him throughout his 29 years in prison, where he took classes, wrote books (8 to date!), and transformed. Even the sentencing judge became an advocate for Bobby, and helped create a new law that gave Bobby a second chance for freedom. Bobby's story of redemption and possibility is a compelling listen.

Becky Feldman is the Director of the Second Look Network (SLN) at the Sentencing Project, an organization that provides support to attorneys and advocates across the country who represent people serving lengthy and often unfair sentences. Becky also is a former public defender, a former prosecutor, and a person who lost her brother to murder. Join us as we discuss how that tragedy shaped the course of her diverse and impactful career in ways that you might find both surprising and inspiring. 

In addition, as Director of the SLN, Becky has her finger on the pulse of what is happening in the second look legal community. In this episode, Becky fills us in on the most recent developments in criminal justice reform and in the movement for second chances.

Giving people a second chance in our criminal justice system is a passion for Becky. Take a listen to hear more about her remarkable personal and professional journey.

What happens to children who are sentenced to life without parole for murder and then later, sometimes decades later, have the chance to be released from prison? Join me in conversation with Dr. Tarika Daftary- Kapur as she shares her research about what really happens to people sentenced as juveniles who grow up in prison and then receive a second chance. Do they succeed on the outside? Do they go on to commit more crime? Can they be safely released? 

Dr. Daftary-Kapur is a nationally renowned forensic psychologist and a Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University. She is an expert in juvenile decision making. She also conducted one of the first studies of second look opportunities for people sentenced to life without parole as children, a new criminal justice reform required by the U.S. Supreme Court that is happening more throughout the country. 

Take a listen and ask yourself the main question we like to ask at Just Justice: what would it take for you to give someone a second chance? 

Just Justice takes a deep-dive into the world of second chances for people who commit serious crimes. We talk to academics, policy makers, advocates, crime survivors and people who are formerly incarcerated and look at the idea of second chances for people serving life without parole and other extreme prison sentences. Who gets a second chance? Who deserves one? Who decides? My name is Jessica Henry and I’ll be your host. I’m a former public defender, professor and an award-winning author. I can’t wait to explore second chances with you. What would it take for you to give someone a second chance?