What happens when a woman’s survival is treated as a crime?

In this episode of Just Justice, Jessica Henry speaks with award-winning journalist Justine van der Leun about her new book, Unreasonable Women: Three Stories of Violence, Imprisonment, and Extraordinary Survival. Drawing on seven years of reporting and more than 1,000 accounts from incarcerated women, van der Leun examines how the criminal legal system responds when women commit acts of violence against those who harmed them in order to survive.

Together, they discuss criminalized survival, the limits of self-defense law, trauma, punishment, and the stories that are too often missing from public conversations about women convicted of homicide. This episode includes discussion of physical and sexual violence.

For more about Justine van der Leun and to purchase her new book, Unreasonable Women, go to https://www.justinevdl.com/.

For more about Jessica Henry, go to https://jessicahenryjustice.com/ or join her on Substack at https://jessicahenryjustice.substack.com/. 

Production Editor: Kaz Araki

After nearly 25 years in New York prisons, Mujahideen Muhammad, MPS came home in 2024 and went straight to work on criminal justice reform. In this episode of Just Justice, he talks with host Jessica Henry about the New York Second Look Act, how prison education transformed his life at Sing Sing, the book club he built around James Garbarino's Miller's Children, and the humanitarian crisis in New York's prisons — including the death of Robert Brooks and the correctional officers' strike.Now a research assistant at the Columbia University Center for Justice and co-founder of the nonprofit Pillars of Promise, Mujahideen makes the case for re-sentencing reform, second chances, and elevating the voices of incarcerated people.

For more about Mujahadeen and his work at Columbia: https://centerforjustice.columbia.edu/people/mujahideen-muhammad

For more about Pillars of Promise: https://www.thepillarsofpromise.com/

For more about Jessica Henry, go to https://jessicahenryjustice.com/ or join her on Substack at https://jessicahenryjustice.substack.com/. 

Production Editor: Kaz Araki

In this episode of Just Justice, Jessica Henry sits down with Iris Eytan, founder of Protect Ethical Prosecutors (PEP), to examine prosecutorial misconduct and why it so rarely leads to consequences. Prosecutors hold more power than almost anyone in the American criminal legal system, yet broad legal immunity often shields them even after serious misconduct and ethical violations. Drawing on years of criminal defense experience, Eytan explains how that unchecked authority contributes to wrongful convictions, why prosecutors' offices resist transparency, and what prosecutorial accountability could realistically look like. Along the way, they dig into what prosecutorial misconduct looks like in practice, how absolute and qualified immunity protect prosecutors from civil liability, the institutional barriers that keep this misconduct hidden from public view -- and what can be done about it.

Learn more about Iris Eytan and PEP at https://protectethicalprosecutors.org/.

Connect with Jessica Henry at jessicahenryjustice.com.

If you enjoy this show, please consider leaving a rating and a review on Apple podcasts. It helps other people find the show! Thanks for all you do. 

In this episode of Just Justice, Jessica Henry speaks with Charles Rosen, founder of Ironbound Farm, about an unusual approach to justice: combining regenerative farming with second-chance employment. Charles shares what he’s learned from hiring people returning from prison, why jobs alone often aren’t enough, and how systems like parole can still derail successful reentry. Drawing on lessons from agriculture, he explores "regenerative justice," based on the belief that repairing people, communities, and even the land requires time, dignity, and connection.Join us for a conversation that highlights both the promise and the challenges of farming for justice. 

To learn more about Ironbound Farm and Ciderhouse (including how to visit the farm), go to https://www.ironboundhardcider.com/.

To watch Charles' TedTalk where he explains the connection between regenerative farming and regenerative justice, go to: https://www.ted.com/talks/charles_rosen_regenerative_agriculture_as_a_model_for_urban_renewal.

To learn more about Jessica Henry, subscribe to her free substack "All Things Justice" or visit her website at jessicahenryjustice.com.

Production Editor: Kaz Araki

Nikki Mammano is the author of Breaking Good, a fast-paced memoir that traces her journey from suburban New Jersey to the drug underworld of Waikiki and back again, through addiction, arrest, prison, and ultimately recovery. Our conversation is both poignant and unexpectedly funny as we explore trauma and second chances in our criminal justice system. Who gets imprisoned and who receives grace? What is prison really like? What does it take to rebuild a life after you’ve been labeled by the system? This is an episode you won't want to miss! 

To learn more about Nikki Mammano (and for links to her fabulous book) go to: https://www.nikkimammano.com/.

To learn more about RYSE Hawaii, go to Rysehawaii.org.

For more about Jessica Henry, go to jessicahenryjustice.com. 

Production Editor: Kaz Araki

S3E11: Death by Incarceration: Felix Rosado on Life Sentences and Restorative Justice

Sentenced to life without parole at 18, Felix Rosado spent nearly 27 years in prison before his sentence was commuted. In this episode of Just Justice, Felix reflects on the moment he realized what a life sentence truly meant, what's wrong with "death by incarceration,"  and how restorative justice transformed his understanding of accountability and change. Now a restorative justice practitioner and educator, Felix discusses healing, responsibility, and why true justice must go beyond punishment to repair harm and rebuild relationships.

For more information about Let's Circle Up, go to: https://www.letscircleup.org/our-history

To get your copy of Justice From the Inside Up: A Restorative Justice Education Facilitator's Manual, by Felix Rosdao, go to https://livingjusticepress.org/product/justice-from-the-inside-up/.

For more about Jessica Henry, go to her website at jessicahenryjustce.com.

Production Editor: Kaz Araki

Sentenced to life without parole at 18, Felix Rosado spent nearly 27 years in prison before his sentence was commuted. In this episode of Just Justice, Felix reflects on the moment he realized what a life sentence truly meant, how he went from a gifted student to someone serving a "death by incarceration" sentence,  and how restorative justice transformed his understanding of accountability and change. Now a restorative justice practitioner and educator, Felix discusses healing, responsibility, and why true justice must go beyond punishment to repair harm and rebuild relationships.

For more information about Felix Rosado and Let's Circle Up, go to: https://www.letscircleup.org/our-history

To get your copy of "Justice From the Inside Up: A Restorative Justice Education Facilitator's Manual" by Felix Rosdao, go to: https://livingjusticepress.org/product/justice-from-the-inside-up/.

For more about Jessica Henry, go to her website at jessicahenryjustce.com.

Production Editor: Kaz Araki

In this episode of Just Justice, host Jessica Henry speaks with April Barber-Scales, who was sentenced to life without parole in 1991 as a frightened, pregnant teenager.  After more than thirty years in prison, April received a rare commutation in 2022 from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. Since her release, April has devoted herself to advocating for people in prison and challenging extreme sentencing practices. She is the founder of the nonprofit Fenced In: Fighting For Freedom Advocacy and author of multiple books, including her memoir of the same name. In this moving episode, April shares her personal experiences if incarceration, reflects on the lasting impact of extreme sentences on children, and makes a powerful case for a justice system that leaves room for dignity, accountability and second chances.

To learn more about April Barber-Scales, her writing, and Fenced In: Fighting For Freedom Advocacy, visit to https://aprilbarberscales.com

To learn more Jessica Henry, visit https://jessicahenryjustice.com

Audio mixing by Kaz Araki.