If you got knocked down could you get back up and earn back something that you really wanted? Charlie Naselsky did. Charlie was a successful attorney. He took pride in being an attorney. It was something he loved to do that he had a passion for. Charlie took his case to trial for tax evasion, and he lost. Charlie was sentenced to 70 months, and the judge immediately remanded him into Federal custody. Charlie's story is about vulnerability and grit. Listening to Charlie's story I found myself drifting into what would I have done in that situation. Charlie was eventually granted his law license back by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. What a grueling process he had to swim through to get back that piece of paper that said he had been deemed rehabilitated. Charlie shares great life advice that can be applied to anyone's situation. If you like a great comeback story, you won't want to miss this episode.

Could robbing a jewelry store set you on the path to being one of the biggest names in criminal justice reform? You may have seen Glenn as a media guest on NPR, MSNBC, Fox News, or CSPAN. Glenn Martin has had two decades creating impactful change in the arena of criminal justice reform. Growing up as the son of a Police Chief, Glenn took a different path with the wrong crowd that eventually had him serving a 6 year prison sentence. He got out and hit the ground running. He began his career with the New York Legal Action Center. Glenn went on to found and direct a handful of national organizations in the non-profit sector...raising over $43 million in just four years. He coined the phrase, "People closest to the problem are the closest to the solution but farthest from the power and resources." Glenn founded JustLeadershipUSA to tackle that problem. He began educating and training leaders of their communities how to have a strong voice and create policy change. His leadership has been recognized with multiple honors, including the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. In 2015, Glenn was invited to the White House Oval Office to have a meeting with the President about criminal justice reform. That visit has an interesting story. Glenn now is the founder of GEM trainers that teaches non-profits how to be more effective with their goals and messaging. Additionally, he owns and operates GEM Real Estate that owns over 90 properties nationwide. This is an inspiring story of how to take action even if you only know 60% of what you need to because you will figure out the other 40% once you are running toward your goal. Glenn Martin proves second chances are real.

What would be your mindset if your sentencing guideline was 8 years, and you receive a 213 year sentence? Meet Adam Clausen who had the "never give up" mindset to keep believing he was going to get out. He finally did after 20 years and it is one heck of a story! He transformed his life while in prison compiling an extensive list of "extraordinary and compelling" achievements that eventually earned him a "second chance" at life. None of this would have been possible without the help of his wife that he met in a chance meeting midway through his 20 year imprisonment. Ro, his wife, was able to connect Adam with one of the best known attorneys in the criminal justice arena, Shon Hopwood. Together, 20 years later, Adam walked out as a free man on compassionate release through the new language of Frist Step Act law. Adam has not stopped since he was released. He is doing impactful work with Social Purpose Corrections as the Director of Innovation and Social Impact. Adam's focus now is set on turning the corrections system upside down for the good with reentry.

Could a guy who has been a Warden with 5 prisons be the change agent that impacts the system for the good? Meet my guest Brian Koehn. He is the founder and CEO of Social Purpose Corrections. Through his tenure as warden of 5 separate prisons, Brian experienced firsthand the existing gaps and opportunities within the criminal justice system. His personal mission is to reform corrections. Brain has 28 years in the corrections world. He is a security expert which includes 14 years as warden of 5 separate facilities. He has managed contracts in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, The United States Marshal Service, and Immigration and Custom Enforcement. Brian has also served as the Director of Security over 65 secure facilities. He also served in the United States Marine Corps and is an Ironman Triathlete. He has a passion for reform, and has incredible team he has assembled to begin accepting contracts to implement his reform system in prisons nationwide. His plan of life coaching with the main focus being rehabilitation as opposed to punishment has worked when implemented. If you would find it interesting to tune in to hear an ex-inmate and warden discuss how real reform can happen in the prison system...this is the episode for you!

Imagine driving home from work one night on a dark road, and you wake up in the hospital finding out you have been in head on collision. Hours later you find out someone died. This was the beginning of Lark Hodge's nightmare. This story has so many twist and turns. It is revealed that the driver who died had a .15% blood alcohol content with a history of DUI's, and Lark's was under the legal limit. The fireman that saved her life at the scene of the accident is now her husband. The prosecutor pursued the case without any witnesses and the judge did not allow evidence of the dead driver's history or blood alcohol content. Lark was sentenced to 4 years in prison. The jury said there was no way they would have convicted her if they knew the whole story. The most incredible part of this story is how Lark handled this incredible setback in her life, and what she is doing today. You will want to hear this story.

Farmer Melvin from bad soil to good soil. Melvin Parson had spent his life going in and out of prison for 13 years homeless and addicted to drugs. What happened next in his life was not planned. Melvin was living at a place that had a community vegetable garden. The man tending to the garden passed away. People living there encouraged Melvin to take care of the garden. He said, "I don't know anything about farming." He began paying close attention to the soil. He instinctively added good compost and just tried to be really kind to the soil. As a result, it produced really good produce. And it dawned on Melvin that the same thing applies to human beings. It is all about the soil. You take a healthy plant and put it in bad soil, it becomes unhealthy, and you take an unhealthy plant and put it is good soil it can thrive. Melvin thought this could break the cycle of incarceration. As Parson learned more about gardening and farming, he began to think about creating a sustainable farming system that could support a workforce of formerly incarcerated men and women. Melvin had faced many challenges reentering society, and understood the power of second chances. He founded We The People Opportunity Farm in 2015. The WTPOF provides paid internships for the previously incarcerated. They also provide life skills and financial literacy education. Melvin has become kind of famous. He has been featured on several news networks including the PBS New Hour. Celebrities, such as, Jane Fonda have visited and contributed to the efforts of WTPOF. This is an inspiring feel good story! visit the website and contribute to www.wtpof.org

Have you ever heard of ghost dope? My guest Sabrena Morgan is here to explain what that is and how you can go to prison with a ghost dope conviction. Sabrena has had a rollercoaster journey. She was even shot in the back of the head by a police officer while she was a passenger in a car chase. How did all this happen to the girl who came from a strong loving family. Her early life was about being a honor student and a high school athlete. Her passion was showing her horses nation wide. She even became a law school student, but she had other demons that she was trying to fight off while battling depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. That led her into leading a double life with drugs as her escape from her mind battles. This eventually got Sabrena tangled up with the wrong side of the law. She received a federal sentence of 9 years. This is the place where she started figuring herself out. She worked, taught, trained herself and others, and she wrote. Her writings are fascinating insights into her world. Please go and read these thought provoking blogs she wrote from prison at sabrenamorgan.com. She talks a lot about how the war on drugs looks a lot more like a war on mental disorders when you get to see the inside of it all. Addiction is a medical condition and should be treated as such. Sabrena says, "it is easy to live in your world and become complacent. My crazy journey led me to prison for a reason. I set my intentions on making huge changes with myself and delivering awareness to people while I was in prison and now that I am out the possibilities are endless." Check out Sabrena on TikTok. She has a huge following with important insightful things to say.

Would you give up on yourself if you lived through being in foster care, drug addiction, and 9 years in prison? Jessica Henry did not. She got sober, she began getting educated while she was in prison earning 2 associate degrees with high honors. . She got out and found a meaningful job with Nation Outside as a manager who uses her personal experiences to help others through recovery. She mentors and provides support for returning citizens who need to reach the next milestones in their lives. After returning home, Jessica did not stop with her education. She just graduated with a bachelor's in social work, focusing on corrections counseling, with a double minor in psychology and business. I love this quote from Jessica, "Everything I am doing is something that I love. I had been through so many things in my life - juvenile delinquency, foster care, teen pregnancy, addiction, rehab, therapy, prison, and probation. And I am like, Why did I go through all of this? And now I know why. It's because I can help those who are struggling or going through similar things...to make changes one step at a time." Jessica has a fascinating story and she is an incredible storyteller. She is a true survivor who has found her passion in life. If you would like to donate or know more about Nation outside or donate for all the important work they do...go to nationoutside.org

County that was convicted, but became a priest? Father Joe Ciconne is that man.

He is an incredible man who has lived a fascinating life. Father Joe was born

in New Jersey. His dad was a police officer, and he eventually followed in his

dad's footsteps. His dad was actually his boss in their precinct when he first

began. He spent over 20 years in law enforcement and also taught as a professor

social science/criminal justice. Father Joe was eventually elected Sheriff to

the largest county of New Jersey...Bergen County... as a long shot candidate in

a special election. Father Joe began making impactful change immediately that

clearly ruffled the feathers of the old establishment. He was commanding nearly

500 law enforcement officers, managing a budget of over $40 million. Father Joe

was investigated for illegal campaign fund raising and he eventually was forced

to resign with his conviction. How Father Joe became a priest and the

knockdowns and grit it took to stand back up and get what he was passionate

about is what inspiring movies are made of. This is a good man helping so many

people with their second chances. Father Joe is my kind of Priest! If anyone

would like to contact Father Joe [email protected]

and 201-754-4GOD.