SUMMARY
In the fourth of a special five-part series, Serena Chang, with special guest Tarra Simmons, discusses how human-centered design could lead to more effective criminal justice programs.

GUESTS

Serena Chang, Product Manager at Recidiviz

Tarra Simmons, Washington State legislator who spent time in prison

HIGHLIGHTS

From Serena Chang:

• Public policy doesn’t always lend itself to human-centered design because there is pressure to get it right the first time, and there isn’t real-time data to make adjustments once a policy is adopted.
• Corrections leaders are like CEOs of major businesses who are not given the data that they need to make decisions. They do the best they can but they just don’t have the tools to make significant changes.
• We need to include all voices in the discussion if we’re going to evaluate how the criminal justice system works and what needs to change.

From Tarra Simmons:

• The voice of formerly incarcerated people is rarely heard in public policy discussions, which is why she felt compelled to run for office.
• Tarra’s kids motivated her to not give up and go back to crime, but she says it takes hope, support and strength to break the cycle.

LINKS

• Meeting the Moment: Using Data to Reimagine Criminal Justice
• Make Things That Matter
• Recidiviz
• Public Defender Association

SUMMARY

In the third of a special five-part series, Julia Dressel, with special guest Tarra Simmons, discusses how Recidiviz is confronting racism and bias in criminal justice data.

GUESTS

Julia Dressel, software engineer at Recidiviz

Tarra Simmons, Washington State legislator who spent time in prison

HIGHLIGHTS

From Julia Dressel:

• The massive growth of the criminal justice system in the United States makes it particularly difficult to break the cycles that have disproportionately ensnared people of color.
• The racism that has been ingrained in our criminal justice system is perpetuated when we use statistics from the past to predict outcomes in the future.
• We need to build a new system that is not burdened by mistakes of the past, but rather uses new data to show what works and how we can shrink the prison population safely and equitably.

From Tarra Simmons:

• Tarra was inspired to pursue a law degree by the lawyers she met with while in prison, but once she was out she had to overcome multiple barriers to achieve that dream.
• Prisons in many cases perpetuate violence, inflicting trauma on people who have been abused themselves, so understanding their stories is important as we look for a better way forward.

LINKS

• Meeting the Moment: Using Data to Reimagine Criminal Justice
• Make Things That Matter
• Professor Shon Hopwood
• Report to the United Nations on Racial Disparities in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

SUMMARY

In the second of a special five-part series, Andrew Warren, with special guest Tarra Simmons, discusses how data might open new doors as states look to reform criminal justice systems.

GUESTS

Andrew Warren, Head of Product at Recidiviz

Tarra Simmons, Washington State legislator who spent time in prison

HIGHLIGHTS

From Andrew Warren:

• Political leaders are sometimes risk averse when it comes to criminal justice reform, so they need reliable data to evaluate which programs or initiatives are likely to succeed.
• Often states can’t get relevant data because there isn’t a universally accepted way of measuring outcomes.
• The cultural tide is changing and moving away from mass incarceration, so data can play a crucial role in helping develop long term solutions.

From Tarra Simmons:

• Tarra’s struggle with substance abuse disorder left her feeling trapped, fearing she might lose her job or get arrested if she tried to seek treatment.
• After serving her prison sentence, Tarra said having a criminal record prevented her from getting jobs that she was qualified for, sentencing her to a life of poverty.

LINKS

• Recidiviz
• Washington State Institute of Public Policy
• Sidewalk Labs
• U.S. Digital Services
• 18F

SUMMARY

In the first of a special five-part series, John Tilley, with special guest Tarra Simmons, shines a light on how the United States has become the global leader in mass incarceration.

GUESTS

John Tilley, Head of State Engagement at Recidiviz

Tarra Simmons, Washington State legislator who spent time in prison

HIGHLIGHTS

From John Tilley:

• The United States has less than five percent of the world’s population, but incarcerates nearly a quarter of the world’s prisoners.
• We need to distinguish between people we’re afraid of and people we’re mad at when we’re deciding what prison should be for.
• Evidence-based reforms and data could hold the key for helping break cycles of mass incarceration while making communities safer.

From Tarra Simmons:

• Childhood trauma and struggles with substance abuse disorder put Tarra on a path that resulted in a 30-month prison sentence.
• We have a system that criminalizes poverty, behavioral health issues and addiction, with a disproportionate impact on people of color.

LINKS

• Recidiviz
• Recidiviz Dashboard - Example for North Dakota
• COVID-19 Prompts New Thinking About Incarceration
• Bureau of Prisons - Overview of the First Step Act

SUMMARY

Danny Sigelman discusses his musical journey from Minnesota to China and back again and how he has found joy in exposing people to music.

GUEST

Danny Sigelman, artist, DJ, drummer, and author of Heyday: 35 years of Music in Minneapolis

HIGHLIGHTS

• Danny got early exposure to music promotion working at the independent record store Electric Fetus, helping local musicians sell CDs in shops across the state.
• After some DJ work in Minneapolis, Danny was hired to host a show in China that many listeners used to hone their English skills.
• Danny teamed with famed music photographer, Daniel Corrigan, to create a book documenting the Minneapolis music scene through stories and never-before-seen images.
• After a year of COVID social distancing, Danny is eager to start performing and interacting with the music scene again, but he has concerns about how quickly the scene will be able to recover.

LINKS

• The Electric Fetus - https://electricfetus.com/
• Danny Sigelman Youtube Page - https://www.youtube.com/user/sanpeeps
• Heyday: 35 Years of Music in Minneapolis - https://www.mnhs.org/mnhspress/books/heyday
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/papersleeves/

SUMMARY

Erica Hanna is driven by a belief that anyone can be a storyteller if they are given the tools and the confidence to let their voice be heard.

GUEST

Erica Hanna, Owner of Puke Rainbows Creative

HIGHLIGHTS

• Puke Rainbows Creative takes its name from a hashtag Erica started, urging people to take whatever is given to them and create something beautiful.
• An encounter with Prince helped Erica get past her “imposter syndrome” and realize she had talent to share with the world.
• Erica believes effective videos are not driven by large budgets, but rather by the ability to tell a story that is unique and personal.
• On her website, Erica provides self-help tips so people can use their phones to shoot video that can help them achieve their goals.

LINKS

• Puke Rainbows
• Extra Emily: Twitch stream
• Public Speaking App: Speeko
• Self-Help Podcast: Before Breakfast

SUMMARY

Health and wellness leader, Jennette Turner, discusses her journey, learning to make healthier and more rational food choices and helping others find what works for them.

GUEST

Jennette Turner, public health and wellness leader

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jennette first started cooking in college, preparing large dinners in her housing cooperative and learning the joy of communal dining.
• As she started learning more about nutrition, she went down some strict paths that ended up causing potentially serious health issues.
• She has moved away from “fundamentalist” diets to an approach that is more focused on finding a healthy balance in what you eat each day.
• Simple steps, like eating protein for breakfast, can make a huge difference in avoiding cravings that can derail your diet.

LINKS

• Annemarie Colbin: Food and Healing
• Natural Gourmet Cookery School
• Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
• The Wedge
• J. Kenji López-Alt: Every Night is Pizza Night

SUMMARY

Edouard Mathieu, from Our World in Data, says data can be a force for change as we address problems ranging from COVID to climate change.

GUEST

Edouard Mathieu: Head of Data - Our World in Data

HIGHLIGHTS

• Our World in Data was founded on the premise that data can tell stories about what is good or bad in our world and how we can make things better.
• The non-profit is committed to providing trustworthy information that can be shared and enhanced to make it even more useful in solving problems.
• Much of the data is aligned around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which outlined critical goals for humanity to address by 2030.
• Global data reveals a mixed bag in terms of the direction of our world, with some areas showing promise and others in decline.

LINKS

• Our World In Data
• Data from Our World In Data
• Edouard’s Github Profile
• OWID’s Github Page
• Sustainable Development Goals

SUMMARY

Coleman Rollins tells how his startup company, Breathe99, went from Kickstarter failure to the cover of Time magazine.

GUEST

Coleman Rollins: Co-founder of Breathe99

HIGHLIGHTS

• Coleman’s co-founder got the idea for the mask after studying abroad in Singapore, where the air is very polluted and few people were wearing masks.
• A pre-COVID Kickstarter campaign failed not because people didn’t like the product, but because they didn’t see why they would need it.
• The pandemic changed everything and led to a successful Kickstarter campaign and high demand for the B2 mask.
• Breathe99 masks are reusable with filters that are more effective than N95 masks and can be easily replaced as needed.

LINKS

• Breathe 99: Breathe with confidence
• Study on the Effect of Proper Mask Wearing
• Time: Best Inventions of 2020

SUMMARY

For a while it felt like it would never happen, but 2020 did, finally, come to an end. Still, in the midst of a difficult year, we still managed to connect, listen and learn from a wide variety of interesting guests. This is a selection of just some of the conversations that educated and inspired us. Listen to the full podcasts if you like what you hear.

GUEST CLIPS

• Episode 100: J. Kenji López-Alt, food writer, cookbook author and restaurateur
• Episode 104: Chuck Hermes, founding partner and Chief Experience Officer at Clockwork
• Episode 97: Rob Dalton, President of Dalton Brand Catalyst
• Episode 106: Mary Jo Hoffman, visual artist, nature photographer
• Episode 107: Gavin King: Becoming DJ Aphrodite
• Episode 88: Claire Lew, CEO of Know Your Team
• Episode 102: Gareth van Onselen, South African journalist, political analyst and author
• Episode 99: Bob Collins, creator of the NewsCut blog and former Senior News Editor at Minnesota Public Radio
• Episode 98: Waldo Jaquith, open government technologist
• Episode 101: Clementine Jacoby, Executive Director of Recidiviz