Redemption Radio

In the season one finale, Thad Bereday wraps up what we have learned this season on Redemption Radio. Questioned by his friend and guest host Evan D. Smith, executive director of Love INC of Metro Tampa, Thad describes his favorite and most memorable moments from the first season; how producing the podcast has changed him personally; and why he sees the podcast as being effective. Thad also explains what he will be doing during the interim break before the planned relaunch of seas...

Annette Scott is my yoga teacher! I came to yoga unwittingly, when my life was at a low point, and I felt I had struck bottom. More than any other yoga instructor, Annette showed me how to feel this discomfort, learn to breathe and be present through my feelings and then take the practice of yoga off the mat into real life. Beyond physical exercise, yoga is a practice that shows us how to maintain compassion for others, and for ourselves.What does yoga have to do with criminal justice reform?...

Rev. Justin LaRosa is my pastor! When I got released from prison in 2018, Justin was one of the first people I turned to who became an important part of my support system. As Director of the Portico (the downtown Tampa location of Hyde Park United Methodist Church), Justin is a faith advisor for many souls and has walked with me throughout my journey to criminal justice reform. This episode will showcase an intimate conversation between a returning citizen and his pastor. Justin and Thad...

Charles Neal is a corrections officer with the Oregon Department of Corrections. Morgan Godvin is a returning citizen working as an advocate, academic, journalist, and content creator. Together, Charles and Morgan have founded the Humane Justice Foundation, a coalition of people with lived experience from inside the criminal justice system, including victims, law enforcement, prisoners and everyday citizens. Humane Justice Foundation advocates for principles of restorative justice. In th...

Ray Coker is one of my best friends. When I got cancer, Ray was among the inner circle who nursed me back to health. We walked together once a week, helping and supporting each other through life’s challenges. Ray was the guy I asked to drive me to prison on the day I self-surrendered.In this episode, Ray and Thad share the story of their journey to federal prison in Jesup, GA. Ray explains what it felt like to drop off his friend Thad to jail, and then recalls what it...

Mary O’Connor is the incoming Chief of the City of Tampa Police Department, one of the nation’s top 50 police departments. She is the second female Chief of Police in the department’s history. Chief O’Connor served TPD for 22 years, rising to the level of assistant chief, before retiring to become a national consultant and trainer to the FBI, DOJ and other law enforcement agencies. In February 2022, Chief O’Connor was selected by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to lead the department in h...

Jhody Polk spent seven years in Florida prison for a series of violent offenses committed in her early 20’s. While in jail, she learned to undo much of the societal conditioning imposed upon her from growing up in East Gainsville. Now more than seven years following her release, Jhody has transformed herself into a leading community activist, public speaker and leader for peace and justice. Jhody is the Founder of LEAH, the Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Hub, and previously served...

Neil Volz is Deputy Director of Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, the group that successfully passed Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to 1+ million returning citizens in Florida. Today, FRRC provides jobs and pathways to formerly incarcerated people, advocating for policy changes to help returning citizens achieve full community restoration. In this episode, Neil and Thad discuss common themes in their stories, including their demise from powerful jobs into the hands of the crim...

Rep. Andrew Learned (D-59) is a military veteran and small business owner who was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020. He won election by 1,270 votes in a closely divided district. Nearing the end of the 2022 legislative session, Rep. Learned reviews his experience as a legislator assigned to the House committees with oversight responsibility for criminal justice issues. Thad Bereday and Rep. Learned discuss their common views as centrists in the debate over criminal...

Lawrence Bartley is a journalist and contributor to The Marshall Project, a non-profit online news publication devoted entirely to coverage of the criminal justice system. Bartley is founder and director of “News Inside,” the print version of The Marshall Project distributed throughout the USA to hundreds of prisons and jails, and he is the host and executive producer of “Inside Story,” the Marshall Project’s video series on YouTube. Thad and Lawrence discuss their backgrounds as ...