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 season two of Redemption Radio.  Stay tuned for further episodes of Redemption Radio coming this fall!

Follow for updates here: www.4redemption.com or follow @thadbereday on social media.

Learn more about Evan D. Smith and Love INC (In the Name of Christ) of Metro Tampa here: https://loveinctampa.org

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? Everything! As Annette explains, and Thad shares through his experience, until we can feel compassion for ourselves, we struggle to feel compassion for others. When we show ourselves loving kindness, we develop the capacity to show loving kindness to others. By cultivating grace within ourselves, we show grace to others. The practice of yoga, breath and mindfulness helps us to judge others with compassion and mercy. Thus, the yoga practice of self-care and wellness is essential to the criminal justice system’s goal to impose accountability tempered by mercy and possible redemption. Finally, Annette and Thad discuss how to develop this practice locally, starting with ourselves as individuals, then extending our insight to the broader community and society-at-large. 

Follow Annette Scott on Facebook: @annette.k.scott
on Instagram: @annette.k.scott

Visit Kodawari Studios website: www.kodawaristudios.com
on Facebook: @kodawaristudiostampa
on Instagram: @kodawari_studios

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 discuss their work together, starting in homeless ministry and including their common background with suffering, addiction and recovery. Focusing on challenges afflicting “criminal minds," Justin and Thad discuss the value of 12-step recovery methods for all persons, no matter what obstacles they may be facing. Justin describes the power of extending grace to others as the basis for maintaining spirituality. Finally, Thad asks Justin whether redemption is available to everyone, even those encountering the criminal justice system. The answer may surprise you.

Follow Justin LaRosa on Facebook: @justin.larosa
on Instagram: @justinjlarosa
on Twitter: @justinlarosa
on the web: www.justinjlarosa.com

Visit the Portico’s website: www.theportico.org
Visit Hyde Park United Methodist Church: www.hydeparkumc.org

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 this episode, Charles describes his experience working as a corrections officer, reviewing the institutional and personal challenges affecting this community.  Morgan shares how these dynamics are surprisingly similar to those affecting the prison population itself.  Thad then discusses an article Charles authored regarding the history of early prison systems published in JSTOR Daily.  As an editor of this digital newspaper, Morgan explains how the work of JSTOR Daily is relevant for the current criminal justice reform movement.

Learn more about Humane Justice Foundation: www.humane-justice.org

Read JSTOR Daily: www.daily.jstor.org

Read Charles Neal’s article, “Were Early American Prisons Similar to Today’s?”

Follow Charles Neal on Twitter: @CharlesNealHJF

Follow Morgan Godvin: linktr.ee/morgangodvin

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 was like to visit him while incarcerated.  This episode will help you to know Thad’s prison experience more personally and understand how we incarcerate people in the federal criminal justice system.

Follow Ray Coker on FaceBook: @ray.a.coker

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 her current role. 

In this episode, Thad and Chief O’Connor talk about second chances and the important role TPD plays in ensuring community safety, including health and wellness for both officers and citizens. Laying out her priorities for TPD, Chief O’Connor talks personally about what it’s like to serve in law enforcement and how second chances have affected her outlook and career. 

Follow TPD and Chief Mary O’Connor at the following links:

Website: www.tampa.gov/police

Social Media: @TampaPD

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 as the Director of Community Justice at the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. She was trained as a jailhouse lawyer and started the first Participatory Defense Hub in the state of Florida as part of the National Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative.  In 2018, Jhody was selected as a Soros Justice Fellow, and in 2019 she received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award and the Peacebuilder of the Year award. Earlier, Jhody worked as a central Florida organizer on Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to over 1.4 million returning citizens in Florida.

In this episode, Thad and Jhody share their personal journey of spiritual redemption through the criminal justice system.  Reflecting on lessons learned from their time in prison, Jhody shares her aspirations for a more transformative and restorative justice system, emphasizing forgiveness, love and community relationships. Focusing on their mutual interest in the special role of lawyers, Jhody and Thad discuss how these values can heal our criminal justice system and society as a whole.

Follow Jhody on social media:
Instagram: @JhodyforJustice
Twitter: @jhody_polk
Facebook: @jhodydouglaspolk
LinkedIn: Jhody Polk

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 criminal justice system, as well as their current work to reform the system.  They discuss working in Congress, the events of January 6, the influence of money in politics, and obstacles to criminal justice reform. Follow Neil Volz and FRRC at the following locations:

Neil Volz on Twitter: @Volzie

Our Voice podcast on YouTube

FRRC on social media: @FLRightsRestore

FRRC website: www.floridarrc.com

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 justice reform, and Rep. Learned describes obstacles and opportunities in the legislative process affecting progress on these issues.

Follow Rep. Andrew Learned at www.AndrewLearned.com
or on Twitter @AndrewLearned

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 returning citizens (formerly incarcerated persons), and Lawrence describes his transformation while serving 27 years in New York State Prison as well as his ongoing work to communicate untold stories about today’s criminal justice system.

Follow Lawrence Bartley at The Marshall Project:

https://www.themarshallproject.org/staff/lawrence-bartley

on Twitter:  @lawbartley

on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheMarshallProject/videos

Subscribe to News Inside: [email protected]