Reentry Reframed

Born in Los Angeles, Luis Leyva’s life had a rocky start. At the age of 15, Luis was initiated into his neighborhood gang following a traumatic experience that stewed up a hatred for the opposing neighborhoods. Through this lifestyle, he became involved in the juvenile justice system which continued throughout his adult life. Ultimately, becoming a father and finding love led him towards his story of redemption. Luis found his passion for tattooing while incarcerated in prison and has been able to create a career in his “happy place.” As a tattoo artist, he feels he can help others by being there for them and giving words of encouragement. Luis looks forward to impacting others as opportunities arise to make a difference in young lives who may be facing a similar road as he once did. One of Luis’ most prominent and impactful memories is a speaker who attended his juvenile detention stay, so giving back to youth who are justice-involved is something he feels passionate about. We know you will continue to be a source of inspiration, Luis!

Send us Fan Mail

Pointing out one memento from a friend, she said, “He calls me CAPY: Catholic Alcoholic Patricia from Yonkers.” As Trish walked me around her apartment, her excitement was palpable! As she explained, this is the first time she has lived on her own this century. At nearly 70-years-old, Trish’s life has been full of twists and turns, highs and lows, to be where she is at today. Deep in her addiction, many of her picture albums were lost in the early 2000s. With the pictures she has been able to collect in the past decade, it is clear Trish’s heart belongs to the ocean and to her family. There are shells and ocean treasures in every nook and cranny in her home she has worked incredibly hard for. With more than a decade of sobriety, Trish is now able to relish in the moment from the simple joys in life. We wish you nothing but the best, Trish! 

Send us Fan Mail

As we reflect on our 12th episode posting, we are so incredibly grateful for your support! As we near 1,000 downloads, we wanted to jump on and share some updates with you all! This episode has some behind the scenes and the “why” behind what we do. In this episode, there is a hidden gem contained within you will need to hear for yourself on how we plan to celebrate. We have some great ideas and goals for the next dozen episodes, so please stay tuned! Our dream is to break the stigma surrounding reentry for justice-involved individuals reentering our community. After all, if we break the cycles of incarceration, we all succeed.

Send us Fan Mail

Melissa Goldsmith has 26 years of experience working in the criminal justice field, with 23 being with U.S. Probation in the District of Kansas.  She is the Assistant Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer and oversees the program initiatives.  Recognizing the importance of reentry services, she assisted in developing the Pretrial Orientation Program, Bureau of Prisons Program, and the Moral Reconation Therapy Program in the District of Kansas. Known for her enthusiasm, kindness, and passion for helping others, Melissa’s episode is pure gold. 

Send us Fan Mail

Nick Casarona, a talented athlete with a bright future ahead, graduated high school with his “ticket out” of Topeka. After accepting a scholarship in Florida to compete on a diving team, Nick eagerly awaited his opportunity to shine and make others proud. Unfortunately, a devastating twist of fate ended his dreams of being a collegiate athlete. From there, Nick pivoted in an entirely different direction deciding he would go to school where he obtained a masters degree in Banking and Finance from U of Colorado. Because he is incredibly intelligent and driven, he excelled in business. Throughout his illustrious career, Nick describes an inner turmoil as he struggled daily with addiction. While his road went further off course as he ventured into some of his darkest days, Nick dreamed of a better life. A life where he could be accepted for him, free of addiction- he longed to be a husband and father. This is a story of devastation and addiction; however, to hear where Nick is today will bring tears to your eyes. When he started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as hope, not a train coming at him, he started over with a life full of redemption by helping others. 

Send us Fan Mail

Social butterfly, Shawn, enjoyed the glamorized nightlife scene until it led to a path of addiction. Ultimately, Shawn was sentenced to federal prison for two separate convictions totaling the better part of a decade. Shawn, a transgender individual who identifies as a woman, shares her journey through the justice system. In this episode, she breaks down the levels of ‘status’ within jails, low and medium security penitentiaries, while explaining how being a “she” in a “he” prison brought feelings of loneliness and depression. Finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, Shawn gained hope as she began the process of reentry. With the acceptance, support, and encouragement of a residential reentry center, a fresh outlook on life was the catalyst to her current success story. 

Send us Fan Mail

Starting at the tender age of 13, Jodi’s life tumbled down a broken road as her 20-year addiction to methamphetamine began. Learning the pain she was trying to numb by using drugs was actually amplifying her trauma, Jodi offers tremendous wisdom and guidance for others facing addiction. She describes wanting to be there for her children, and for other women, as being the driving force behind her years of sobriety. She takes ownership of her past as she candidly shares, “You cannot keep doing bad things to people and expect to be living a fulfilled life.” Now, Jodi radiates joy as she embraces her passion for helping other women overcome addiction, understand their worth, and share resources available in the community. Who better to reach women along their own broken road than someone who has traveled the same path? After all, she sat where they are as she says, “I was her.”

Send us Fan Mail

With 22 years of experience working inside a federal penitentiary, Thiessen shares a treasure trove of knowledge in this episode. After decades of working in the field of corrections, her passion for helping others has only grown. As she thinks outside of the box to create innovative programs at the prison, she exudes enthusiasm for finding impactful ways to prepare individuals for a new life on the “outside.” 

Send us Fan Mail

By the age of 19, Emmanuel "Manny" Herron entered the federal prison system. Still a teenager, he faced a sentence of 180 months (15 years) in prison. Manny describes his life prior to prison being one of poverty, grief, and anger; a life where he felt lost. 
Upon entering the federal system, Herron was dyslexic and had not learned to read. Finding his faith while incarcerated was the catalyst for his life to truly change course. Herron's petition for clemency was granted in 2016 by President Obama. Exiting the prison system, Herron was a man filled with knowledge, faith, and a fire within his heart to give back to the community he "poisoned" in his prior lifestyle. Although Herron has found tremendous success in the Topeka community, his greatest has been finding his wife and family. Herron's story is one you must hear for yourself, because only his own words do it justice.

Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Donald Denney, Vice President of General Services for Mirror, Inc., joins Melissa Goodman on this episode of Reentry Reframed. Dr. Denney holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. During the first part of his career, Dr. Denney spent 17 years working as a Psychologist at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, KS. He then transitioned to Regional Drug Abuse Coordinator and then Psychology Administrator for the North Central Region of the Bureau of Prisons for roughly 10 years. During his final 3 years of BOP service, Dr. Denney served as the Central Sector Administrator for Residential Reentry Management Branch of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This position provided oversight to more than 40 residential reentry centers from Ohio to Colorado, Kansas to North Dakota. He and his staff were responsible for the daily reentry efforts for more than 1,900 federal inmates. His tenure in this position was widely recognized for his communication, fostering the Risk/Need/Responsivity framework, and support of local initiatives to foster reentry. Dr. Denney believes in 'Prescribing the Cure' by gaining an understanding of the barriers justice-involved individuals face, and then providing the solution to those high-needs areas. With more than three decades dedicated to the field, Dr. Denney offers invaluable insight on this episode.

Send us Fan Mail