Graves to Gardens Podcast is back with a new season and a slightly new format! Unlike past seasons where there's a new topic with each new episode, this season will have a concentrated topic and you will hear from a few experts and their connected community partners on the topic.

The entire season 6 will be all about addressing youth incarceration, primarily looking at alternative approaches to incarceration and the advocacy that goes into stopping a young person from winding up in an adult facility. Leading the series will be two Philadelphia based nonprofits, Healing Futures (a vital arm of the larger organization, vital arm of the organization Youth Arts and Self Empowerment Project or YASP for short) as well as the Youth Sentencing and Reentry Project.

Today's episode is to serve as an introduction to the season, give you context on why I've titled this episode "Planted in Praise, Planted in Purpose" and what to expect from next Thursday's episode.

Below are a few key words that we'll discuss more throughout this season that I'd like you to have definitions for:

• Restorative justice: A response to wrongdoing that prioritizes repairing harm and recognizes that maintaining positive relationships with others is a core human need. It seeks to address the root causes of crime, even to the point of transforming unjust systems and structures.
• Healing circle: Deriving from practices of Native Americans, First Nations, and indigenous peoples, the Circle Process allows for the formation of relationships, the honoring of voices, and the creation of unity. The process is, at its essence, a story sharing process, which brings together people as equals to have open exchanges about difficult issues or painful experiences in an atmosphere of respect and concern for everyone.
• Direct file: A category of cases in which the prosecutor may determine whether to proceed initially in juvenile or criminal court. Typically, these direct file provisions give both juvenile and adult criminal courts the power to hear cases involving certain offenses or age/offense categories, leaving it up to the prosecutor to make discretionary decisions about where to file them.

Today's episode features clips published by two news outlets. Both are linked below:

• Clip 1 -- 4 minutes and 30 seconds in
• Clip 2 & 3 -- 10 minutes and 40 seconds in & 13 minutes and 30 seconds in

2 Samuel 6:13-15

13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

Matthew 25:34-40

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

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