On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel “Big Mitch” Rutledge, who has spent more than forty years serving a life sentence in Alabama. Each call traces the shape of faith, regret, and forgiveness inside a place built for punishment.

Today’s conversation starts with a different kind of introduction. Lee brings his friend Bo onto the line, hoping Mitch can help him think through a difficult decision. Mitch listens and responds with a patience he’s earned over decades of hard-learned experience.

Speaking with Bo brings him back to the person who first taught him to talk to others with that kind of steadiness. He remembers Sister Lillian, the woman who encouraged him to take responsibility for his actions and to pay close attention to how his choices affected those around him. Her death from breast cancer in 2015 left a quiet ache, and Mitch talks about how her influence continues to shape him even now.

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