The Family Ties Podcast - True Crime Podcast Series

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This week Julia and Kelley close out their discussion on mass incarceration by highlighting some solutions that would go a long way towards driving prison and jail populations down. They bring to light some studied solutions and add their own suggestions and opinions on the proven methods uncovered during their discussion. 

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This week Kelley and Julia discuss how America grew to hold 22% of the entire world's prison population, despite only comprising 4% of the world's population. They track the imprisonment rates that rose 700% in the 90's, despite the fact that during the time prison rates were climbing, crime rates were falling. What are the cold hard facts about incarceration and how does the U.S. view the criminal justice system, and why are we not focused on more prisoner rehabilitation instead of mass, long-term incarceration and recidivism? These are questions that Julia and Kelley try to find the answers for in this packed episode.

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In this episode, Kelley and Julia continue their discussion on race and the power structures that keep the United States gridlocked and in constant clashes with authority.  The sisters break down the defining traits of systemic oppression of people of color while coming to terms with the fact that they have also unknowingly been benefiting from these structures, and sharing their research on how everyone can start pushing back against these rigged and archaic power structures. 

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This week Julia and Kelley discuss Police Reform, BLM, and views on the Defund the Police movement. While heavily referencing John Oliver's Last Week Tonight episode that was solely about the Police, as well as Bernie Sander's past and recent comments, they attempt to break down a difficult topic. The sisters share their research on Police Unions and ideas for Reform during this packed episode.  

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This week, Julia and Kelley discuss current issues involving white privilege, law enforcement and systemic white power structures. George Floyd's recent death among many other non-white American's at the hands of Law Enforcement have direct correlations with how the white majority has manipulated and rigged the system to benefit whiteness. Julia and Kelley dig deep and face-up to many of the unearned privileges this system has provided them without their explicit knowledge. 

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In this thought-provoking episode, Julia and Kelley tackle the critical issue of child abuse and its far-reaching implications. They shed light on the troubling case of Christiana Glenn, offering a critical examination of where the system failed and continues to fall short in safeguarding America's children. Join them as they engage in a heartfelt conversation about the challenges faced by social services, the rights of parents, the alarming lack of children's rights, and the systemic failures impacting countless children throughout the United States.

The sisters dive into the intricate web of laws and bureaucratic structures that often appear to prioritize preserving the "family unit" over ensuring the genuine safety and well-being of children. Together, they shed light on the pressing need for substantive evidence and diligent oversight to safeguard children from harm.

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This week, Kelley Richey and Julia Avery delve into the tragic story of Christiana Glenn; a horrific tale involving unchecked parental abuse, cult activity, and homicide. 

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This week, Kelley Richey and Julia Avery discuss the disparagement between upper and lower classes, corporate and societal greed, flawed government and financial systems, and human nature.
If you were asked which American Economic Class (social class) you fell under, would you provide the right answer? Surprisingly, based upon a study conducted by Gallup, Americans often misassign themselves to their actual social class. This is largely due to the fact that “social class” has not been well defined. The factors in how Americans determine their social class may vary. Perception of status can be influenced by additional factors such as income, online real estate education, location, and family history.
Decades of economic policies that favor Wall Street and corporate CEOs have created an economy that is dangerously out of balance. Corporate executives continue to line their pockets with our labor and ensure the rules are written to favor them. 
Kelley and Julia discuss two movies where the issues discussed in this episode are told effectively and challenge us to look closer at the economic and class structures in place around the globe: The Platform and Parasite. 
“The Platform,” a Spanish film directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, is set in a large, tower-style "Vertical Self-Management Center" where the residents, who are periodically switched at random between its many floors, are fed by a platform, initially filled with food, that gradually descends through the levels. It is a system bound to cause conflict, as the residents at the top levels can eat as much as they can, leaving increasingly little for those below.
“Parasite,” a South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho, follows the members of a poor family who scheme to become employed by a wealthy family by infiltrating their household and posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals.

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This week, Kelley Richey and Julia Avery discuss the benefits of community and how to build your own in order to combat loneliness. This episode is Part 2 of 2 episodes that identifies creative solutions to the current loneliness pandemic as discussed in Episode 4: The Loneliness Pandemic Part 1.

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This week, Kelley Richey and Julia Avery delve into the specifics of loneliness, its effects on mental and physical health, Kodokushi, and the importance of community. This episode is Part 1 of 2 episodes that addresses the current loneliness pandemic and the health risks associated. Part 2 will be focused on identifying creative solutions.

Quarantine's Impact On Community

Before the pandemic, what was the true quality of our social interactions? It appeared as though society was adopting the homebody and binge culture. However, after being instructed to stay at home to prevent spreading the virus, suddenly everyone seemed to crave social interactions and to be outdoors. In a way, social distancing was kind of a thing before this pandemic. Hopefully, quarantining has made most of us realize how important our relationships and other people’s involvement in our lives are. 

Loneliness and Its Effects on Mental Health

"Human beings are social creatures. Our connection to others enables us to survive and thrive.” According to The National Institute on Aging, “Social isolation and loneliness do not always go together. About 28 percent of older adults in the United States, or 13.8 million people, live alone, according to a report by the Administration for Community Living’s Administration on Aging of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but many of them are not lonely or socially isolated. At the same time, some people feel lonely despite being surrounded by family and friends.”

To be more specific, social isolation is the physical objective separation from other people while loneliness is the distressed feeling of being alone and separated.

Health Risks Associated with Loneliness

Research from The Cacioppo Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness predicts that “loneliness automatically triggers a set of related behavioral and biological processes that contribute to the association between loneliness and premature death in people of all ages.”
According to Steve Cole, Ph.D.’s research, the feeling of chronic loneliness causes the individual to feel threatened and distrustful of others which activates a biological defense mechanism. Losing a sense of community changes a person’s perspective of the world.
“Loneliness is an important worldwide public health concern affecting people of all cultures and ages, with prevalence rates predicted increase to “epidemic”levels in the future (Gerst-Emerson and Jayawardhana 2015).”

Researchers found that loneliness increased mortality by 26%. The effects of loneliness are linked to smoking, obesity, elevated blood pressure, heart disease, increased hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical activity, adverse effects on cognitive performance, the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, diminished executive functioning, and impaired sleep. Loneliness also has serious consequences for mental health and well-being, consistently emerging as a significant risk factor for depression, suicidal ideation and behavior. In addition, it has been associated with  alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Kodokushi and Japan's Battle with Loneliness
The Impact of Loneliness on Ol

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