The Hustler Files with Lisa Reilly - Stories That Challenge What You Thought You Knew

The quote "To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world" could not be truer than for the Executive Director of the Easthampton, Massachusetts Community Center, Robin Bialecki. Not only does Robin and her team help 3600 families a month with food and clothing, but she also provides for the children of incarcerated men at the Hampshire County Sheriff's Office. A definite role model for any community around the world. And staying with the theme of children and giving, Sheriff Patrick Cahillane, of Hampshire County, was awarded the Paul Cellucci Award from the Children's Trust of Boston, Massachusetts, for his team's work, both behind the wall and in the community through their Nurturing Fathers Program.

The Dalai Lama defines compassions as "a sensitivity to the suffering of others, with a commitment to do something about it". Cheri Garcia, a social innovator and Founder of the second chance staffing firm, Cornbread Hustle, knows all too well about addiction, recovery and the challenges those with a record face upon re-entering society. Cheri's trajectory to launch Cornbread Hustle, and become recognized as a leader in second chance recruiting and staffing was definitely not a straight line, and although now a seven figure company, Cheri says she still has her bad days, but she is always driven to help more people because as she says, "…One can't find their future success with $50 and a bus fare upon reentering society…."

The percentage of women incarcerated is minute in comparison to that of men, but their struggles to overcome the traumas that led them to drug addiction, anger or alcoholism is equal if not greater than the same wounds of their male counterparts. Meet Ashley and Sarah, one is still behind the wall in the pre-trial treatment unit and the other is now post release and working to create the new life of becoming sober. Both their journeys share a common thread, the determination not to slip back into their old ways of life.

As a prelude to the upcoming Episode 33, we thought we'd re-air an interview we featured a few months back to set the stage for that future episode. Twenty million Americans struggle with alcohol. For Melissa, it was a triple threat - alcohol, drugs, and anger. From the very young age of 11 till her 37th birthday, Melissa led the worst side of hustling to keep her addictions and adrenaline fed. In her own words, she describes the constant 'skid bid' as she calls it, how the tribe she surrounded herself with was literally loving her to death. and how she finally found a way out.

Back at Episode 26, Ed Hayes and Levin Schwartz of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office in Western Massachusetts stopped by to share some snippets of their work behind the wall, their travels and education of best practices to states and counties that are not as forward moving as Franklin County, and the factual research behind the high levels of incarceration. With much left on the table, Ed and Levin return to continue the conversation and discuss the upcoming Federal Medicaid that will be available to incarcerated individuals in 14 states starting in 2025.

You might not think incarceration and entrepreneurship have a common thread, but they do. Many who become incarcerated were arrested for illegal activities, for which, an entrepreneurial mindset was part of their ill begotten success. Even once behind the wall, many continue with their nefarious activities. Eli was just such a person, and thus was put on 24/7 house arrest to attempt to curb his entrepreneurial ways. But Eli has the entrepreneurial gene, initially ignited by candy sales in grade school, and as Eli himself says, 'with all that time locked inside at home, I had to find something to keep busy and make money…'. It was there and then that Eli created Filthy Kicks and with the help of Social Entrepreneur, Max, his entrepreneurial cohort, Greenspace, and Eli's very supportive attorney named Kevin, Eli's business idea and hard work has changed the trajectory of Eli's life.

It may not be commonplace to find vocational training behind the wall, but more and more jails and prisons are bringing a variety of industries, inside, not only to generate revenue, but also to offer training to those who are incarcerated, so they have better opportunities for jobs upon returning to the community. From culinary to welding, and building trades to sewing, local jails, like the Hampden County jail, created York Street Industries to not only train the revolving, selected few who want to make the best of their time behind the wall, but also create items that are used within the jail or commissioned from local companies within the community.

'To be a transformational leader and coach, you must deeply understand what you are transforming'. This quote by an unknown author was perfectly suited to this week's conversation with a District Attorney in Western Mass who has two counties, 47 towns, six Courts, and a myriad of worker bees under his care. With more than 33 years of public service, DA David Sullivan is changing the prosecution model by blending smart, and fair prosecutions, crime prevention programs, law enforcement partnerships, and community collaborations to build safer communities within his jurisdiction, and that includes keeping juveniles (17 and Under) from carrying a record with them.

NOTE: TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES PREVENTED THE AIRING OF A NEW SHOW THIS WEEK, SO ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES AND ENJOY A FLASHBACK TO ONE OF THE HUSTLER FILES MORE POPULAR SHOWS! WE'LL BE BACK WITH A NEW EPISODE FOR SHOW #28 NEXT WEEK!

Bruce Willis, THE Actor, has a quote, 'You Can't Undo The Past, But You Can Certainly Not Repeat It'. Many people residing behind the wall have experienced disciplinary issues in their past. A mindfulness program developed at the Hampden County Sheriff's Office, by program manager Dan Cavanaugh, in 2019, is experiencing dramatic results for those participants who are currently incarcerated. The program, aptly named, S.A.V.R., Stress, Anger, Violence Reduction, not only teaches meditation and mindful behavior but addresses topics like anger management, cognitive-behavioral therapy skills, parenting, and domestic violence.

Criminal Justice and Prison Reform may vary from State to State, but for those who understand that trauma is at the core of most incarcerated individuals, the key goal to their success, both behind the wall and upon returning to society, is to keep moving forward. Sadly, not all jails and prisons consider the value of moving incarcerated individuals forward. Thanks to researchers and change makers like Ed Hayes and Levin Schwartz, best practices and improved treatment of incarcerated individuals are being shared and implemented.