The Justice Rap Up

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Happy Mother’s Day! Illy is flying solo on this episode as we celebrate the matriarchs of the family household, mothers. This episode is dedicated to all things motherhood but, specifically motherhood as it relates to our punitive criminal legal system. We have two guests joining us this episode who will speak to the challenges, triumphs, and everyday life of working moms and mothers of incarcerated children.

Jacinta Hall, who serves as Assistant Federal Public Defender in Jackson, MS and who is also a member of the Gideon’s Promise faculty, talks about life as not only a single mother but, also a public defender navigating through our justice system. Ms. Shirley Billingly is the proud mother of three children. Two of her three children ended up getting trapped in the system. Ms. Billingly speaks about the struggles of traveling to see her kids, how she found strength within her community, and how to pay it forward to other mothers struggling to stay connected with their children while they are incarcerated.

The West African word ‘griot’ is defined by members of traveling musicians, poets, and storytellers who maintain a tradition of oral history. This month’s podcast celebrates the griots that exist in the courtroom, which are the public defenders. Mastering the unique skill of storytelling is an essential art that allows public defenders to represent and honor their clients by telling their stories.

On National Tell a Story Day (April 27th), co-hosts Jonathan Rapping and Ilham Askia explore the importance of storytelling in the courtroom. Storytelling is a critical component within our Gideon's Promise training. It allows our public defenders to humanize their client and their story, to get them the best outcome possible. 

On this episode, our co-hosts speak with two premiere Gideon’s Promise faculty members who know the true meaning of what it means to embody their client’s story. Tune in as Director of Training for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Patrice Fulcher, and Training Director of the National Association for Public Defense, Jeff Sherr, speak about the benefits of storytelling, the science behind an impactful story, and what it means to be a great storyteller.

We are celebrating Women’s History Month with two incredible guests! On this episode Ilham Askia is flying solo speaking with two women who are leading the charge in public defense and in criminal justice reform.

Host Ilham Askia speaks with Alaina Bloodworth, Deputy Director of the Black Public Defender Association, and Keisha Hudson Brooks, Chief Defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Listen in as they speak about how mentorship impacted their careers, women in public defense, and the challenges women of color face fighting within the criminal legal system.

“Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” – Madam C J Walker.

ON THIS EPISODE

This month we are celebrating Black History Month! Black History Month was created in 1976 to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of Black Americans past, present and future.

“Black history is American history.” – Morgan Freeman

Co-hosts Jonathan Rapping and Ilham Askia sat down with longtime supporter, friend, and Gideon’s Promise faculty member, Lori James-Townes. Lori is the first Black woman to be named the Executive Director for the National Association for Public Defense. Grab a seat, as they discuss the correlation between public defense and civil rights, why is social work so important to public defense, and what it means to be the first.

Happy New Year! We are kicking off the new year in celebration of National Mentorship Month, by discussing  the importance of mentorship among public defenders. The Gideon’s Promise Mentorship program was created in 2018 to provide public defenders with a community of peers they could rely on for support, encouragement and inspiration.

Co-hosts Jonathan Rapping and Ilham Askia sat down with two amazing public defenders within our community who have truly benefited from this important program. Listen in as attorneys Jemila Lea of the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office, and Katherine (Kat) Racz Lake of the Office of the Public Defender, Atlanta Judicial Circuit, speak about the benefits of mentorship within their professional and personal lives.

For the last episode of the 2021, hosts Jonathan Rapping & Ilham Askia are recapping their favorite episodes from this year! Each month we tackled hard hitting issues that not only plague our community, but also affected our criminal legal system as a whole. Listen in as they speak about their favorite moments, guests, and what they look forward to in 2022!

ON THIS EPISODE

According to Veterans in State & Federal Prisons**, an estimated 107,400 veterans were serving time in state or federal prison in 2016—the majority (98%) of which were male. Hosts Jonathan Rapping and Ilham Askia speak with Michaela Himes, Assistant Public Defender for the Dallas County’s Public Defender Office, and Nick Place, Staff Attorney for the Orleans Public Defender. Michaela has an extensive background representing within veterans court, and as a former Marine Corps Officer, Nick provides a unique lens to the needs of defending veterans.

We will learn about Veterans Court, how veterans are impacted by our criminal legal system, and how to support our veterans dealing and trying to cope with trauma that stems from their time in active service. Tune-in to listen to this important episode!

** United States, Bureau of Justice Statistics. “Veterans in Prison: Survey of Prison Inmates.” Veterans in State & Federal Prisons, March 2021, https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/veterans-prison-survey-prison-inmates-2016.

Former President Barack Obama once said, “There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter.” With the 2021 Midterm elections approaching, co-hosts Jonathan Rapping and Ilham Askia dive into the topic of voting and its impact within our criminal legal system. Joining us this week is Derwyn Bunton, Chief Public Defender of Orleans Public Defender! Mr. Bunton has been a longtime supporter of Gideon’s Promise and has been influential in changing the status quo within his New Orleans office.

This episode features an in-depth discussion about the importance of voting, how public defenders are impacted by our current legislation, and why electing judges who have a background in public defense is so crucial to transforming our criminal legal system.

ON THIS EPISODE

Do you know your Constitutional Rights? Episode 14 of Gideon's Promise: The Podcast focuses on the importance of knowing our fundamental legal rights when encountering the criminal legal system and the affects that mandatory minimum sentences have had on Black and Brown communities. Hosts Jonathan Rapping and Ilham Askia sit down with two incredible criminal justice reform advocates, Molly Gill, the Vice President of Policy for Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), and Criminal Justice Reform Activist, Sagan Soto-Stanton whose husband is currently serving a 30 year sentence. Listen in as they discuss War on Drug policies, the importance of knowing our rights, and how we can become active in changing these punitive policies.

We celebrate the 4th of July every year without spending time to think about what Independence actually means. Hosts Jonathan Rapping and Ilham Askia explore the true meaning of independence by diving into the topic of immigration. They sat down with two immigration public defense experts that teach and educate our immigrant brothers and sisters on their rights within this U.S. criminal legal system. This week’s featured guests are Criminal and Immigration Clinician and Gideon’s Promise Faculty member, Professor Violeta Chapin; and Managing Attorney at Stern Law, Jessica Stern. Listen to this episode today!