This is the full (audio) episode to the series on The Sentencing Foundation. Today we feature a powerful story from Suavo Gonzales, an ex-offender on life-time parole. who is now a Pulitzer Prize Winner. Question, how many ex-offenders are there in Philadelphia alone? 275, 000, most of whom are Black/Brown peoples from communities ravished by poverty, low incomes and rising crime and violence. We did a podcast series on What's Life Like in Philadelphia, where many people suggested a fathers' movement as younger men are beset by crime/violence & are lacking responsible fathers. However, many fathers are incarcerated & the lack of resources for ex-offenders create further challenges in rehabilitation. Thus, the cycle of incarcerations from lack of fathers continues. However, judges are coming together to help with not just locking up offenders but creating a way that rehabilitates offenders; so, that they can re-enter society with resources to provide for themselves, their families and communities. Suavo, a former in-mate who is now on Parole, shares his powerful story, how his parole/re-entry in society was not easy, yet was able to access resources despite uncertainty/lack that has helped him to become an empowering figure to other parolees, a ghost-writer of several books and a Pulitzer Prize Winner of a successful podcast with a successful career at a college. Suavo was at the web launch and made a vital comment about the importance of the foundation that without opportunities then those coming back into society or people on a whole can't live responsible and effective lives advancing society. Therefore, the foundation plays a pivotal role in raising awareness about mass incarcerations and provide resources that help the Resource-Based Sentencing and Supervision to provide resources to in-mates, ex-offenders and parolees.
The series will feature one more powerful story from an ex-offender who is now running her own re-entry programs in Philadelphia.
In addition, the series is an audio podcast series with two bonus episodes that feature the two stories from ex-offenders who shares how access to resources help them to overcome the odds and are now effective members of society working for change.
It is important to point out here, in relation to Suavo's statement about providing opportunity and its lack in society, Equal opportunity is an afront to inequality and advantage that some have and want to maintain. So, if providing opportunities means others will come up, then those who are ahead, which is the case in society, may be suspicious of the competition from the uprising based in opportunity and equal access, and may be slow to provide any opportunity and or may prefer to limit opportunity. So, it will be interesting to follow how this effort will take shape and whether it will find support in other communities/nationwide. We also feature the Directors of the Program and explore voting & political will.
Renaldo McKenzie is Creator and Host of The Neoliberal Round Podcast, which is available anywhere you get your stream, including Anchor.fm. Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Radio Public, Google Podcast, Podvine, the Audible, I-Heart Radio, the Alexa App, renaldocmckenzie.com, theneoliberal.com etc. Renaldo is also author of Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance available in all platforms, worldwide and was number one on Amazon in Deconstructivist History and Philosophy. Renaldo has a new book which will be released early next year entitled: Neoliberal Globalization Reconsidered. Renaldo is also a Doctoral Candidate at Georgetown University and a graduate of The University of Pennsylvania and Jamaica Theological Seminary, where he is a Lecturer in Caribbean Thought. Renaldo is the President of The Neoliberal Corporation, a think tank, research, publishing, academic and digital creation company that provides writing, web services, search engine optimization, & other digital services.