The Returning Citizen

Jacob Evan Smith speaks with entrepreneur Robert Gardner about childhood trauma, the terrible decision that landed him in prison for 22.5 years, and his long and winding path to self-discovery and forgiveness while incarcerated. Today, Robert owns a growing trucking business and courageously shares his story to inspire others, including a recent invitation to address students at Princeton University.

Summarizing Robert’s advice for those transitioning out of prison: Stay resilient. Stay proactive. Develop a vision for yourself. Know that prison doesn't define who you are. Follow the 5 P’s to Success: Persistent Practice Prevents Poor Performance. We all possess value. Stay the course!

Recorded January 27, 2024 at APX Studios in Royal Oak, MI

Theme Music: Matthew Greenberg

What would happen if ex-offenders, law enforcement, and legal professionals joined forces, using restorative justice to fight against over-incarceration and high recidivism rates? Meet House of Life Pittsburgh, a group doing just that with their innovative prisoner reentry program. Central to their mission, the organization is led by a group of passionate returning citizens, which allows them to capitalize on the strengths of those that have already achieved success upon reentering society.

In this episode, we speak with Ricky Lee Olds, Executive Director for House of Life Pittsburgh, who spent 40 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, and Lou Gentile, a member of the Executive Committee and former Director of The Bureau of Narcotics for Pennsylvania who spent more than 27 years in law enforcement. Ricky and Lou dive into their unlikely relationship, the inspiration behind House of Life, and their ambitious vision looking forward.

Ed Kressy has come a long way since his days as a struggling meth addict, losing everything as he bounced in and out of jail. Through a long and winding journey, he was finally able to overcome his addiction, turn his life around, and fulfill his childhood dream of publishing a book (link below). Today, in addition to his writing, Ed is a speaker and volunteer whose work serves addicts and people with criminal histories.

Tragically, Ed's story is far from unique. Roughly 1 in 5 incarcerated people is locked up for a drug offense, with ~450,000 incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses at any given time (see: prisonpolicy.org). In this episode, we dig into:

- Ed's story about overcoming addiction

- What he hopes to accomplish with his new book ("My Addiction & Recovery")

- Tackling misconceptions around addiction

- The power of entrepreneurship to empower returning citizens

- Recommendations for those suffering from addiction today

Visit https://www.thereturningcitizen.org/ for more info

When we think about criminal justice reform, voting is an essential piece of the puzzle. But for folks who have spent time in prison... it’s complicated. Your voting rights are often stripped while incarcerated, and in certain situations, this disenfranchisement can be permanent. In this episode, we explore this issue in detail to make sure returning citizens and criminal justice allies know their rights leading into this upcoming election season and beyond.

More details at https://www.thereturningcitizen.org/

When folks transition out of prison, there are many obstacles ahead--finding a job, securing housing, conquering stigma, and so much more. For the past 13 years, The Here to Help Foundation has provided direct support to Detroit area residents facing emergencies. In this episode, we focus mainly on their newest initiative “Returning Hope to Returning Citizens,” which offers a wide range of support services to folks as they return from prison into the community.

A summary of programs and links can be found at http://thereturningcitizen.org

Finding a job can be a daunting task for returning citizens for all types of reasons-- gaps in work experience, lack of resources, stigma, and so much more. In this episode, we sit down with a team that’s in the trenches every day, hitting this challenge head-on. The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) has been operating for 20+ years, providing transitional employment services for formerly incarcerated individuals. They now operate in 26 Cities across 9 States, serving 8,000+ annually, and notably, launched in Detroit in 2018!

Guests:

- Margrit Allen - CEO Detroit Director

- Nina Hicks - CEO Job Coach

- Lionel William - CEO Program participant

You can learn more about CEO at http://ceoworks.org and reach them at (313) 752-0680. Find interviewee info and links for all mentioned programs at http://thereturningcitizen.org

At age 16, Jeff Deskovic's life turned upside down when he was wrongfully convicted for the rape and murder of a classmate. After 16 long years in prison, he was finally exonerated and released, cleared of all charges. Today, Jeff is the Founder of The Deskovic Foundation, committed to the prevention of wrongful convictions and the reintegration of exonerees. In this episode, we explore what happened to Jeff, why wrongful convictions are so common, and what we can do about it. We end with concrete action steps for those who want to help as well as some pragmatic advice for those currently serving time for wrongful convictions.

Wrongful convictions are painfully common. The US National Registry of Exonerations recognizes over 1,600 wrongful convictions since 1989, and a Wayne State University study estimates ~10,000 wrongful convictions per year. After release, exonerees face many of the same challenges as other returning citizens, including social stigma, lack of job readiness, and financial instability. Worse, they are often unable to take advantage of resources dedicated to reintegration assistance, and in many cases, they are not compensated for their wrongful conviction.

Want to help wrongfully convicted prisoners? Please donate to the Deskovic Foundation: deskovicfoundation.org/donate

Find interviewee contact info and links for all mentioned programs at thereturningcitizen.org

When women return from prison, they face some unique challenges as compared to their male counterparts. Even though women are the fastest growing segment of the prison population, there are few programs designed specifically for women after their release. In this episode, Jacob, Erik, and Imani sit down with Michelle Smart and Robin McArdle from Bags to Butterflies in Detroit to discuss their particularly creative solution for keeping women out of prison: empowerment through the creation and sales of gorgeous, handmade, wooden purses.

But Bags to Butterflies is so much more than a purse company. Through employment, training, support resources, and a loving community, they are working hard to ensure that every single woman in the program stays out of prison for good.

Recorded January 28, 2018 at Podcast Detroit in Royal Oak, MI

Find interviewee contact info and links for all mentioned programs at http://thereturningcitizen.org

Finding a job can be a major challenge for men and women coming out of prison. For some, entrepreneurship can provide a path to take control of their situation and create their own opportunities. In this episode, Jacob, Erik, and Imani sit down with Karlos Harris (COO, DSDT & Founder, Koded Icons) and Stephan Franklin (Founder, Motor City Media Group), both Detroit-based entrepreneurs who started their own businesses after serving substantial time behind bars. We touch on how they got started, what it's like to run a business, the value of personal branding, and why hustlers have all the skills they need to become great entrepreneurs.

Find interviewee contact info and links for all mentioned programs at http://thereturningcitizen.org

Jacob and Imani sit down with Aaron Kinzel to discuss how he went from serving a 10-year prison sentence to teaching about criminology and criminal justice as a professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. In his words, "I know everything there is to know about crime. I don't need to read a book about criminology... I lived it since I was a child." He sheds light on how a lifetime of bad influences and terrible decisions landed him in prison, what he did to get his life together after his release, and the opportunity our society has to think differently about redemption for violent criminals.

Find interviewee contact info and links for all mentioned programs at http://thereturningcitizen.org