When an individual is released from prison, only to relapse into criminal behaviour and be sent back behind bars, it’s known as the “revolving prison door.” In Australia, it’s estimated that over 50% of incarcerated people re-offend within two years and end up back in prison. In the US, that number is estimated to be as high as 75%. 

My guest today is Human Rights Activist Martin Hodgson. Martin works relentlessly, pro-bono, to get incarcerated people in Australia out of prison and away from a life of crime. In his 20-year career, not a single one of his clients has ever re-offended. Martin joins me to discuss how he helps to get his clients back on their feet - and stay on their feet.

Links:
https://www.instagram.com/martinghodgson
https://curtainthepodcast.wordpress.com

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In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Zodiac Killer terrorized the Bay Area of Northern California, murdering at least five people. He toyed with law enforcement officials, leaving clues about his identity in letters and cipher codes he sent to local newspapers. To this day, the case remains unsolved.

Tom Voight was a kid growing up in Southern California when the Zodiac was active, and he lived in fear of the killer's next move. In 1998, Tom launched the only Zodiac Killer website recognized by law enforcement. In this episode, he shares why the case has kept him captivated all these years.

Links:
https://zodiackiller.com
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/zodiackillerfr
https://www.youtube.com/@tomvoigt

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On the 26th of January 1999, Sam Riggio’s life took an unexpected turn. A routine drive through his hometown turned into a catastrophic collision when a truck merged into his lane. Sam was left with a dislocated skull, shattered pelvis, broken ankle, ruptured spleen and stomach, lacerated liver and a punctured lung. Paralyzed from the neck down, medical staff told him he would never walk again. 

Please join Sam and I for this week’s episode of Unfiltered, as he shares his miraculous story of recovery, defying all the odds to walk again. 

Links:
Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation - https://www.pcsrf.org.au

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In 2015, Netflix released a 10-part documentary series, Making A Murderer, that explores the 2005 Manitowoc area homicide of 25-year-old photographer Theresa Hallback and the convictions of Stephen Avery and Brendan Dassey. The series became a true crime cult classic, leaving a lot of viewers with an overwhelming sensation that Stephen Avery had been framed.

But then, in 2023, director Shawn Rech created a response piece titled Convicting a Murderer. Today, I’m joined by Shawn Rech and Brenda Schuler, who features in the series, to discuss documentary ethics and an alternate version of the case against Stephen Avery.

Links:
https://www.dailywire.com/show/convicting-a-murderer

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On the 19th of November 2023, I got my first response to the call-out I extend at the end of some of our episodes, asking for personal stories from listeners related to justice and transformation. 

Erika Schlotthauer, a licensed psychotherapist, answered the call and is ready to share her story publicly for the first time. 

Please join Erika and I for this week’s episode of Unfiltered as we plunge into the gray areas of experiences intertwined with trauma, exploring the unanswerable questions that shape our lives.

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Here’s a staggering reality: The United States, with only about 5% of the world's population, holds 25% of the world's prisoners. This raises a critical question: Does the US prison system perpetuate the oppressive legacy of slavery?

In hopes of some perspective, I’m joined by James Nelson, an abolitionist who, at just 19 years old, was sentenced to life in prison for a murder he didn't commit. Now a free man, James shares his insights on why abolition is not just a vision but a viable path forward.

Links:
Dignity and Power Now

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Did you know that Venezuela is experiencing what has been described as the worst economic and humanitarian crisis ever recorded in Latin America? A combination of political turmoil, inflation, soaring crime rates and food shortages has left more than 7.71 million Venezuelans displaced since 2014.

Today, documentary filmmaker Bruna Curcio provides insight into the crisis from a ground-level perspective. 


Links:
Production: https://www.brunacurcio.com
Projeto Reghid: https://gcrf-reghid.com
Film: https://www.youtube.com/@brunacurciofilmes

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Today’s Unfiltered guest is Carrie Bell, a woman whose story of transformation begins in Pasadena, California. After Carrie’s parents separated when she was five years old, she turned to the streets in search of a family. This eventually led her down a path she never intended to follow, one that involved dealing drugs and committing crimes - anything to keep herself afloat. It got to a point where Carrie was spending the majority of her time in jail, never home for longer than a six-month stretch. 

But against all odds, Carrie completely turned her life around. Tune in to see how. 

Links:
www.urban-alchemy.us

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On the 21st of August 1971, George Jackson, founder of the Black Guerrilla Family prison gang, was assassinated by a prison guard. Three guards and two other inmates were also killed. No one knows exactly what occurred that day, but six inmates were indicted for various crimes, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnap, possession of firearms, and escape. Those inmates came to be known as the San Quentin Six.    

Trial lawyer Richard Zitrin’s first-ever client was Johnny Spain, one of the San Quentin Six defendants. Richard joins me for this episode of Unfiltered to share his perspective on the case and the events that occurred on that fateful day.

Links:
 
Trial Lawyer: A Life Representing People Against Power

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Pyromania is an impulse control disorder which causes individuals to start fires deliberately. Unlike arsonists, pyromaniacs don’t light fires for personal or financial gain. They do so to release tension or gain pleasure.

Reunald Jones III claims to have started more than 300 fires throughout Los Angeles County between 1986 and 1990. He was arrested on February 5th, 1990, and sentenced to 14 years in prison. 

Here, Reunald speaks candidly about his motives behind starting the fires and explains how, back in the ’80s, his criminal mind turned him into a self-proclaimed menace to society.

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