S2 | EP 6: UPDATE: ASHLEY JACKSON + FATHER, ORRIN JACKSON ~ EMPATHY, JUSTICE & REUNIFICATION AFTER 30+ YEARS

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series⭐

WELCOME to Season 2 of the WE GOT US NOW Podcast series HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

For our 4th annual #KeepFamiliesConnected multimedia campaign series that runs from Mother's Day through Father's Day this year WE will highlight directly impacted advocates as well as allies in the work to reform the criminal legal system and create a fair and just society that seeks to keep families connected.

S2 | EP 6: UPDATE: ASHLEY JACKSON + FATHER, ORRIN JACKSON ~ EMPATHY, JUSTICE & REUNIFICATION AFTER 30+ YEARS

Ashley Jackson is a Charlotte, North Carolina native and the only child of father, Orrin Jackson. She has been relentless in her advocacy to bring her father home after decades of separation. During the first season of the WE GOT US NOW Podcast, WE highlighted her story where Ashley shared, "My Father has spent more time IN prison than he has been alive." 

A few weeks after the episode aired and right before Father's Day 2021, her father, Orrin Jackson, her Uncle, Cecil Jackson and Cousin, Eric Whitener ALL received reduced sentences from 98 to 145 years to TIME SERVED from federal prison after 31 years of incarceration due to Ashley and her family's staunch advocacy and persistence. 

In 2022, they epitomize what the meaning of a Second Chance can look like for a daughter, a father, a family and a community as the Dream Corps Justice North Carolina Empathy Network Leaders. Together, they hosted the North Carolina Dream Corps Justice #DayofEmpathy ~ an event that consisted of three different sessions centering on Expression, Impact and Community from the experiences and voices of the directly impacted. Today, Ashley and Orrin are leading the charge, as subject matter experts, from North Carolina on the importance of the proposed EQUAL ACT by educating and informing legislators and policymakers.  

This EPISODE is one NOT TO BE MISSED!   

#WeGotUsNow 🌍 #AshleyJackson #OrrinJackson #ReunificationCelebration #ActionistinAction #FortheKids #DreamCorpsJustice  #FortheFuture #SecondChances #ChildrenwithIncarceratedParents #ParentsBehindBars #WeGotUsNowCommunity #WeGotUsNowAllies #WeGotUsNowPodcast

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org | Instagram @WE_GOTUSNOW | Twitter: @WE_GOTUSNOW

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series⭐

WELCOME to Season 2 of the WE GOT US NOW Podcast series. HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

For our 4th annual #KeepFamiliesConnected multimedia campaign series that runs from Mother's Day through Father's Day this year WE will highlight directly impacted advocates as well as allies in the work to reform the criminal legal system and create a fair and just society that seeks to keep families connected.

S2 | EP 5: ERIC GONZALEZ ~ Trailblazing Justice in Communities | First Latino Brooklyn District Attorney in New York State

️Eric Gonzalez made history in November 2017 when he became the first Latino District Attorney elected in New York State. He had been appointed Acting District Attorney by Governor Andrew Cuomo a year earlier following the tragic death of his predecessor, the late Ken Thompson, for whom Gonzalez had served as Chief Assistant District Attorney.

️Since his appointment to lead the office, DA Gonzalez has implemented his own trailblazing initiatives, including bail reform, a Young Adult Court, expansion of non-prosecution of marijuana possession, a pre-court diversion program for low-level drug offenders and a policy to reduce unfair immigration consequences in criminal cases.

Following his swearing in as District Attorney, Gonzalez launched a ground-breaking initiative known as Justice 2020, to help him carry out his vision of keeping Brooklyn safe and strengthening trust in our justice system by ensuring fairness and equal justice for all. Justice 2020 consists of a 17-point action plan – created by a committee of criminal justice reform experts, defense groups, service providers, law enforcement, formerly incarcerated individuals, clergy and community leaders – to make the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office a national model of what a progressive prosecutor’s office can be. This blueprint aims to transform the work of Gonzalez’s office by shifting toward preventative and accountability solutions with a track record of success, and away from over-reliance on criminal convictions and incarceration.

DA Gonzalez grew up in East New York and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and attended John Dewey High School in Coney Island. He graduated from Cornell University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a dual major in government and history. In 1995, he received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was president of the Latino Law Students Association.

#WeGotUsNow 🌍 #DAEricGonzalez #BrooklynDA #FortheKids #FairandJustProsecution #FortheFuture #ChildrenwithIncarceratedParents #ParentsBehindBars #WeGotUsNowCommunity #WeGotUsNowAllies #WeGotUsNowPodcast

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org | Instagram @WE_GOTUSNOW | Twitter: @WE_GOTUSNOW

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series ⭐

WELCOME to Season 2 of the WE GOT US NOW Podcast series. HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

For our 4th annual #KeepFamiliesConnected multimedia campaign series that runs from Mother's Day through Father's Day this year WE will highlight directly impacted advocates as well as allies in the work to reform the criminal legal system and create a fair and just society that seeks to keep families connected.

S2 | EP 4: CHRISTINE NORBUT BEYER ~ POWERFUL FAMILIES, POWERFUL COMMUNITIES

Christine Norbut Beyer, MSW has been Commissioner of the NJ Department of Children and Families since 2018. She is redefining the agency as a prevention-focused, child and family serving department, with a vision to help keep all New Jerseyans safe, healthy and connected. Under her leadership, the Department of Children and Families has reduced out of home removals and made historic investments in children's mental health. Some of her ground-breaking initiatives include, preventing maltreatment and promoting strong families pioneering constituent voices including amplifying youth voices, increasing kinship and familiar placements, supporting evidence-based, data-driven contracting; reducing staff safety incidents; evolving the integrated, inclusive system of care for children with behavioral and developmental diagnoses; promoting ACEs prevention, and transforming child welfare. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Beyer served as a Senior Director and Strategic Consultant at Casey Family Programs, a national child welfare foundation, focused on improving outcomes for children and families. In her capacity as a national child welfare consultant, she supported the efforts of public child welfare agencies, the judiciary and governors in creating better outcomes for at-risk children and families and had the opportunity to delve deeply into the areas of brain science, ACEs, and trauma-informed care and the intersection with child welfare. These are policy areas she continues to pursue at the Department of Children and Families. Commissioner Beyer and her staff at NJ DCF is an ally of WE GOT US NOW.

#WeGotUsNow #ChristineNorbutBeyer #NJDCF #NJCommissioner #DepartmentofChildrenandFamilies  #ChildWelfareSystem #PowerfulFamiliesPowerfulCommunities  #FortheKids #FortheFuture #ChildrenwithIncarceratedParents #KinshipCare  #ParentsBehindBars #WeGotUsNowCommunity  #WeGotUsNowAllies #WeGotUsNowPodcast

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org | Instagram @WE_GOTUSNOW | Twitter: @WE_GOTUSNOW

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series ⭐

WELCOME to Season 2 of the WE GOT US NOW Podcast series. HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

For our 4th annual #KeepFamiliesConnected multimedia campaign series that runs from Mother's Day through Father's Day this year WE will highlight directly impacted advocates as well as allies in the work to reform the criminal legal system and create a fair and just society that seeks to keep families connected.

S2 | EP 3: DR. ALEXANDRIA PECH, PH.D ~ Centering BIPOC Women + Girls in Research 

Dr. Alexandria Pech, Ph.D is a researcher and WE GOT US NOW Actionist from the inaugural cohort. She is a First Generation Latina Doctora. She graduated in MAY 2022 as a Doctor of Philosophy with a Ph.D in Family Studies and Human Development at The University of Arizona. She represents 3% of Latinas with a doctoral degree. She is a child of a formerly incarcerated parent and has experienced a parent in prison for more than half of her life.  For her dissertation research study, she has conducted the Adolescent Girls of Color, Identity & Familial Incarceration study. The study centers adolescent Black and Brown cisgender and transgender girls experiencing parental and familial incarceration. Her research interests include: Youth Participatory Action Research; Adolescent development among youth of color, particularly those with incarcerated parents; using Critical Race Theory; and using counterstory methodology. She has been a leading voice and advocate for children and young adults with incarcerated parents in the states of Arizona and California.

#WeGotUsNow #AlexandriaPech #DrPech #DirectlyImpactedScholar #FortheKids #FortheFuture #ChildrenwithIncarceratedParents #ProtectOurParents #ParentsBehindBars #WeGotUsNowPodcast

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org | Instagram @WE_GOTUSNOW | Twitter @WE_GOTUSNOW

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series ⭐

WELCOME to Season 2 of the WE GOT US NOW Podcast HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

S2| EP2: ANYE YOUNG - LIFE, SCHOOL + SELF PUBLISHED AUTHOR

Anyé Young is a courageous youth advocate for prison reform best known for the book she self-published when she was 16 years old: Teen Guide to Living With Incarcerated Parents (#TGLWIP). Since the release of her book, Young has shared her story and experiences as a child with a father serving a 12-year prison sentence — for a non-violent offense under mandatory minimum laws — to help teens in similar situations overcome the shame they may feel due to social stigma. She offers #TGLWIP as a guide for teenagers, like her, who are determined to succeed in life no matter the circumstances. Young continues to share her story along with lessons learned while coping with the challenges of life away from her father and in a single-parent home. She was awarded a 4-year tuition scholarship at the University of Southern California and is currently a rising junior. She majors in Dramatic Arts. She was also awarded a $10,000 scholarship to help cover some of her college expenses. This scholarship was presented to her by ScholarChips and funded in whole by The Family Foundation in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

#AnyeYoung #WeGotUsNow #TGLWIP #FortheKids #FortheFuture #ChildrewithIncarceratedParents #ProtectOurParents #ParentsBehindBars #WeGotUsNowPodcast #WeGotUsNowCommunity

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org | Instagram @WE_GOTUSNOW | Twitter @WE_GOTUSNOW

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series ⭐

WELCOME to Season 2 of the WE GOT US NOW Podcast series. HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

For our 4th annual #KeepFamiliesConnected multimedia campaign series that runs from Mother's Day through Father's Day this year WE will highlight directly impacted advocates as well as allies in the work to reform the criminal legal system and create a fair and just society that seeks to keep families connected.

S2 | EP 1: ISABEL CORONADO ~ Disrupting Systemic Oppression for Children and Families 

Isabel Coronado a daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, a policy expert and researcher is on a mission to bring awareness and solutions to the issues impacting children of incarcerated parents and the mass incarceration of Native American people. She works as a Research Scholar in the Litmus program at NYU’s Marron Institute, where she coordinates the Family-Based Justice Center, a national technical-assistance center that helps localities, states, and tribal nations create programs to keep families together through comprehensive services instead of sending parents or primary caregivers to prison. Prior to her research work at NYU, Isabel was a Policy Entrepreneur at the NEXT 100 where she researched, advocated for, and wrote an original policy proposal on behalf of children who experience parental incarceration. Prior to that, she helped create the American Indian Criminal Justice Navigation Council (AICJNC), a nonprofit in Oklahoma aimed at reducing recidivism among tribal members and helping reduce the trauma family members endure as a result. At AICJNC, Isabel served as deputy director. Isabel was selected by the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute as a 2018 Champions for Change recipient, Mvskoke Women’s Leadership as the 2019 College Student of the Year, and by Mvskoke Youth Council as the 2020 Youth Visionary in promoting civic engagement. Isabel received her BS in 2017 from Northeastern State University, and her master’s of public health with an emphasis on rural and underserved populations from Oklahoma State University in 2019.

#IsabelCoronado #WeGotUsNow #FortheKids #FortheFuture #ChildrewithIncarceratedParents #ProtectOurParents #ParentsBehindBars #WeGotUsNowPodcast

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org | Instagram @WE_GOTUSNOW | Twitter @WE_GOTUSNOW

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected series  
HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

WE GOT US NOW  #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series⁠. HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

AMIRA ⭐ CAMAYA ⭐ KA'MIYA :

The Cost Of Connection 

In this sixth episode of the #KeepFamiliesConnected campaign series. WE spotlight (3) Eleven year old girls from our  WE GOT US NOW Jr Actionist leaders community,  AMIRA, CAMAY & KA'MIYA give in-depth accounts about their personal experiences of having a parent behind bars, the cost of staying connected to their incarcerated parents emotionally, physically and financially and the POWERFUL solutions they each offer to decision makers about supporting children with incarcerated parents. This incredibly moving conversation is NOT TO BE MISSED!

GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org to LEARN MORE!!

Featured guests:  #AmiraCamayaKamiya  #21stCenturyLeaders  #JrActionist 

#WeGotUsNowPodcast 

#KeepFamiliesConnectedseries 

#FortheKids #FortheFuture  #WeGotUsNowCommunity

#ParentsBehindBars  #KeepFamiliesConnectedseries #TheCostofConnection  #ChildrewithIncarceratedParents

#ThePOWERofWE 

WE GOT US NOW
#KeepFamiliesConnected series:

HOSTED by Ebony Underwood

In this fifth episode, WE spotlight father @antoine.digital and daughter @jayjay.digital and their remarkable story of turning a negative into a positive by utilizing tech to bridge families together through their nonprofit, PhotoPatchFoundation and their educational tech academy, @Unlock.Academy

Antoine, a formerly incarcerated dad, was sentenced to 8 years in prison at the tender age of 20 years old. He left his 3-year old daughter, Jay Jay, behind and was troubled by the challenges of prison communications and staying connected to his daughter.

While incarcerated Antoine took the opportunity to pursue higher education to learn software development and coding. Once home, Antoine decided to bring solutions to the disconnect he encountered while incarcerated and he and his 12-year daughter, Jay Jay launched the PhotoPatch App, a unique nonprofit app allowing youth to communicate with their incarcerated parents FOR FREE!

Antoine Digital & Jay Jay Digital are inspiring leaders in the tech space as a Daddy Daughter duo who have impacted the lives of over 25,000 children and families affected by mass incarceration that have benefitted from Photo Patch App. Today, they are teaching youth and adults how to code with their educational tech academy, UNLOCK.ACADEMY.

This is a MUST LISTEN to Episode POWERED by #OpenPhilanthropyProject

WE GOT US NOW #KeepFamiliesConnected series:  

Pete's journey of turning pain to power is a motivating one for young people who have been impacted by parental incarceration and incarcerated or formerly incarcerated parents.

This MUST LISTEN to episode is POWERED by Odyssey Impact.

#WeGotUsNow #RunForHisLife  #R4HL #KeepFamiliesConnectedseries #FortheFuture #FortheKids #massincarceration #OdysseyImpact #ChildrenwithIncarceratedParents #ProtectOurParents  #ParentsBehindBars #WeGotUsNowPodcast

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.WEGOTUSNOW.org