Justice Voices

Arts & Culture Podcasts

We can do better. Listen and have your eyes opened: • See criminal justice reality and needed reforms through real-life stories of people with lived experience with crime on both sides of the law. • Learn about practical solutions for breaking the...

Location:

United States

Genres:

Arts & Culture Podcasts

True Crime

Description:

We can do better. Listen and have your eyes opened: • See criminal justice reality and needed reforms through real-life stories of people with lived experience with crime on both sides of the law. • Learn about practical solutions for breaking the cycle of crime, achieving healing for victims, and building safer communities. Hosted by David Risley, former career federal prosecutor and former Director of Public Safety Policy in the Illinois Governor's Office. Co-hosting many episodes is Lynard Joiner, who went to prison for 17 years in a case prosecuted by Mr. Risley, and who is now Executive Director of Shifting Into New Gear (SING), delivering reentry services and support to people returning to society after release from prison. What Makes Us Unique • Unexpected Partnership: The partnership of Mr. Risley and Mr. Joiner, who first met on opposite sides of a federal courtroom on opposite sides of the law, enables listeners to get the real story from both perspectives and demonstrates the power of forgiveness and healing. • Beyond Theory: We bring you raw, honest stories from people who've lived through incarceration, police our streets, experienced victimization, live in high-crime communities, or work daily in the justice system—paired with concrete examples of cost-effective problem-solving that actually work. • New Vision of Justice: Instead of legal and social barriers amounting to permanent punishment, we showcase successful reentry programs, community-driven approaches to healing trauma as both a cause and effect of crime, crime prevention, problem-solving courts, and restorative practices that help both victims and offenders rebuild their lives. Featured Topics • Life before and inside prison • Life after prison: challenges, barriers, and successes • Restorative justice in action • Effective, community-centered solutions • Victim healing and offender accountability • Trauma-informed approaches to crime prevention • Criminal justice policy reform Justice Voices is essential listening for concerned citizens, policy-makers, justice professionals, community leaders, and anyone interested in how we can create safer communities by shifting from a punishment approach to justice to a problem-solving approach.

Language:

English

Website:

https://justicevoices.org

Episodes

Ep. 25: Healing Trauma in High Crime Communities

6/3/2025

Healing from trauma and helping others heal from trauma in the high crime community of East St. Louis, Illinois, Skyla Pawnell and Gloria Hicks share their powerful stories of transformation from being victims to community healers.

Duration:00:48:21

Ep. 24: Breaking free from addiction and a cycle of crime and jail

1/7/2025

Rickey Brown shares his story of breaking free from an addiction-driven cycle of crime and jail. He graphically describes what it is like to see the world through the eyes of an addict.

Duration:01:28:00

Ep. 23: From 9 Times in Prison to Prison Guard–Rachelle Conley

11/2/2024

Exploitation of women in prison by prison guards--the problem and solutions. Rachelle Conley shares her eye-opening story of being incarcerated nine times to becoming a correctional officer. Rachelle presents a vivid narrative of her challenging childhood, struggles with addiction, and the systemic exploitation and personal obstacles she faced within the prison system.

Duration:01:19:30

Ep. 22: Faith Coalition–Restorative Justice and Justice in Healthcare

8/19/2024

Restorative justice and justice in healthcare: two aspects of the justice mission of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good in Springfield, Illinois. This episode features a conversation between host David Risley and three guests from the Faith Coalition: Tyshianna Bankhead (executive director); Vanessa Knox (transformational justice chair); and Quonie Barney (transformational justice community organizer).

Duration:00:48:25

Ep. 21: Turning a High Crime Community Around — Deana Perez

5/27/2024

How can a high crime community turn around and what does it take to make that happen? Deana Perez of Bright Star Community Outreach discusses the TURN model as a big part of the answer.

Duration:00:57:35

Ep. 20: Pastor Chris Harris — Bright Star Community Outreach and TURN Model for Safer Communities

1/26/2024

Pastor Chris Harris speaks about Bright Star Community Outreach, NATAL training, the TURN Center in Bronzeville in south Chicago, and the TURN Model of coalition building to reduce trauma and build safer communities.

Duration:00:34:39

Ep. 19: Problem-Solving Courts – Video Conversation With Judge Jeff Ford

1/17/2024

Judge Jeff Ford (ret.), a pioneer of problem-solving courts and past president of the Illinois Association of Problem-Solving Courts, provides an inside look into this growing approach to criminal justice and explains his experience with creating and managing problem-solving courts in Champaign County in central Illinois.

Duration:01:11:45

Ep. 18 – Virgia Brewer: From Decades of Abuse and Trauma to Present Happiness (What Made the Difference)

12/29/2023

Virgia Brewer. To meet this wonderful woman today, you would have no idea she is a survivor of decades of abuse and trauma, beginning as a sexually exploited child – exploited and abused by family members no less, beginning at age seven. Now she is happy. Hear what made the difference.

Duration:01:10:19

Ep. 17: Lenore Anderson – Victims’ Rights and the Future of Public Safety

3/9/2023

Lenore Anderson discusses the connection between victims' rights and public safety, and how increasing services for victims can reduce crime.

Duration:00:30:13

Ep. 16 (excerpts) – Lisa Daniels: A Mother Who Forgave Her Son’s Killer and Lives Restorative Justice

1/30/2023

Lisa Daniels: Finding Healing Through Restorative Practices Lisa Daniels transformed her grief into purpose after forgiving her son’s killer. As founder of the Darren B. Easterling Center for Restorative Practices, —named after her son—she embodies the principles of restorative justice and the forgiveness teachings from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. Through her powerful story, Lisa […]

Duration:00:16:50

Ep. 16 – Lisa Daniels: A mother who forgave her son’s killer and lives restorative justice

1/21/2023

Lisa Daniels lives the principles of restorative justice as a mother who forgave her son's killer and asked for leniency at his sentencing.

Duration:01:41:52

Ep. 15: Christmas Reflections on Criminal Justice and Punishment

12/23/2022

On the eve of Christmas, David Risley challenges both the philosophical and moral underpinnings of our prevailing approach to criminal justice and punishment.

Duration:00:10:32

Ep 14 Part 2: Michael Tafolla

11/17/2022

Part 2 of Michael Tafolla's story and his message about trauma, violence, transformation, and restorative justice.

Duration:00:49:00

Ep. 14 – Michael Tafolla

11/9/2022

Michael Tafolla shares part 1 of his story of childhood trauma from chronic victimization by gang-related gun violence and how as a teenager he became what he feared when he took up the gun, leading him to prison for murder, where he changed his life.

Duration:00:59:47

Ep. 13 – Pastor Jennifer Stephens

10/29/2022

Pastor Jennifer Stephens shares her story of experiencing the trauma of victimization, self-medication with alcohol, jail and prison, support from church and family, reentry to community life after release, barriers faced because of her felony record – amounting to permanent punishment – resource recommendations for formerly incarcerated people in the Chicago area, her path to the ministry in the United Methodist Church, lessons learned, and her concluding message to the public about how to view formerly incarcerated citizens.

Duration:01:14:23

Ep. 12: Eddie Bocanegra of READI Chicago – A Video Interview

11/3/2021

Eddie Bocanegra Video: His Journey from Gang Violence to READI Chicago Eddie Bocanegra grew up in Little Village on Chicago’s west side. His neighborhood felt like a combat zone. At 14, Eddie joined a street gang for protection, identity, belonging, and respect. By 18, he went to prison for a gang-related murder committed in retaliation […]

Duration:01:21:19

Ep. 11: Reality (Allah) Lovett

10/5/2021

From a public safety policy and justice reform standpoint, this is one of the most important episodes of Justice Voices published to date. Richard Lovett, who prefers to go by the name Reality Allah, is the Reentry Coordinator for READI Chicago and a board member of the Fully Free campaign of Heartland Alliance. After Reality […]

Duration:01:08:09

Ep. 10: Willette Benford, Chair of Fully Free campaign

9/20/2021

Willette Benford is Board Chair of the Fully Free campaign of Heartland Alliance. In this episode she tells the story of how she was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison, developed a transformational relationship with God, worked while in prison to improve her life and the lives of others around her, was released […]

Duration:00:45:16

Ep. 9: Cedric Frison of the Fully Free campaign and READI-Chicago

9/13/2021

Cedrick Frison shares wisdom gained from the hard lessons of living life on the streets of the west side of Chicago, including the effects of drug use, the trauma of living with violence both at home and on the street, and going to prison nine times before breaking free from that cycle and becoming the […]

Duration:00:46:38

Ep. 8: Fully Free campaign of Heartland Alliance

9/6/2021

The Fully Free campaign of Heartland Alliance aims to end “permanent punishment” for people seeking to lead law-abiding lives after release from prison. Campaign manager Marlon Chamberlain (whose personal story was featured in Episode 7) shares his personal experience and describes examples of laws creating barriers for employment, housing, education, and professional licensing, which he […]

Duration:00:29:31