The Weight of a Second Chance: Joyette Holmes on Parole, Justice, and a Career of Firsts

The Weight of a Second Chance: Joyette Holmes on Parole, Justice, and a Career of Firsts

Five people decide when someone comes home. Joyette Holmes is one of them. In this episode of Justice Unfiltered, host Tug Cowart sits down with Joyette Holmes, Chair of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, for an honest conversation about second chances, the weight of parole decisions, and a career built on firsts. Daniel Matalon, CEO of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds, was unable to join in studio for this one. A Valdosta native appointed to the parole board by Governor Brian Kemp, Holmes has held nearly every seat in Georgia's justice system: public defender, prosecutor, chief magistrate judge, and Cobb County District Attorney, where she became the first Black woman and first woman to hold both roles. In September 2025, she became the second Black woman ever to chair the state parole board. Tug and Joyette get into what the board actually does (everything happens after a conviction, there is no formula, and in Georgia parole is not a right), why real second chances take a whole community of employers, treatment providers, and partners like A 2nd Chance, and why something as small as a backpack can change a kid's path. Holmes also opens up about leading the early stages of the Ahmaud Arbery prosecution, why she had to remove public sentiment to get it right for the family, and a story of forgiveness that stuck with her. It's a warm, honest, and genuinely joyful conversation about service, redemption, and the people behind the decisions. Hosted by Tug Cowart and Daniel Matalon, CEO of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds and A 2nd Chance Monitoring. Listen to ALL episodes of the Justice Unfiltered Podcast here: https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/ [https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/] See omnystudio.com/listener [http://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information. Atlanta's ONLY All Conservative News & Talk Station.: https://www.xtra1063.com/ [https://www.xtra1063.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Breaking the Code of Silence: Dr. Kareem Puranda on Trauma, Cops, and Second Chances

> He wore a badge for eight years. Then a jail cell changed everything. > In this episode of Justice Unfiltered, host Tug Cowart and Daniel Matalon of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds sit down with Dr. Kareem Puranda, a former police officer turned licensed clinical mental health counselor, author of Breaking the Code of Silence, and founder of the nonprofit Achieving Success on Purpose. > > Puranda grew up in the Bronx, played championship college football, and spent eight years on patrol in Salisbury, North Carolina, before an indictment over a use-of-force incident landed him in a holding cell. That moment redirected his entire life. He opened Self-Talk Counseling and Consulting in 2017 and now works with people on both sides of the law. > > In this conversation, Puranda unpacks the unwritten "code of silence" that keeps officers from admitting they are struggling, the doctoral research where all twelve officers he interviewed named the same barrier (their own leadership), and why he believes police officers and people who get arrested often share the same root: survival mode and unhealed trauma. He also offers practical, no-nonsense advice for first responders who want help but fear the fallout. > > The episode closes where the show always does, on second chances. Puranda explains "borrowed belief," the work he does with at-risk youth, and why one person showing up at the right moment can break a cycle. Honest, raw, and full of hope. > > Hosted by Tug Cowart and Daniel Matalon, CEO of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds and A 2nd Chance Monitoring. > > Listen to ALL episodes of the Justice Unfiltered Podcast here: https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/ [https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/] > > See omnystudio.com/listener [http://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information. Atlanta's ONLY All Conservative News & Talk Station.: https://www.xtra1063.com/ [https://www.xtra1063.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Local Elections Matter More Than You Think: Mo Ivory on Fixing Fulton County's Justice System

> Description:  > In this episode of Justice Unfiltered, host Tug Cowart and Daniel Matalon of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds sit down with Mo Ivory, attorney, law professor, and Democratic candidate for Fulton County Commission Chair. Mo brings her unique blend of media experience, legal expertise, and grassroots activism to a candid conversation about why local elections matter more than anyone realizes. > > We discuss the real impact of underfunded courts and jail overcrowding on everyday people, how social media is misleading young people into bad choices, and why changing the culture of the Fulton County Commission starts with transparency and accountability. Mo shares the story behind her iconic "Mo Voting Party Bus" initiative, which has moved over 12,000 students to the polls, and explains how she plans to bring real policy solutions to one of Georgia's most critical government roles. > > Whether you're facing charges, working through the justice system, or just trying to understand why local government actually matters for your daily life, this episode delivers straight talk from someone committed to real change. > > Listen to ALL episodes of the Justice Unfiltered Podcast here: https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/ [https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/] > > See omnystudio.com/listener [http://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information. Atlanta's ONLY All Conservative News & Talk Station.: https://www.xtra1063.com/ [https://www.xtra1063.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The 92% Problem: Rep. Martin Momtahan on Georgia Housing Affordability

What if five investors owned almost every rental home in your neighborhood? In one Georgia district, Rep. Martin Momtahan says that is already the reality. In this episode of Justice Unfiltered, host Tug Cowart and Daniel Matalon of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds sit down with Rep. Martin Momtahan, who represents District 17 in Paulding County. A small business owner before he was a lawmaker, Momtahan brings a common-sense view to public safety, the courts, and the issues hitting Georgia families the hardest. The heart of the conversation is housing. Momtahan points to research on his district showing the top five institutional investors own roughly 92 percent of single-family rental homes. He breaks down the gap between hedge-fund rents and privately owned ones, why starter homes now push $400,000, and how big investors appealing their property taxes can shift the burden onto longtime homeowners. From there, the talk runs wide. Momtahan explains why he is the only non-attorney on the Judiciary Committee and why he thinks that helps. He digs into a border dispute that has left "stranded Georgians" in a contested area between Georgia and Tennessee, with real stakes around water and in-state tuition. He shares how his driving school once taught Travis Tritt's kids. And he closes with the part that fits this show best: why changing a law rarely fixes the case in front of you, but can still help the next family in line, and why he wants people to email their legislators and show up. Honest talk about housing, fair laws, and what a real second chance looks like in Georgia. Hosted by Tug Cowart and Daniel Matalon, CEO of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds and A 2nd Chance Monitoring. Listen to ALL episodes of the Justice Unfiltered Podcast here: https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/ [https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/] Atlanta's ONLY All Conservative News & Talk Station: https://www.xtra1063.com/ [https://www.xtra1063.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [http://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information. Atlanta's ONLY All Conservative News & Talk Station.: https://www.xtra1063.com/ [https://www.xtra1063.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Chairman Robb Pitts on Diversion, Ankle Monitors, and the Future of the Fulton County Jail

> Justice Unfiltered welcomes Robb Pitts, Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, for a wide-ranging conversation about jobs, justice, and a five-point plan that could reshape life inside the Rice Street Jail. Hosts Tug Cowart and Daniel Matalon, CEO of A 2nd Chance > > Bail Bonds and A 2nd Chance Monitoring, sit down with the longtime Atlanta leader who helped bring the 1996 Olympics to Georgia and is now running for re-election in the May 19 Democratic primary. > > Pitts walks through the projects he says will define South Fulton's next decade, including a new 200-bed Grady-partner hospital, a botanical garden under construction in College Park, a roughly $150 million expansion of Fulton County Airport designed to enable direct flights to Europe, and a truck driving and logistics training school built to put 600 students a year into six-figure careers. > > The center of the conversation is the jail. Pitts breaks down his five-point plan to reduce the Rice Street population without building a new $2 billion facility, leaning on ankle monitors, court date reminders, the underused Center for Diversion and Services, and a renovated Rice Street paired with a new mental health facility on the same footprint. He also explains his case for keeping Fulton's millage rate flat for the eighth straight year, the county's first-ever AAA bond rating, and what he saw on election night in 2020 that he says he will never forget. > > It is honest, occasionally country, and full of the kind of behind-the-scenes detail you only get when the guy who delivered Atlanta's Olympic bid is the one telling the story. > > Hosted by Tug Cowart and Daniel Matalon, CEO of A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds and A 2nd Chance Monitoring. > > Listen to ALL episodes of the Justice Unfiltered Podcast here: https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/ [https://www.thepodcastpark.com/justiceunfiltered/] > > Atlanta's ONLY All Conservative News & Talk Station: https://www.xtra1063.com/ [https://www.xtra1063.com/] > See omnystudio.com/listener [http://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information. Atlanta's ONLY All Conservative News & Talk Station.: https://www.xtra1063.com/ [https://www.xtra1063.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.