Behind Bars: A Deep Dive into America's Prison System

Navigating Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System

Mental Disabilities in Criminal Defense and DOJ Appointment Controversies Host Robert Simels introduces his background as former prosecutor, longtime defense attorney, and former inmate, then criticizes prosecutorial ethics and discusses legal challenges tied to Trump DOJ U.S. attorney appointments, including the Comey prosecution where U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan allegedly secured an indictment without a grand jury vote and related appointments-clause disputes likely headed to appellate courts. Simels then interviews New York-based defense attorney Elizabeth Kelley, who practices nationwide representing clients with serious mental illness, intellectual/developmental disabilities (including autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder), and neurocognitive disorders like dementia. Kelley explains the need for specialized forensic mental health evaluations to connect diagnosis to conduct for plea negotiations, sentencing mitigation, and competency issues; describes barriers to experts, court time, and BOP conditions; discusses autism’s impact on interrogation and testimony (citing an amicus brief in Sam Bankman-Fried’s case); and advocates humanizing clients and using preferred, person-first language. 00:47 Host Background And Mission 02:00 Comey Case Grand Jury Misstep 08:10 Appointments Clause Showdown 11:49 Meet Elizabeth Kelly 15:03 How Her Specialty Began 17:50 Building A Mental Health Defense 21:45 Finding And Funding Experts 26:52 Making Disability Matter In Court 31:54 Training Lawyers And Changing Culture 35:16 Time Pressures And Court Buy In 38:51 Do Prosecutors Cooperate 39:01 Prosecutors Start to Listen 42:58 CTE Claims Need Proof 45:19 Prisons as Mental Health Warehouses 48:35 Fixing Treatment Behind Bars 49:35 Danbury Special Skills Critique 53:39 Dementia Defense Playbook 58:00 Second Look and Expert Access 01:02:31 SBF Autism and Trial Strategy 01:07:23 Autism on the Witness Stand 01:13:32 Narrative Medicine for Lawyers 01:16:56 Person First Language Matters ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Behind Bars: A Deep Dive into America's Prison System

Inside the Federal Bureau of Prisons: Leadership Turmoil, Sentencing Reality, and Why the System Fails Host Robert Simels introduces “Injustice for All” and criticizes Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI head Patel for using personal attacks and avoiding answers in congressional hearings, including on the Epstein files, arguing this undermines public trust and transparency despite FOIA’s limits. Simels also cites politicized or flawed prosecutions (including an indictment of James Comey), a judge forced to resign in New Hampshire, and a ruling finding Alina Habba’s appointment as New Jersey U.S. Attorney illegal, potentially tainting cases. He then interviews prison expert Walter Pavlo, who explains BOP structure, security levels, DSCC designation and sentence computation, the decisive role of the PSR, and how public safety factors/management variables affect placement. Pavlo describes leadership turnover, staffing shortages, failing infrastructure, widespread cell phones, incomplete First Step Act/Second Chance Act implementation due to unchanged halfway-house capacity and limited programming, aging-inmate medical challenges, concerns about privatization, and his advocacy work and writing for Forbes. 02:14 Decorum and Bondi Hearing 04:38 Epstein Files and FOIA Limits 10:17 Politicized Prosecutions 15:37 System Failures and Bad Appointments 18:45 Introducing Walter Pavlo 21:06 What the BOP Does 22:46 The Federal Prison Guidebook 24:12 Prisonology and Mitigation Help 25:20 Security Levels Explained 27:13 Sentencing Strategy and Programs 29:51 PSR The Document That Rules 34:22 DSCC Designation and Computation 39:18 Public Safety and Management Variables 43:39 Working With DSCC to Fix Errors 44:38 Advocating to BOP 45:21 Director Turnover Explained 47:46 Budget Boost and Outlook 49:12 Union Loss and Staffing Crunch 51:14 Augmentation Non-Guard Roles 53:53 Case Managers and Counselors 55:08 Deputy Director Josh Smith 57:29 First Step Act Problems 59:22 Halfway Houses Bottleneck 01:02:13 Ineligible Crimes and Incentives 01:04:11 Facility Disrepair and Safety 01:06:25 Cell Phones and Contraband Economy 01:10:47 Aging and Medical Release Gaps 01:12:20 Private Prisons Debate 01:14:18 Why He Writes and CARES Act 01:17:05 Final Thoughts and Wrap Up ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Behind the Scenes of Goodfellas: A Journey from Courtrooms to Hollywood

Goodfellas Anniversary, Prosecutorial Power, and Alleged Politicization of U.S. Justice Host Robert Simels opens “Injustice for All” by marking the 35th anniversary of Goodfellas and recounting his role in events that led to the book and film. He describes being appointed in May 1980 to represent Henry Hill, learning Hill was a key link to the Lufthansa Airport robbery investigation, and negotiating Hill’s witness protection deal by demanding dismissal of Nassau County charges and no federal prosecution. He then explains how he and Hill agreed to split interest in Hill’s life story, how Simon & Schuster ultimately approved the project after initial rejection, how author Nicholas Pileggi was chosen with Hill’s approval, and how the book became a New York Times bestseller that led to the film deal involving director Martin Scorsese and producer Irwin Winkler. Simels then shifts to broader themes about systemic corruption and prosecutorial power, stating the system is manipulated regardless of politics and previewing future episodes with guests from law enforcement and related fields. He discusses forum shopping in criminal and civil cases and cites examples involving social-issue litigation and President Trump’s New York Times lawsuit filed in Tampa, which a conservative judge dismissed as an improper “screed” and allowed to be refiled without biographical and political material. Finally, Simels previews upcoming interviews with former FBI agents and criticizes FBI Director Kash Patel’s conduct in congressional hearings, alleged inexperience, restructuring of FBI leadership and counterintelligence, handling of a recent shooting investigation while dining at Rao’s, and alleged loyalty tests. He describes a lawsuit by former senior FBI officials Brian Driscoll, Steven Jensen, and Spencer Evans alleging firings tied to political loyalty and portraying Patel as executing White House and DOJ directives, including references to Stephen Miller. Sims closes by saying the series will continue examining how to restore the justice system’s integrity. 00:19 Goodfellas Anniversary Setup 00:54 Meeting Henry Hill 03:41 Negotiating Witness Deal 05:12 Nassau Breaks Agreement 08:09 Selling The Life Story 12:14 From Bestseller To Scorsese 13:08 Systemic Corruption Today 14:49 Forum Shopping Explained 17:38 Trump NYT Lawsuit Fiasco 21:54 DOJ As Personal Weapon 27:59 Targeting Schiff Bolton 30:01 Holman Sting Dropped 31:32 Presidential Prejudicing Comments 33:24 Removing Oversight Watchdogs 35:32 NYPD Misconduct Under Adams 40:30 Loyalty Tests And Lawsuit ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Truth About Mamdani's Justice Reform Proposals

Host Robert Simels of “Injustice for All” addresses Mr. Mandami, saying his criminal justice reform proposals are unrealistic and offering to explain why. Simels emphasizes the importance of defense attorneys “testing” the system, citing John Adams defending British soldiers after the 1770 Boston incident as an example of rule of law over mob rule. He also points to the Fulton County, Georgia Trump election-interference case, describing how defense investigation revealed a conflict involving DA Fani Willis and a special prosecutor, leading the Georgia Supreme Court to disqualify Willis and her office and, in Simels’ view, effectively ending the case. Simels then critiques political rhetoric and focuses on Manami’s NYC platform: closing Rikers Island by 2027, creating a billion-dollar Department of Community Safety with psychologists and social workers, cutting police overtime, taxing the wealthy, changing misdemeanor enforcement, and altering bail practices. Simels argues these plans overlook practical and legal constraints: federal litigation over Rikers before Judge Swain (SDNY) has led to contempt findings against the city and an order to appoint an independent remediation manager, which would limit mayoral control over the Department of Correction and potentially union rules. He describes Rikers as inhumane and dysfunctional, citing violence, poor medical care, suicides/deaths, officer disengagement, union protections, and massive spending. He questions whether borough-based jails will work, noting prior “house of detention” facilities did not function well. On policing, Simels discusses stop-and-frisk litigation, the disbanding and relabeling of anti-crime units, CompStat under Bratton/Maples, and current officer behavior (e.g., phone use), arguing culture change across roughly 30,000 officers is difficult. He raises concerns about dispatching non-police responders to potentially dangerous incidents and challenges the feasibility of funding through taxing the rich, arguing wealthy taxpayers may avoid or leave. Simels says a mayor cannot change New York State bail statutes and also cannot direct independently elected district attorneys, who set their own policies, nor control federal law enforcement task forces. He disputes claims that large police-misconduct settlement figures can reliably be redirected to new initiatives, citing that 2024 payouts included older protest-related cases and other outliers. Finally, Simels details how NYC criminal cases and jail-to-court logistics are slowed by multiple agencies and unions (police, corrections, court officers) and lengthy processing, often resulting in defendants spending a full day in transport/holding without appearing in court. He concludes by urging Manami to engage with the court and remediation manager, understand the system’s structure and constraints, and develop workable implementation plans. 00:00 Opening Challenge 01:22 Why Defense Matters 04:04 Fulton County Case Fallout 06:31 Politicians and Promises 07:46 Mandami Reform Agenda 10:33 Rikers Closure Plan 12:43 Federal Takeover Reality 17:42 Union Power at Rikers 20:17 Policing and Stop Frisk 24:24 Community Safety Problems 28:22 Misdemeanors and Discretion 31:28 Bail Limits and Authority 34:06 Excessive Force Myth 39:00 Terror and Diplomacy Limits 41:01 Mayors vs District Attorneys 45:13 How Cases Really Move 46:04 Court Transport Breakdown 50:48 Final Advice and Signoff ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Beyond the Beats: The Untold Story of Murder Inc.

In this episode of 'Injustice For All,' host Robert Simels interviews his friend Chris Lorenzo, known to the public as Chris Gotti, co-founder of the music label Murder Inc. Alongside his brother Irv Gotti, Chris discusses their journey in building Murder Inc., which featured artists like Ashanti and Ja Rule. They delve into the federal prosecution they faced in the early 2000s due to alleged connections with narcotic trafficker Kenneth 'Supreme' McGriff. Throughout the interview, Chris explains the experience of being indicted, the impact on their business, and surviving the legal battle until their acquittal. Furthermore, the episode critiques the current and historical issues within the criminal justice system, highlighting cases of alleged judicial and governmental overreach. The discussion extends to Robert's analysis of the justice system's failings, recent legal controversies, and personal anecdotes from Chris about his business ventures post-Murder Inc., including ventures in sports management and filmmaking. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast 00:25 Meet Chris Gotti: The Rise of Murder Inc. 01:41 The Week in Review: Justice System Critique 02:51 The Federal Indictments and Political Retribution 08:03 Challenges in the Criminal Justice System 10:40 The Case of the Sandwich Guy 14:00 Animal Rights Activism and Legal Battles 16:05 Chris Gotti's Early Life and Career Beginnings 17:59 Building Murder Inc.: From Humble Beginnings to Success 43:33 The Federal Investigation and Its Impact 48:42 The Murder Inc. Formula 49:45 Misunderstandings and Misinterpretations 52:24 Hiring Ex-Cons: A Positive Impact 56:34 The Kenneth Supreme McGriff Connection 01:00:39 Indictment and Legal Battles 01:15:26 Life After Murder Inc. 01:16:32 Current Ventures and Future Plans 01:28:45 Reflections and Closing Thoughts ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.