The Our Voice Podcast

Episode 30 | NBA Social Justice Summit: Removing Barriers to Mobility (Part 2)

In this episode, the “Our Voice” podcast goes on the road to Salt Lake City, Utah, to capture the perspectives of those participating in the Clean Slate Summit: Free Expungement Clinic – hosted by the Utah Jazz, The NBA Social Justice Coalition, Clean Slate Utah, and Rasa Legal. Guest host Mrs. Sheena Meade – CEO for the Clean Slate Initiative – is joined by Destiny Garcia – Executive Director of the Clean Slate Initiative Utah.  Listen in as our esteemed host and guest dive deeply into the topic of removing barriers to mobility for people seeking a second chance after coming into contact with the criminal legal system.

Episode 29 | NBA Social Justice Summit: Removing Barriers to Mobility

In this episode, the “Our Voice” podcast goes on the road to Salt Lake City, Utah, to capture the perspectives of those participating in the Clean Slate Summit: Free Expungement Clinic – hosted by the Utah Jazz, The NBA Social Justice Coalition, Clean Slate Utah, and Rasa Legal. Guest host Mrs. Sheena Meade – Executive Director for the Clean Slate Initiative – is joined by Mr. James Cadogen – Executive Director of the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition.

Episode 28: Addressing the Upside-Down Priorities of the Justice System

In this episode, the “Our Voice” podcast welcomes Lenore Anderson – co-founder and President of the Alliance for Safety and Justice. Host Neil Volz talks to Lenore about her recently released book In Their Names: The Untold Story of Victims’ Rights, Mass Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety. Aswad Thomas – who had his professional basketball career tragically end after being shot multiple times as a young man – joins Lenore. Aswad serves as Vice President of the Alliance for Safety & Justice and National Director of CSSJ. Together, Lenore and Aswad explain why they believe it's time to end the powerful myth that mass incarceration alone benefits victims. And why we need to provide more resources for victims so they can manage their unaddressed trauma — a leading cause of violent crime.

Episode 27: Waking a Sleeping Giant: The National Movement to Transform the Criminal Legal System

The “Our Voice” podcast heads to Atlanta, Georgia, in this episode. Host Neil Volz – Deputy Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), welcomes guest host David Ayala – Executive Director of the Formerly Incarcerated Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM). FICPFM is a network of over 50 civil and human rights organizations led by people living with criminal records and their family members.  As the leader of a national movement focused on dismantling the ineffective and destructive aspects of America’s mass incarceration system, Executive Director Ayala shares his vision of a world where prisons – as we currently know them – no longer exist.  Pamela Winn – Founder and President of the non-profit RestoreHER – joins the show as a featured guest, along with Charlotte Garnes – CEO and Founder of the non-profit ReNforce, and Robyn Hasan – Executive Director of the grassroots organization Women on the Rise. Together, these three female leaders describe their new coalition – Informing Marginalized People Power and Cultivating Transformation (IMPPACT). The mission of IMPPACT is to educate and inform formerly incarcerated people of their voting rights and the power of voting.

Episode 26: Justice on the Federal Level

In this episode, the “Our Voice” podcast goes on the road to the nation’s capital, Washington, DC. Special guest host Mrs. Sheena Meade – Executive Director for the Clean Slate Initiative – welcomes Ms. Holly Harris – President and Executive Director for the Justice Action Network. The Justice Action Network is one of the largest organizations in the country to bring together progressive and conservative partners and collaborate with law enforcement, business, civil rights, victims’ rights, and faith-based groups to make our justice system fairer and more effective. Listen in as these two influential criminal justice reform leaders address a question fundamental to ending America’s mass incarceration problem. What is justice on the federal level?