The 98% - Life After Prison

Send us Fan MailIn Part Two of our series we meet two TROSA graduates, who have completed the two-year program treatment program.  Dymont Spellman and Kristie Foy come from quite different backgrounds and found their way into addiction through different paths.   Yet years later,  when faced with the possibility of dying, they both chose to come to TROSA, where they discovered a community of people who'd beat their addiction and were now supporting others through their recovery.  We hear their stories and discover why Dymont and Kristie are so committed to the TROSA community.  (TROSA stands for Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers.)In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailTROSA is an evidence-based, peer-driven treatment program for substance use disorder in Durham, North Carolina.   Based on the concept of a therapeutic community,  Trosa's two-year program provides comprehensive treatment, vocational training, education and continuing care.In Part One, we meet CEO Keith Artin who began as a volunteer and never left.  We learn what makes TROSA effective and why peer-driven community support is so vital in helping people kick their addiction.(TROSA stands for Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers) In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailJefradian Stafford wants you to know he's not the same man who, a decade ago, lost everything to his opioid addiction and found himself in prison.  In prison, he kicked his addiction.  And after he got out, a second chance employer hired him as a truck driver.  With the love and unconditional support of his mother and grandmother, he began to rebuild his life.  But it was not until Jefradian learned to love and nurture himself that he began to find true happiness.  Today he owns his own home and is about to be married.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIn this installment of her series, April talks about the latest advocacy initiatives she's become involved with.   The Coalition of Black Forensic Peer Support Specialists supports Black people adversely impacted by the justice system.  Jingle advocates for juveniles who've received a life sentence.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailArise Collective is one of those rare organizations that provides housing for women transitioning from prison.  But that's just the beginning.   Arise provides emotional support, teaches life skills needed to become independent and, as we'll learn in this episode, even offers the opportunity to get a college degree.  We'll meet two Arise residents who are taking advantage of that opportunity.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIn Part Two of our Arise for Women series, we meet two women who are in the Arise program.  Each one has children and each one has done prison time for offenses related to substance use disorder.   They've come forward to tell their stories to offer hope to others caught in the grip of addiction.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailWhile the female incarceration rate in North Carolina continues to rise at an alarming rate, there's precious little reentry support available for women.   Arise Collective in Raleigh aims to change that by providing not just housing, but also wrap-around services to help women get their back on their feet.  In our first of a three-part series, Reentry Project Director Kimberly Stone describes the many ways in which Arise provides stability and support for formerly incarcerated women.   We also discover how her own lived experience informs her work.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIn 2024, one of four people in North Carolina’s prisons were released to homelessness.  On the other end, people who lose their housing because of poverty or addiction often find themselves in jail.  And the cycle continues.  In this episode, we meet a physician who has devoted his career to treating the unhoused.   Another gentleman describes  what it's like to cycle through the loop between homelessness and prison.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailRonnie Harris is a natural born storyteller.  So when he was encouraged to document his 33-years in prison, he sat down and wrote a memoir.   Listen to his story and discover why, for all the violence and brutality, he considers the real punishment of incarceration to be time itself.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailSome 20,000 children in North Carolina have a parent who’s incarcerated.   And yet, these young people often remain invisible in the eyes of society. That’s why the work that Melissa Radcliff does to connect children with their incarcerated parents and grandparents is so important.  In this episode, we attend Parent Day at Orange Correctional and learn how Melissa Radcliff became an ardent advocate for the children of incarcerated men and women.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailThe final episode of our season takes you deep inside the fight to end one of America's most disturbing prison practices: solitary confinement. When Craig Waleed spent 30 days in "the box," he began hallucinating and questioning his existence. Years later, he's working with Disability Rights North Carolina to ensure others don't suffer the same fate."Research shows that any amount of time exposed to solitary confinement is detrimental to one's psychological makeup," Craig explains. "It can cause atrophy to the brain to the point where parts of the brain will not recover." This reality is why the United Nations considers isolation beyond 15 days to be torture under the Mandela Rules – standards most US prisons ignore.We also meet Dolores Canales, whose activism began when her son was placed in indefinite solitary confinement at California's Pelican Bay Prison. When prisoners launched hunger strikes to protest these conditions in 2011 and 2013, Dolores became a principal organizer, helping to form California Families Against Solitary Confinement and eventually co-founding the national Unlock the Box campaign.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailKwame Teague- better known as Dutch - has become an award winning, critically acclaimed author while serving a life sentence for a crime he claims he didn’t commit.  While in prison, Mr. Teague has helped create a new genre of literature called urban fiction – known for its gritty ,fast-moving stories about gangsters and street life.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 5 of April's series, On a Mission with a Purpose, she talks to a man who has experienced incarceration from both sides.  As a young man, he worked as a Corrections Officer in a youth detention center in Butner, North Carolina.   Years later, he  himself landed in prison with a 3-year sentence.  Hear his story and learn about his current work as a peer support specialist for South Light, a mental health and substance use treatment center in Durham.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailWe go behind the walls of Orange Correctional Center in Hillsborough, NC to attend a graduation ceremony for a group of therapy dogs trained by residents of the prison.  The non profit, EENP - Ears, Eyes, Nose and Paws - teaches incarcerated people to train therapy dogs that are then partnered with people who have disabilities.  Listen and learn how these dogs transform lives.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIn our second episode examining the use of solitary confinement, we meet two people on a mission to end the use of prolonged solitary confinement in our nation's prisons.   From personal experience, Craig Waleed understands the psychological harm caused by isolation in a 8x10 box.  Dolores Canales was trying to save her son when she first joined the protest against conditions in California's Pelican Bay Special Housing Unit, known as the SHU.  Her efforts helped spark a national campaign against solitary confinement.   In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailMeet Drew Doll and Daquan Peters, both survivors of solitary confinement, and both devoted to seeing the practice banned in US prisons.  Hear their stories and learn why the Mandela Rules, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, declare the use of prolonged solitary confinement to be torture.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailApril riffs on the social, emotional, and psychological difficulties caused by the ongoing trauma of prison.  She also shares some of the stubborn habits that have   followed her home from her 31 years inside.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailAs a young man Brian Scott saw people in terms of what they could do for him.  His behavior eventually led to a 20-year prison sentence.  In the four years since his release, Brian's become a leader in North Carolina's reentry movement with his non-profit Our Journey.  This is his story.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIt's one thing to get out of prison.  It's quite another to stay out.   More than 40% of returning citizens in North Carolina end up back in prison within the first two years.  In this episode, we explore the reasons so many people fall down and are re-incarcerated.  We'll meet Delfonzo Brewer and learn how his 27-years in prison left him unprepared for the transition back to society.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailMeet Josh LeRoy, father, husband, and former prison chaplain.  Josh spent roughly ten years pastoring to men in minimum security.   He says it's the most fun he's ever had in any job.   Learn what it was like to arrive at a new prison in the middle of Covid, how he thinks the carceral system should be changed, and why he finds prison ministry so rewarding.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailAt the age of 21, Randolph Wilson was sentenced to life in prison in a case built entirely on hearsay.  Three co-defendants, who testified against him, later recanted their testimony saying they'd been coerced by the local sheriff.  After 33 years behind the wall, Randolph Wilson is a free man.  This is his story.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailLyle May received a death sentence in 1999.   Since that time, he's found God, gotten sober, and has devoted himself to a life of scholarship and reflection.  This is Episode 3 of April's special series On a  Mission with A Purpose, in which she interviews people who are living with meaning and purpose despite their particular circumstance.Stay Tuned for the Fourth Season of The 98% - Life After Prison coming in January.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailFormerly incarcerated people face a number of barriers as they try to rebuild their lives after prison.  One big one is employment.  In this episode, we learn about one company that's made a commitment to providing a second chance and find out what can happen when justice-involved people are given an opportunity.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailOver the past 20 years, North Carolina’s Legislature has increased court and criminal fees by 400 percent.   A good percentage of that money is disbursed to the state’s General Fund, not allocated to the courts, which remain grossly underfunded.  In this episode, we learn how court-imposed fees lock people in a cycle of debt and can lead to additional monetary sanctions, driver’s license revocation, probation extension, and jail time.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailWith so much focus on the mass incarceration of men, we often overlook the fact  the number of incarcerated women stands almost seven times higher today than it did in 1980.   Bianca Harris has watched the rise since she began her career in corrections in 1993.  After more than 20 years at North Carolina's largest women’s prison, she has a lot to say about how incarcerated women should be handled.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailEdward Scott believes having difficult conversations with his loved ones is part of what it takes to be strong person and a good father.   He invited us to listen in to the conversation he had with his grown son Terrell about what it was like to grow up without him because he was incarcerated.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailOn a Mission With a Purpose is a series of interviews conducted by April Barber Scales.  Felishia McPherson describes how the lack of cultural understanding she experienced with mental health therapists in prison sent her on a mission to become a mental health counselor herself.  Today she is Licensed counselor and a Peer Support Specialist specializing in Reentry and Domestic Violence.  She also  serves on the executive board of Nami - The National Alliance of Mental Illness. In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailWith a shortage of mental health services in this country, prisons and jails have become a dumping ground for people with mental illness including people with conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.  Too often these conditions go untreated and people are released back into the community with no support. Learn how Fit Wellness takes a holistic approach to treating formerly incarcerated people with serious mental illness, in an effort to break the cycle between crisis and incarceration. In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIncarcerated with more than two life sentences, Joe Perry thought he was condemned to die behind bars.  But once he found a sliver of hope, he decided he would become a man worthy of his freedom.  It took many more years but Joe is now a free man living and working in Durham.  This is his story.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailOn a Mission With a Purpose is a series of interviews conducted by April Barber Scales.  Cierra Cobb has started two new initiatives to advocate for justice involved people.  One addresses mental health while the other prepares returning citizens for the job market.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIt's common knowledge that healthcare in prison is usually substandard at best.   And, until recently,  most people getting out of prison have had no access to insurance or healthcare.  Since 2017,  NC FIT - Formerly In Transitions - has been working to change that by connecting formerly incarcerated individuals who have a chronic disease with a primary care provider and a comprehensive reentry plan.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIn 2013, Deb Cunningham and Maria Ikenberry began Ear Eyes Nose and Paws, a therapy dog  program  that trains service dogs for people with mobility and medical issues.   Today,  incarcerated men do the bulk of the training, transforming their  sense of self from someone who's done harm to someone who serves others.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailWhen  Rachel Mascarenas's partner was arrested and sent to federal prison, her children were just 3 and 5 years old.  In this podcast, we learn why it's said that when someone goes to prison their family goes with them and the societal consequences of that sad reality.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailMike Thumm reflects on his twenty years as a  Superintendent/ Warden of Orange Correctional Center in Hillsborough North Carolina.  He shares the challenges and rewards of running a minimum security prison and recalls a time before changes in sentencing laws led to mass incarceration.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailThe war on drugs has successfully filled our prisons and jails.  But as the opioid epidemic shows, criminalizing drug use has failed to address the enormous problem of addiction in this country.   Tune into this episode to hear personal stories about the intersection between addiction and incarceration.   In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailNorth Carolina's Reentry Councils  were established to reduce the barriers to reentry by providing case managers and a network of needed services to help people transition from prison.  Currently, there are reentry councils in 20 of North Carolina's 100 counties.   Durham has one of the strongest, best resourced  LRCs in the state. In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailNorth Carolina's Local Reentry Councils  were established in 2018 to reduce the barriers to reentry by providing case managers and a network of needed services to help people transition from prison.    Currently, there are  reentry councils in 20 of North Carolina's 100 counties.    Orange County has one of the oldest and strongest reentry councils in the state.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailBenevolence Farm offers women a roof over their head and a chance to adapt to life after prison all while earning a living wage.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailCo-host April Barber was incarcerated when she was 15-years-old.   In this episode, we learn about the crime that sent her to prison for life.   We'll also  meet the advocates who fought to win her freedom and have supported her since her release. In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailBetween the two of them Tommy Green and William Elmore spent some 37 years behind bars.  Once released, they both decided they wanted to do something to help their fellow inmates navigate the difficult task of reintegrating back into the community.  Today, Green and Elmore run a transition house in Hillsborough, North Carolina where they work with residents to give them the emotional and psychological tools they need to be successful on the outside.  In this episode, we learn about their program SWIT – Success While in Transition – and what makes it work.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailBessie Elmore’s life was turned upside down in 1992 when her son William was sentenced to life in prison.  Working through her anger, she threw herself into making the best of a bad situation.   She got a job working with domestic violence victims.  She became certified facilitator with Nami, the National Alliance of Mental Illness.  She started a support group for people who had a loved one who was incarcerated.  Little did she know at the time that she was preparing herself for a career in reentry.  Today, Bessie runs a reentry house in Durham, North Carolina that specializes in supporting formerly incarcerated men with mental health challenges.   In this podcast, Bessie offers her insight into the many complicated issues people face after they are released from prison.  In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we learn about April's transition back into society after spending nearly 32 years in prison.   Anthony Willis, who, like April, had his sentence commuted by the governor also reflects life since his release.    Finally, Antoine Blake, who was sent to prison when he was just 14-years-old,  shares what he's learned from his many years in and out of prison.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

Send us Fan MailThis podcast is dedicated to the 98% of people incarcerated in North Carolina who will eventually be released from prison back into their communities, often with few, if any resources. Through the voices of people in transition and those who support them, we explore hurdles and life long barriers many justice-involved people confront whether getting a drivers license, finding housing, or trying to find a job. We examine issues like substance use disorder and mental health that plague this population and ask what we as a society can do to support the formerly incarcerated and reduce recidivism.In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate.  April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.