The Conviction Fiction w/Antoine Rivers
by with Antoine Rivers
The Conviction Fiction is a podcast dedicated to sharing inspiring stories of redemption, transformation, and the power of second chances. We shine a spotlight on formerly incarcerated individuals who have turned their lives around and are now thriving as successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and pillars of their communities.Each episode features in-depth conversations with men and women who defied the odds and overcame the stigma of their pasts. If you believe in the power of transformation and the strength of the human spirit, The Conviction Fiction is the podcast for you.
Episodes
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From Rock Bottom to Redemption: A Doctor's Journey Through Addiction, Prison & Second Chances | Dr. Jack Manzella
What happens when a successful physician loses his career, reputation, and freedom—and must rebuild his life from rock bottom? In this powerful episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, host Antoine Rivers welcomes Dr. Jack Manzella, widely known as The Rock Bottom Doc, for a compelling...
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Home, but Still Healing: Trauma, Accountability, and Life After Prison | Ranae Van Roekel
What happens when you leave prison, but the emotional weight comes home with you? Antoine Rivers welcomes Ranae Van Roekel, founder of Connecting to Cope, trauma recovery coach, speaker, podcast host, and justice reform advocate, for an honest conversation about the work of rebuilding a life…
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From a Life Sentence to a Lifeline: Edward Scott & Wounded Healers of NC
What does freedom really mean after spending more than 30 years behind bars? In this powerful episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, host Antoine Rivers sits down with Edward “Scottso” Scott, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Wounded Healers of North Carolina, to explore the difficult...
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Before the Gate Opens — The Family’s Side of Reentry
Reentry starts before release—and families need support, too. In Before the Gate Opens: Love, Boundaries, and the Family’s Side of Reentry, Antoine Rivers welcomes Jessica Carroll, a long-haul truck driver and founder of HAB Justice—Hell and Back. While helping someone she loves navigate...
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I Wanted to Be Like My Dad: Prince Cree on Breaking the Curse
What happens when the father you once wanted to become is the man whose patterns you’re trying to break? Antoine Rivers welcomes Prince Cree—the Hip Hop Author, three-time author, motivational speaker, and youth mentor—for a conversation inspired by his book, Breaking the Curse: I’m Not My Daddy....
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The First 72 Weeks: How to Outlast the High of Coming Home
Everybody talks about the first 72 hours after release. The food. The family. The freedom. The excitement. But what happens when the adrenaline wears off? In this solo episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers explores the much harder question: how do you build a life when the...
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Starting Over Without Starting From Scratch: Your Past Is Not Your Ending
What happens when the life you built no longer fits? In Starting Over Without Starting From Scratch: Your Past Is Not Your Ending, Antoine Rivers sits down with author, entrepreneur, inventor, and founder Paul Harkins, author of The Refrigerator Test. After decades of building companies, raising…
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Wrong Time, Wrong Place: The High Cost of Hanging With Yesterday
Your old environment is a magnet designed to pull you back into the version of yourself you fought so hard to escape. In this deeply personal episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers examines the high cost of revisiting old relationships, old environments, and old versions of...
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Kinetic Compassion: Turning Survival Into a Leadership Legacy
True mentorship is more than sharing advice. It is about transforming the hardest lessons of your life into a clearer path for someone coming behind you. In this solo episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers explores how past failures, trauma, incarceration, recovery, and…
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The Shadow of Recidivism: Breaking Free From Your Family’s Low Expectations
What happens when the people closest to you continue expecting the worst from you—even after you have committed to becoming someone different? In this powerful episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, host Antoine Rivers examines the shadow of recidivism created by family expectations,...
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Beyond the Parole Mindset: Strategic Methods for Overcoming Lingering Mental Self-Doubt
You are no longer a number—but are you still thinking like one? Physical freedom does not always create immediate mental freedom. Even after incarceration, parole, probation, or supervision ends, the habits of asking permission, expecting punishment, hiding your history, and questioning whether…
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The Architect Mindset: Drafting Your Five Year Blueprints After Total System Collapse
What if your greatest scars weren't evidence of failure—but the blueprints for your greatest success? In this powerful episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers challenges listeners to stop living in survival mode and begin thinking like an architect. Whether you're rebuilding…
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The Prison That Followed You Home: Reprogramming the Mind That Helped You Survive
The prison gates may have opened, but did your mind ever leave? In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers examines how years of incarceration create survival instincts that can continue to control your life long after release. Hypervigilance, anger, distrust, and the need…
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Youth Violence: The Pipeline We Pretend Doesn't Exist
Youth violence is more than a crime problem—it's a community problem, a family problem, and often the beginning of a prison story. In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers examines the root causes of youth violence and the devastating impact it has on families…
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The Passive Good Person Myth: Why Doing Nothing Is Not Personal Redemption
What if staying out of trouble isn't actually redemption? Too often, people believe they've changed simply because they've stopped making mistakes. They avoid conflict, stay silent, keep their heads down, and convince themselves that inactivity equals growth. But silence isn't transformation—and...
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Raising Kings Through Chaos: A Mother’s Fight, Faith, and Frontline View of Justice
What does resilience look like when life refuses to let up? In this powerful episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers sits down with Summer Hibbert—single mother, business graduate, paralegal, and survivor—to talk about overcoming addiction, raising Black sons in today’s world,...
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SORRY AIN’T SACRED: The Violence of the Defensive Apology
Most people apologize to escape consequences — not to create healing. In this unhinged and brutally honest episode, Antoine Rivers exposes the emotional manipulation behind defensive apologies, ego protection, trauma responses, and fake accountability. From relationships and parenting to reentry...
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From Razorwire to Restoration: A Conversation with Anthony Brown
What happens when a man loses 18 years to incarceration and still comes home determined to build something bigger than survival? In this powerful episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers sits down with @therealanthonyjaibrown for a raw and necessary conversation about...
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Silent Power: How to Listen Without Losing Yourself
Most people think communication is about speaking clearly—but the truth is, the real power is in how you listen. In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, we break down how to master active listening, eliminate defensive reactions, and use strategic silence to resolve conflict without...
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Receipts Over Intentions: The Discipline of Real Goodness
What if being a “good person” has nothing to do with how you feel… and everything to do with what you consistently do? In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, we break down the dangerous illusion that moral intent equals moral action. Too many people build their identity around what…
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From Survival Mode to Synergy: The Emotional Maturity Blueprint for Strong Relationships
What if the same mindset that helped you survive hardship is the key to building a powerful relationship? In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers explores how emotional maturity transforms survival habits into leadership traits that strengthen relationships, families…
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The Solitude Struggle: Finding Healthy Balance Between Privacy And Isolation During Reentry
After prison, silence can feel like freedom. But when does privacy become isolation? In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers explores the psychological challenge many returning citizens face during the first year of reentry—learning how to protect their peace without...
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Liquid Courage vs True Conviction: Redefining Masculinity and Strength in Post-Prison Recovery
Liquid Courage vs True Conviction In this deeply personal episode, Antoine Rivers challenges the cultural myth of “liquid courage” and shares his journey through alcoholism while rebuilding life after incarceration. From drinking daily while working from home to realizing he was on the verge of...
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Concrete to Canvas: Designing Your Sovereign Space
Your environment is the ultimate scoreboard for your redemption. In this episode of The Conviction Fiction, Antoine Rivers breaks down how the spaces we live in either reinforce survival or cultivate sovereignty. From the “architecture of survival” to the “workshop mindset,” this conversation...
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Language Is Leverage: Secure The Bag By Changing Your Vocabulary
In a world where AI scans your résumé before a human hears your voice, the way you describe your experience determines your access to opportunity. In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers reveals how to break through the linguistic glass ceiling and translate lived...
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No More Excuses: The Power of Radical Responsibility
Are we defining responsibility too small? In this episode, we challenge the narrow societal expectation that formerly incarcerated individuals only need to be “good.” We explore how radical responsibility goes far beyond compliance — into entrepreneurship, leadership, community building, and…
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The Second Chance Slump: Preventing Burnout When Rebuilding Your Reputation From Zero
Rebuilding from zero is exhausting — especially when you feel like one mistake could ruin everything again. In this episode of Conviction Fiction, Antoine Rivers breaks down The Second Chance Slump — the burnout that hits when you try to overperform your past instead of sustainably rebuilding…
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Decoding Social Contracts: Unwritten Rules That Shape Our Reality
Your life isn’t just shaped by laws—it’s shaped by invisible agreements you were never taught. In this episode of the Conviction Fiction Podcast, we break down social contracts: the unwritten rules that govern behavior, belonging, trust, and opportunity. From everyday interactions to…
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The Scarcity Myth: Debunking Limitation and Cultivating an Abundance Mentality
The Scarcity Myth: Breaking the “Never Enough” Mindset After Reentry Scarcity is more than a lack of money or opportunity—it’s a mindset shaped by survival, systems, and lived experience. In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, we explore how scarcity thinking impacts justice-impacted...
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Unpacking the Prison-Industrial Complex: More Than Just Walls
Behind every prison wall lies an invisible system shaping lives, communities, and futures—the prison-industrial complex. In this powerful episode of Conviction Fiction, we break down how mass incarceration operates far beyond bars and sentences. From the revolving door of re-incarceration to...
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The Unseen Curriculum: What Prison Teaches About Life Beyond Bars
Forget everything you think you know about prison. In this paradigm-shifting solo episode of Conviction Fiction, Antoine Rivers challenges the dominant narrative around incarceration by exploring the “unseen curriculum”—the unspoken lessons learned through survival, adaptation, and…
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Post-Release Paradox: Why More Opportunity Can Mean More Anxiety
What happens when freedom feels overwhelming instead of freeing? In this episode of Conviction Fiction, we explore the Post-Release Paradox — the often-unspoken reality that returning citizens face after incarceration: more opportunities, more pressure, and rising anxiety. From the illusion of...
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Future Self: The Surprising Power of Strategic Self-Investment Today
We talk a lot about “future goals,” but rarely about the version of ourselves who has to live with today’s choices. In this episode of Conviction Fiction, we break down the myth of “future you” and explore how small, intentional investments made today quietly shape the life you’ll be living...
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Generational Healing: Breaking the Cycle of Incarceration Through Community Solutions
In this powerful episode of Conviction Fiction, we take a deep, honest look at generational incarceration and the unseen trauma it leaves behind. From intergenerational trauma and systemic injustice to restorative justice and proactive community solutions, this conversation goes beyond statistics...
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Who Walks With You: Relationships That Help—or Hurt—Reentry
Reentry isn’t just about jobs, housing, or paperwork—it’s about relationships. In this powerful episode of Conviction Fiction, we dive deep into the relationships that returning citizens need to form in order to heal, stabilize, and grow—and the relationships that can quietly pull them back into...
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What 2025 Taught Me: Recovery, Second Chances, and Building What Lasts
In this special year-in-review episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, host Antoine Rivers reflects on the powerful lessons learned from the voices that shaped 2025. From raw conversations about addiction and mental health, to the responsibility of second chances, to the rise of…
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Running From Shadows: The Truth About Fear of Fear
In this powerful episode of the Conviction Fiction Podcast, we dive deep into one of the most underestimated forces shaping our lives: the fear of fear itself. This isn’t just about being scared — it’s about denying fear, avoiding it, masking it, and letting it silently control our decisions, our...
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You Don’t Own Nobody: Breaking Free From the Ownership Attitude
In this powerful episode of the Conviction Fiction Podcast, we tackle one of the most damaging but often unspoken barriers to healthy relationships: the ownership attitude. This mindset—believing people belong to us or should move according to our expectations—creates emotional chaos, fuels...
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Out of the Box: The Courage to Become Responsible
In this powerful episode, we unpack one of the most common—but least talked about—barriers to personal transformation: the lack of interest in responsible performance. Why do so many returning citizens, people in recovery, and individuals overcoming trauma struggle with responsibility? Why does...
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From Addiction to Purpose – Jonathan Todd Schwartz’s Story of Redemption
Jonathan Todd Schwartz once stood at the top of Hollywood’s financial world, managing the fortunes of global icons like Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Alanis Morissette, Linkin Park, Halsey, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Known as the “diva whisperer,” he was one of the industry’s most trusted advisors—until...
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Lack of Effort: When You Want the Results But Not the Work
In this powerful episode of the Conviction Fiction Podcast, Antoine Rivers breaks down one of the most overlooked barriers to growth and transformation: lack of effort — the mindset that wants the reward without the work, the progress without the discipline, the elevation without the sacrifice....
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The Good Person Trap — How Identity Blocks Growth
In this solo episode, Antoine Rivers breaks down one of the most overlooked barriers to personal transformation: the belief that “doing a few good things makes me a good person.” This mindset—common in the justice-impacted community—creates confusion, blocks accountability, and keeps people stuck...
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The Closed Channel: How Shutting Down Blocks Your Freedom
In this powerful solo episode of Conviction Fiction, Antoine Rivers breaks down one of the most common — and most destructive — criminal thinking errors: The Closed Channel. A closed channel happens when you stop receiving feedback, correction, truth, and support. It’s the mental and emotional...
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Quick Guide — Reclaim Your Narrative
Imagine a future where you are in complete control of your story. Free from the shadows of incarceration, free from labels, free from the limitations of what others believe about you. In this Conviction Fiction Quick Guide, host Antoine Rivers — author, entrepreneur, husband, father, and…
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Beyond Bars — The Million-Dollar Mindset of Former Felons
He spent years in prison — and walked out to build a multi-million dollar empire. What did he learn behind bars that Harvard Business School could never teach? In this powerful episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, host Antoine Rivers explores the untold stories of men who turned…
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Breaking Cycles: Generational Trauma and Second Chances
Some patterns don’t start with us — they’re inherited. The silence, the anger, the need to survive — all passed down from generations that never had the space or tools to heal. But recognizing those patterns is the first step toward breaking them. In this episode, host Antoine Rivers opens up…
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Parenting from a Distance: Rebuilding Family Bonds
Parenting doesn’t end with incarceration — it transforms. In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, host Antoine Rivers explores the emotional, spiritual, and practical realities of being a parent from behind bars and after release. From letters that keep love alive to the quiet work of...
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Echoes of Empathy: Restorative Justice Innovations
In this powerful episode, host Antoine Rivers explores what happens when justice moves beyond punishment — and steps into healing. Echoes of Empathy dives deep into the growing movement of restorative justice — a practice rooted in empathy, accountability, and the belief that true justice repairs...
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Mindset Matters: Cultivating Resilience for Reentry
Reentry isn’t just about getting a job or finding housing — it’s about rebuilding the mind. In this episode of The Conviction Fiction Podcast, host Antoine Rivers dives deep into the mental and emotional side of reentry, following his recent conversation with Dr. Peter Lindsay and the students at...
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A Prophecy in Purgatory: The Redemption of X-Raided
From a life sentence to a life of purpose — legendary Sacramento rapper X-Raided joins host Antoine Rivers on The Conviction Fiction Podcast to talk about transformation, truth, and the power of expression. At just 17, X-Raided was sentenced to 31 years to life after prosecutors used his lyrics…
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About this show
The Conviction Fiction is a podcast dedicated to sharing inspiring stories of redemption, transformation, and the power of second chances. We shine a spotlight on formerly incarcerated individuals who have turned their lives around and are now thriving as successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and pillars of their communities.Each episode features in-depth conversations with men and women who defied the odds and overcame the stigma of their pasts. If you believe in the power of transformation and the strength of the human spirit, The Conviction Fiction is the podcast for you.
Hosted by
with Antoine Rivers
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