Safe Space Convos

If we have learned anything this past week in Los Angeles, it's that anybody can be a hero! In response to the wildfires ravaging our hometown of Los Angeles, we wanted to sit down with Eddie Herrera Jr. Formerly an incarcerated firefighter and now a free man working for Cal Fire, Eddie has had an incredible journey of overcoming pain and shame, through hard work and dedication. He shares with us his process of evolution, and the unique path he took to becoming an institutional firefighter 16 years into his prison sentence. We've seen a ton of discourse on the internet about the heroic work of incarcerated firefighters in California, and questions about how the programs work, compensation, and what the pathways are to pursuing a career in firefighting upon release. Eddie had lots of information to share with us in response to these questions, and we are just excited today for you to get to know him. Investing in growth opportunities for our incarcerated population creates safer communities for all of us. Thank you so much Eddie!

We made it! Our final episode of 2024! We wanted to close the year out in the same way we started it: a cozy, silly and honest couch chat. Today we talk about some of the lessons and practices that 2024 brought for both of us. It sounds serious, but we're really just hanging out, laughing and reflecting on self worth, self care, and how fricken important it is to take care of your body and nervous system as the years pass. We love you guys so much, happy holidays, and happy New Year!! See you in 2025!

Today we have the pleasure of talking to Brian James. At 16 years old, Brian had already found himself wrapped up in a life of gangs, drugs and incarceration, following a childhood surrounded by addiction and abuse. By 17, he was sentenced to life in prison. Over the following two plus decades, Brian continued to seek validation and acceptance in violent and self-destructive places, furthering his addiction and ultimately spending 9 years in solitary confinement. He pinpoints the overwhelming loss of his closest loved one, his grandmother, along with changes in the law that provided him hope to one day be released from prison, as his catalysts for change. In his 30's, Brian finally dedicated himself to his sobriety, understanding his emotional landscape, and committing to the hard work of self-exploration and accountability. After spending 29 years in prison, Brian has now been free for 874 days. He has a special talent for articulating what he has felt for so much of his life, and we hope you connect to his journey to find redemption and healing. Thank you for sharing your truth Brian!

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Randall Ellis, who got out of prison in 2021 after 40 years of incarceration, 33.5 of which he served in the SHU and solitary confinement. At the time of his incarceration, prison policy allowed for inmates to be kept in the SHU for decades, even when they had NO disciplinary infractions throughout that time. After decades of isolation and deprivation, Randall participated in the mass hunger strikes that spread across the state in protest of the cruelty of solitary confinement. As a result, he was finally released back to the general population after 33.5 years of suffering and mental fortitude. In spite of his hardship, Randall overflows with joy and laughter. His spirit is contagious, and the level of accountability he takes for his actions over the course of his life is a goal for us all to aspire to. We could not be more grateful for this conversation, thank you so much Randall!

This week we got the chance to sit down with Nick Tirado! As one of the creative minds behind the Anti Recidivism Coalition's social media page, Nick has traveled a long, hard road to get where he is today. From living in an abusive household, to experiencing childhood homelessness, parental addiction and being forced to provide for his younger brothers in dangerous neighborhoods as a teen, Nick bravely and graciously opened up about his traumas as well as the harmful behaviors he has displayed throughout his life. After overcoming addiction and 11+ years of incarceration, Nick shared with us about the progress he has made in healing and accountability. He explained how reading, writing, and now videography have been necessary outlets through which he finds healing and purpose. Nick has big life goals as a creative that we can't wait to see him accomplish. Thank you so much Nick!

This week we decided to have an honest conversation about the journey we're on and the pressures we feel. After being asked the question, "what are your goals for this podcast?" many times over, we decided to take a step back and reflect on our intentions and the lives we're working to create. We discuss the thoughts and worries that trip us up, hold us back, and occasionally throw us off course, as well as the ways that we combat self-sabotage and self-doubt to stay the course of our truth. Success can look like many things, and to us, it's about alignment with our intuition and our values, not rushing the learning process or conforming to outside pressures, and having the confidence to move in the direction that sits right with our spirits. If you've been along for the ride, we thank you and we love you.

Our next guest needs no introduction because… she’s our mommy! In today’s conversation, our mom opens up about parenting alongside an addict, supporting her son through his incarceration, and the depths of grief following her experience with losing a child. Despite it all, our mom has held onto unwavering faith and a deep belief in the power of God and goodness. She's a spiritual warrior and a survivor! There are hard earned lessons from start to finish in this episode and we could not be happier or more grateful to have her on today. We love you momma!

Today we decided it's time to make things a bit more personal. As we've begun to delve deep into conversations with others on the podcast and learn about their lives and lessons, it's gotten us thinking about where we're at in our own lives, and the lessons and perspectives that we've gathered so far. We have a lot of laughs and even a lot of tears in this conversation, so if you're interested in joining some real talk with us, today is your day! Love you!

We are so honored to have gotten to interview Zach Skow for today’s episode, someone that we’ve admired from afar for a very long time. Zach is the founder of Marley’s Mutts dog rescue and The Pawsitive Change Program, which pairs shelter dogs with incarcerated people for training and rehabilitation. Well over 1,000 incarcerated people have graduated the Pawsitive Change program to date, which boasts a virtually 0% recidivism rate for graduates as compared to the US National average of 73%. In today’s episode, Zach shares with us all about his journey through addiction and liver failure, to somehow beating all of the odds and getting sober at 29. He credits his three dogs for being the motivation and love he needed to survive through near life-ending health issues related to his alcoholism, and is truly a walking miracle. This conversation is a powerful one fueled by hope, faith, community and sheer will. We hope you enjoy it! *Trigger warning: We discuss and allude to sexual abuse in this episode. If that will hurt you, please skip this one and join us next time. ❤️

Welcome to a conversation that we are beyond honored to be having with Lamont "Tory" Stapleton. Tory is an incredible human, and today we wanted to talk to him about his program with the incarcerated population, Between the Lines. Tory started going into prisons sporadically as a volunteer starting in 2014, but years later when he coincidentally ran into a formerly incarcerated student of his out in the world and realized the impact of his program, Tory got to work solidifying Between the Lines. His nonprofit provides an opportunity for the incarcerated population to connect as humans in a safe, fun and loving way, and also offers them a platform to tell their stories and share their messages of truth, hope, and wisdom with the world. Between the Lines has quickly expanded into a crucial programming resource for this population of men and women who are desperate for support, and we could not love their mission more! If you're interested in supporting them or the incarcerated population, please go follow Between the Lines on social media and/or donate if you have the means! We love you all, and thank you so much Tory for sharing your light!

What an absolute pleasure it was to sit down with today's guest, Shea Simmons. We initially found Shea from a viral video on TikTok and immediately knew we needed him on the show. Shea lost his three youngest siblings, Kamryn, Christopher, and Lindy, in a car accident involving a drunk driver in 2021. His honesty regarding his struggle with addiction, the loss of his beautiful siblings, and his journey to meet his sobriety in the midst of intense grief is such an emotional and beautiful display of his humanity. He talks in depth about his feelings towards the man who took his sibling's lives, opening up an important conversation about judgement, empathy, and forgiveness. Thank you Shea for sharing your heart and your truth with us! This episode is lovingly dedicated to three angels: Kamryn, Christopher and Lindy Simmons.

Yay! We’re so happy to have our tiny but mighty friend Lisa Small on the show this week. Lisa currently serves as the Senior Director of Youth and Transformative Justice at Liberty Hill, a foundation committed to funding community organizers who fight for justice and equity for all. Lisa has dedicated her work to uplifting female and female-identifying youth, and is committed through her work and her life to end youth incarceration. We love this conversation so much. Though it's not easy to discuss kids in cages, Lisa brings us so much hope and faith in the change that is possible and that is currently happening. We hope you learn as much as we did and feel connected. Love you Lisa!

The man, the myth, the legend! We are so honored and grateful to be interviewing Franky Carrillo Jr today: exoneree, dad, LA County Commissioner and future California Assembly member for the 52nd District. Franky spent twenty years in California prisons for a 1991 crime that he did not commit, and was exonerated in 2011 after two decades of optimism, resilience and following his intuition. We chat with him all about being sentenced to life in prison at 18 years old, his journey to freedom, and all of the ways he has spent the last thirteen years being a change maker. He talks in depth about his relationship with forgiveness and even shares that he is now friends with not only the men (then boys) who falsely identified him, but also the district attorney that prosecuted him. Franky is currently on the campaign trail to be a member of the California State Assembly, and when he wins ( !!! ), Franky will be the first formerly incarcerated member in history! We could not think higher of Franky and all that he has endured and overcome, and we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did! THANK YOU FRANKY!

If we’ve learned anything in our lives, it’s that while we don’t always have control over the circumstances, we do get to make decisions about how we show up. In today’s episode, we talk about some of the ways that we’ve moved through adversity and pain, whether it be finding like-minded community or channeling your rage and heartache for change. While it’s not always the easy choice to find the silver lining and joy, we have found that we'd prefer that to the alternative.

We’ve shared some details about our older brother Ryan’s life, his wrongful conviction, and his tragic and early passing, but this is an episode we truly never thought we would record. A couple of weeks ago, a few videos caught fire on social media, which propelled Ryan into a lot of people’s lives unexpectedly. With that came an immense amount of love, but also a fair amount of questioning around his circumstances, particularly the validity of his claim of innocence. We decided that the most compassionate and loving thing we could do for him would be to share his story and clear his name ourselves, since his lawyers and the courts failed to do so in his life. In today’s episode, we take you through every aspect of the case. We’ll detail the circumstances of the crimes, the prosecution’s case against him, and all of the things that prove his innocence: forensic evidence, an alibi, a witness recanting her identification, and a confession letter from the actual perpetrator seven years into Ryan’s prison sentence. We hope you’ll come to this conversation with some patience (lol it’s a long but GOOD one) and an open heart. Ryan, this one is definitely for you, for all that you endured. We see you, we miss you, and we love you. To the victims of these crimes: we empathize with you deeply and wish you nothing but healing.

Happy Thursday! In today’s episode, we talk about how growing up straddling two worlds has shaped us, how we relate to others, and our goals with this podcast. We know so many people can relate to the feeling of not knowing where you belong, but maybe not feeling like you fit in perfectly anywhere is just an opportunity to build a bridge. Love you!

We’re back for part 2 with the man of the hour, Jared Villery! If you missed part 1, Jared was our brother’s best friend in prison who also helped litigate his case from behind prison walls. He was recently released from custody after serving 21 years, and has come to lovingly share his story with us! On today’s episode, we talk all about his release from prison, what he learned about humanity from his time incarcerated, and what his plans are moving forward in his newfound freedom! We’re so grateful to him for being here and hope you enjoy :)

Safe Space is growing up, people! We have our first guest! In today’s episode, we speak to our chosen brother and friend, Jared Villery. Jared was our (real) brother Ryan’s best friend and lawyer while incarcerated! After spending 21 years in prison for something he also did not do, Jared is finally free and has come to tell us all about his experience in the system, how he started practicing the law while incarcerated, and of course share some sweet memories of him and Ryan :) He’s a very bright mind with an absolutely wild life story and we really think you’re going to love him just as much as we do. Thank you Jared for sharing with us!! *Disclaimer: this episode includes conversations about violence, crime and some graphic language. If that will upset or trigger you, you may want to skip this one and come back next week!

I think we all know there’s a lot going on with the collective right now! So in response to that, today’s episode is a short and sweet life update, briefly filling you in on our New York trip and talking about how wild it is to be a human in this world. We discuss the idea of “sonder”, how pulling on your own thread can help to unravel the collective cloth of suffering in the world, and also have a ton of goofy moments. Cacey is getting a cold so everyone please pray for her.

Happy Thursday, beautiful people! Sharing Ryan's story last episode was so cathartic and important, but like with any long story, we felt like there were a few things we missed that matter to mention. Consider this a little follow up, if you will! In this week's episode, we continue the conversation around him and his journey incarcerated. We also dive deeper into some of the current advocacy work we are doing and where we hope to head with it.

If you’ve followed us on Instagram for even just a few days, chances are you’ve seen our brother Ryan posted somewhere along the way. We've shared bits and pieces about Ryan's wrongful conviction, his death, and our grief journey as a family, but we haven't felt ready to dive deep into what happened until now. It wouldn't be possible to explain his whole life or the extent of our brother's vibrance or importance to us in one podcast episode. Rather, our hope for today’s episode is to further contextualize not only the work we do in justice reform, but why we are so passionate about sharing Ryan and his beautiful humanity with the world the way that we do. We couldn’t be more proud to be your baby sisters, Ryry. You’ll live through us forever. We miss you. We love you.

Spirituality can be an uncomfortable subject to speak openly about! Everyone has their own belief systems, as they should, and we hope our take encourages open mindedness and tolerance of others - whether you have zero connection to spirituality or you are heavily invested in your faith journey. We talk about some of our personal sticking points with religion, what opened us up to the concept of spirituality, and where we're at with it today - including things we haven't fully decided on where we stand! We hope regardless of your beliefs that you feel safe in this conversation. Love you

Our first video episode and we chose such a light topic - grief! We recently experienced the 5 year anniversary of our brother's passing and we had some thoughts and memories to share about who he was, and our experience moving through grief. We sprinkle in plenty of laughs too because how the hell does anyone get through life without laughing?? Love you guys.

Humans spend a lot of energy not wanting to be confined or defined by anyone else, but isn't it strange how much we put ourselves into boxes without even realizing it? Today we talk about letting ourselves become new versions of who we are as often as we want, and not playing small to appease anyone else or to feel "safer". We also talk about the trap of dating to land someone, versus evaluating for yourself what you truly need out of a partnership... and more. Enjoy!

Today we're chatting about tough scenarios that are all too common in life, and how we think we would navigate them. Do you tell your friend if you know she is getting cheated on? Are you ever allowed to hook up with a friend's ex? Is it our job to elevate other women whenever we get the chance? We shall see

Today we wanted to talk about the experience of lacking trust in your decision making abilities, and how to build trust with yourself when experiencing self-doubt. We mostly framed the conversation in the context of dating and romantic relationships, but this journey to build self-trust could apply to any realm of life, truly. If you've lacked trust in yourself, we feel you. Hopefully this gives you the belief and the knowing that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with your discernment, and that learning lessons is a crucial part of building a life that you love. We believe in you!

Today we want to talk about body image; a struggle that in today's world does not discriminate. Both of us have had a long journey toward self-acceptance, and our struggles with body image and eating disorders are both similar and different. We hope that by being candid, other people can feel validated and understood for their version of suffering, and hopefully your healing as well. We love you guys and just to be clear, if you are triggered by this subject matter, please feel free to skip this episode and join back in next Thursday! xoxo

Hello beautiful people! In this week’s episode, we discuss some of our biggest takeaways from the most recent Trauma To Transformation circle we did at Lancaster State Prison. Everything from the beauty we witness in these individuals, to “society crimes”, to the ability to transcend your physical circumstances and create a home in your body are discussed. We are so passionate about building a bridge in this world between incarcerated individuals and the general public, and we hope you feel inspired, informed and curious after this listen.

On this week’s episode, we pull cards from the We’re Not Really Strangers deck and answer questions about each other! Everything from early childhood memories and silly quirks to family dynamics are discussed, and we even learn things about each other that we didn’t know. It’s fun, light and tells you a lot about who we are and where we come from! Enjoy :)

Today we talk all about community and connection, and the ways that we are building and attracting both into our lives. Carleigh shares with us her experience doing her first Trauma to Transformation workshop at Donovan Prison, and you get your first little glimpse into something we are deeply passionate about, prison reform and advocacy ❤️

Welcome to Cringe mountain baby! We’re so glad you’re joining us on this hike. In today’s episode, we talk all about taking the first step towards the life you’ve always wanted, and how awkward and uncomfortable, yet truly empowering it can be. As our lovely muse from TikTok says, “you cannot reach the land of cool or be good at anything without climbing cringe mountain”. So here we go.