Prison to Promise

Rescued, Not Arrested: Gregory Winbush’s Story Ep. 125

In this episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, Dr. Craig Waleed speaks with Gregory Winbush about rebuilding life after incarceration. Gregory shares how family support, mentorship, and personal determination helped him move forward after prison and eventually receive a pardon that restored opportunities and rights. The conversation explores the challenges of reentry, the importance of pro-social support systems, and Gregory’s current work helping others clear their records and find hope beyond their past mistakes.

From Prison to Leadership: Shaheedah Ross on Reentry, Second Chances & Building Community Ep. 124

What does it really take to rebuild a life after prison?
In this powerful episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, host Craig Waleed sits down with Charlotte-based community leader and reentry advocate Shaheedah Ross.
After spending years incarcerated, Shaheedah Ross emerged determined to transform her experience into purpose. Today, she works to create pathways for justice-impacted individuals seeking opportunity, dignity, and a second chance.
In this conversation, Dr. Waleed and Shaheedah discuss:
• The reality of rebuilding life after incarceration• The hidden barriers people face during reentry• How lived experience shapes authentic leadership• Why communities must rethink second chances• Turning personal adversity into collective impact
This episode is a powerful reminder that people are more than the worst moment of their lives—and that leadership can rise from places society often overlooks.
If you believe in second chances, redemption, and community transformation, this conversation is for you.
Book Launch: April 4, 2026 at Allegra Wesbrook Library, Charlotte, NC
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From Prison to Purpose: Jesse Crosson on Accountability, Redemption, and Justice Reform Ep.123

In this episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with prison reform advocate and Justice Ambassador Jesse Crosson for a powerful conversation about transformation, accountability, and the long road from incarceration to purpose.
Jesse shares his deeply personal story of entering the criminal legal system as a young man and spending years behind bars before experiencing a profound shift in how he understood responsibility, harm, and redemption. Through education, faith, and mentorship, Jesse began rebuilding his life from the inside out.
Today, Jesse works to advance criminal justice reform and restorative justice practices across the country. In this conversation, he reflects on the importance of human dignity, the challenges of reentry, and why people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution.
This episode explores what it means to confront the past honestly while working to build a future rooted in accountability, healing, and community transformation.

Resilience in Action: From Addiction and Incarceration to Purpose-Driven Entrepreneurship Ep.122

In this powerful episode of the Prison to Promise podcast, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Earnest Hanible for a candid and deeply personal conversation about resilience, faith, addiction, incarceration, and transformation.
Earnest shares his journey through 30 years of substance use, repeated incarceration, and spiritual torment—until a defining moment in May 2023 changed everything. What followed was not just sobriety, but a radical shift in identity and purpose. Today, Earnest is completing an internship with Georgetown University's Pivot Program for returning citizens and preparing to graduate from an intensive eight-month Entrepreneur Fellowship focused on social impact.
Together, Craig and Earnest reflect on the cycles of incarceration, the importance of self-honesty, and the courage it takes to surrender old patterns. They discuss mindset shifts, harm reduction, mentorship, and the power of community in rebuilding a life.
This episode is a testament to resilience—not as a slogan, but as daily work. It is about becoming honest, building relationships, reclaiming identity, and choosing purpose over past pain.

Lorenzo Trout: Freedom After the Door Opens Ep.121

Understanding Freedom, Community, and the Power of Walking With One Another
In this deeply reflective episode of Prison to Promise, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Lorenzo Trout for an honest conversation about what freedom really means—long after the prison gates open.
Lorenzo shares his journey of navigating life after incarceration and the quiet, often unseen challenges that come with rebuilding identity, trust, and purpose. Together, they explore the essential role of community support, mentorship, and human connection in sustaining real change. From formative lessons learned in a juvenile detention center to the transformative impact of equine therapy, Lorenzo reflects on the experiences that helped reshape how he sees himself and the world around him.
This episode also lingers on the power of “small seeds”—the moments, relationships, and acts of care that may seem insignificant at first but grow into life-altering forces over time. Above all, Lorenzo offers encouragement to those still in the process of becoming—reminding us that transformation is rarely loud or linear, but it is always possible.
This is a conversation about freedom beyond release, healing through connection, and the courage it takes to walk alongside others while learning how to walk whole again.

From Felon to Forbes: The Powerful Transformation of Trent Griffin-Braff Ep.120

From Felon to Forbes: The Powerful Transformation of Trent Griffin-Braff
In this inspiring episode of Prison to Promise, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with entrepreneur and change-maker Trent Griffin-Braff to explore a journey defined by loss, growth, and extraordinary transformation.
Trent opens up about his early life and the challenges that led him into the system, as well as the life-altering moment of missing his daughter’s birth—a catalyst that sparked his commitment to change. Listeners will hear how Trent went from working as a janitor to becoming a successful entrepreneur, ultimately earning recognition from Forbes.
This episode dives deep into:
Breaking cycles and redefining success
Turning pain into purpose
Building businesses that create community impact
Finding your own path—no matter your past
Encouragement and hope for those currently incarcerated
Trent’s story is a testament to what’s possible when determination meets opportunity. Whether you’re navigating reentry, supporting someone who is, or simply looking for a story of resilience and redemption, this episode will challenge, inspire, and uplift.
🎧 Tune in to hear how one man turned a prison sentence into a platform for purpose—and how you can begin rewriting your own story.

Trudging Forward: How the Long Road Became a Pathway Home. Kevin Palmer Ep.119

In this powerful episode of Prison to Promise, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Kevin Palmer, founder of Eighteen WHEELIN CDL Training, to explore how trucking can become a true pathway to second chances for formerly incarcerated individuals. Kevin shares his personal turning point—how trucking became more than a paycheck and instead offered stability, structure, and purpose after incarceration. Together, they unpack what reentry really requires: not just a job, but the wraparound supports, mentoring, and advocacy needed to help people succeed in a highly regulated and often exclusionary industry.
This episode dives into: Work as reentry, not just employment. Navigating background checks, insurance barriers, and employer bias. Challenging systemic obstacles in CDL and transportation careers. Redefining long-term success after incarceration. Building futures that reduce recidivism and strengthen communities.
Kevin’s work shows what’s possible when lived experience meets purpose-driven leadership. Whether you’re impacted by incarceration, working in reentry, or interested in workforce development that actually changes lives, this episode offers insight, inspiration, and real-world solutions. Tune in to hear how the open road can become a road to restoration—and how reentry can be reimagined as opportunity, not limitation.

Brian Widenhouse: From Juvenile Lifer to Justice Advocate Ep.118

What does it mean to grow up in prison—and come home determined to change the system that confined you?
On this episode of Prison to Promise, host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Bryan Widenhouse, a formerly incarcerated advocate who spent over 30 years serving a life-without-parole sentence for a crime committed as a teenager. Now a national leader in sentencing reform, Bryan works to dismantle extreme punishment laws and advance second-chance legislation nationwide.
Together, Bryan and Dr. Waleed explore what prison teaches about survival and humanity, why release is not the end of the story, and how lived experience must inform public policy. This is a powerful conversation about accountability, transformation, and what it truly means to believe in redemption.
 
🎙️ Listeners will hear:• What it’s like to “grow up” behind prison walls• The realities of coming home after decades inside• Why second chances are both a moral and public safety issue• How storytelling can move policy—and people
This episode is for anyone who believes that justice should leave room for healing, growth, and hope.
 
FAMM's website: https://famm.org/
National LWOP Leadership Council website: https://www.beyondlwop.org/

From the Inside: Peer Support, Lived Experience, and the Work of Healing Ep.117

In this episode of Prison to Promise, host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Monica Wright, a Peer Support Specialist in Buncombe County, NC, whose work is rooted in lived experience, recovery, and radical compassion.
Monica shares what peer support really means beyond the title—walking with people through trauma, substance use recovery, reentry, and the long-term emotional impacts of systems that often punish rather than heal. Together, we explore the power of shared experience, the importance of boundaries and self-care for helpers, and why healing is not a finish line but a way of moving through the world.
This episode is for anyone interested in recovery, community-based healing, justice-impacted lives, and the quiet, transformative work that happens when people are truly seen and supported.
Listen, reflect, and join the conversation.

Becoming Whole Again: A Conversation with Dr. Waleed Ep.116

In this episode of Prison to Promise, Khenya Robinson interviews Dr. Craig Waleed, a justice-impacted advocate, for a powerful and deeply human conversation about transformation in the shadow of incarceration. Drawing from his personal experience behind the walls, Dr. Waleed reflects on how confinement reshaped his sense of identity—challenging his understanding of who he was, who he could be, and what it means to rebuild a life after being marked by the system.
Together, Khenya and Dr. Waleed explore what justice and fairness truly mean in a society where punishment often outweighs accountability and healing. Their dialogue highlights the essential role of community support, mentorship, and advocacy, and how these forces help people returning home reclaim dignity, purpose, and belonging.
Waleed speaks candidly about the moments that changed him, the lessons the system could not destroy, and the inner work required to chart a path toward healing. He reflects on the growth he's experienced—emotionally, spiritually, and professionally—and shares his vision for a future where formerly incarcerated people are seen not through the lens of their worst mistakes but through the possibilities they carry.
This episode is a testament to resilience, the necessity of compassion in justice reform, and the power of community to help us become whole again. It invites listeners to rethink incarceration, reimagine what is possible, and recommit to building systems rooted in humanity.