Prison to Promise

Lorenzo Trout: Freedom After the Door Opens

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.

Beyond the Bars: David Gaspar: Freedom, Leadership, & The Bail Project Ep.115

In this long-awaited episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with David Gaspar, CEO of The Bail Project, for a powerful conversation about transformation, leadership, and the fight for real justice.
David shares his journey from the decisions and circumstances that led him to prison, to the mental and emotional grind of incarceration, and the hard-fought process of winning his appeal. He reflects on the leadership lessons he learned inside, the promises he made to himself while locked up, and how those promises now shape his work and his life.
Together, Craig and David dig into what it means to move from surviving a system designed to break you to leading efforts to dismantle its most harmful parts. They explore David's role at The Bail Project, his vision for justice, and the practical wisdom he's gained along the way—offering inspiration and game-changing insights for anyone committed to freedom, healing, and real change.

From the Yard to the Capitol: Kerwin Pittman on Healing, Advocacy, and Authentic Change Ep. 114

In this powerful episode of Prison to Promise, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Kerwin Pittman — activist, policy reformer, and truth-teller — to unpack a journey that moves from incarceration to transformation, and from pain to purpose. Kerwin shares the pivotal moments that sparked his path toward advocacy, the importance of authenticity in leadership, and how healing became the foundation for his success after prison. Together, they explore building community networks, shaping policy from lived experience, and staying emotionally grounded in the fight for justice. This is a conversation about resilience, faith, and the courage to turn struggle into service.

Jeff Walker: Recovery Is a Revolution: Hope, Healing, and Second Chances Ep. 113

In this compelling episode of Prison to Promise, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Jeff Walker, a beacon of transformation and the driving force behind Wilkes Recovery Revolution, Inc. Together, they explore the intersection of addiction recovery, reentry, and personal redemption—and how one man's pain became the catalyst for a community-wide movement.
Jeff shares his journey from incarceration to advocacy, his insights into peer support and recovery work in rural North Carolina, and his mission to help others find hope where they once saw only despair.
This episode is a powerful reminder that recovery isn't just about surviving—it's about rebuilding, restoring, and rising stronger than before.

From Lived Experience to Leadership: Jasmine Milton on Forensic Peer Support and Healing Justice Ep. 112

In this episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Jasmine Milton, a Forensic Peer Support Specialist and President of the Black Coalition of Forensic Peer Support Specialists based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jasmine shares her journey of transformation—from navigating the challenges of involvement in the justice system to becoming a leading advocate for healing, equity, and representation in forensic peer work. Through her lived experience and professional insight, she discusses the power of peer support in bridging the gaps between systems and humanity, the importance of centering Black voices in reentry and recovery spaces, and how authentic connection can break the cycles of trauma and incarceration.
This conversation is more than a story of resilience—it’s a blueprint for change.
Tune in to hear how Jasmine and her colleagues are redefining what it means to heal, lead, and build hope from within our communities.