Prison to Promise

Keenan Hudson: A Determined Mindset Ep. 49

After being certified as an adult at fifteen years old and incarcerated for nearly fifteen years, Keenan Hudson positively transformed his life. While incarcerated, he took full advantage of educational services and self-development opportunities and persevered using lessons learned through education, religion, and music. Tune in as Keenen talks about how, despite experiencing several adverse childhood experiences and facing a 12 1/2-to-25-year sentence at the age of 15, he learned that by developing a determined mindset, he could change the trajectory of his future.

Travis Abercrombie: Resurgence in the Making Ep. 48

Travis Abercrombie resides in South Carolina and is the founder of the Resurgence Post-Conviction Rehabilitation Program, which aims to positively influence and rehab the minds of men, women, and children affected by mass incarceration. Travis is an author (The Four Levels of Reintegration), teacher, curriculum developer, and motivational speaker with 10+ years of experience helping people impacted by mass incarceration succeed inside and outside prison.While doing a ten-year prison sentence, Travis was influenced by the teachings of two other incarcerated men (Lester Young and Lee Nelson) to know one's self, how to communicate with others appropriately, and to understand one of the human beings' most extraordinary powers, which is the power of choice.You can't afford to miss this conversation where Travis repeatedly describes the influence one's thinking has on their reality and outcomes. 

Barry Diamond: Joy Ep. 47

Barry Diamond was the owner of a successful 30-year-old business consulting company. Barry also started the Chamber of Commerce, was on the board of the Economic Development Commission, the Vice President of his town's Tax Abatement Commission, President of his town's Library Foundation, and the President-Elect of the Better Business Bureau of the State of Connecticut. All that ended when he was convicted of a non-violent white-collar crime and sentenced to 6 years in prison.One day he was having lunch with Mayors and state representatives, and the next day lunch with murderers, rapists, child molesters, and bank robbers.Barry is currently an active member of the Reentry Roundtables, HangTime, and operates the reentrysurvivors.com website. For ten years, he has taught the first Reentry Entrepreneurial course (called P.R.I.D.E.) and Financial Literacy Workshops (called FLOW), endorsed by Congressmen, Governors, DOC Commissioners, and Mayors. These FREE training programs are exclusively for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people and family or friends of people with a criminal background.

Peter Armstrong:I Came Up Out of the Dirt: You Can Do it Too Ep. 46

Peter Felix Armstrong is a third-year law student at Mitchell Hamline School of Law and a criminal appellate paralegal. While in prison for a fatal car crash, Armstrong discovered a new purpose in the law. He spent his time behind bars as a law clerk advocating for other incarcerated men. Released in 2019, admitted to law school in 2020, and set to graduate in 2023, Armstrong seeks to find his place and be a force for meaningful change for the still-incarcerated and those coming out of incarceration.

Anthony Boyd: 18 Years and Some Change Ep. 45

Anthony has first-hand experience with the criminal legal system; he spent 23 years in prison. Today, along with being a Certified Life Coach, Anthony is also the Managing Director of IMPAPACT, an initiative of RestoreHER.us. He is passionate about improving the treatment of incarcerated people and what needs improvement for returning citizens to be productive and sustain long-lasting success. Anthony is currently involved with several groups that address mass incarceration, such as the Re-entry Coaching Academy; Project PEACE; Washington Parks Academy Boys Mentoring; and Prosper Us Recovery Park.Anthony also served as President of the National Lifers of America Chapter 125 and as an advocate for restorative justice, as a team leader, and as a mediation coach. In addition, Anthony briefly served as a board member for the Chance for Life Organization. He firmly believes he has a responsibility and a vested interest in the health and safety of our communities.

Speakin Thru the Barz: Integrity & Patience: Your Losses can be Used as a Lesson, ft Mrr. Claenn & Pana tha Guru Ep. 44

Pana tha Guru, and Mr. Claenn.Pana the Guru was born in Panama, Central America, and raised in Brooklyn, NY. & Mrr. Claenn was born and raised in Rochester, NY, in the 19th Ward. While doing time at Greene Correctional Facility, in New York State, Pana tha Guru and Mrr. Claenn met and became brothers.While in prison, Pana Tha Guru and Mrr. Claenn started the podcast, Speakinthruthebarz.Pana the Guru completed his sentence and has since been deported back to Panama, leaving behind Mr. Clean, who has completed 10-years of a 14-year sentence.Despite their separation of time and space, and the restrictions of prison and deportation, Pana tha Guru & Mr. Claenn continue speaking through the bars—Bringing inspiration to the listeners to find motivation within themselves to be great.

Ep. 43 Adolphus Eion Redding: Phoenix Rising

Adolphus Redding Jr spent approximately 31 years incarcerated. After completing a 19-year prison sentence and recently returning to the community, Adolphus' goal is to one day be in a position to impact the youth population that is struggling with depression and or trauma. He can relate to those youth trying to navigate their battles with depression and trauma because, as Adolphus notes, "I spent years battling back from mistakes I made because I didn't know where to turn to for help.Adolphus said, "you can not defeat an enemy you are unwilling to face." Listen to this deep conversation where Adolphus details how he faced his trauma and learned to heal himself.

Ep. 42 Roy Rogers: The Choices You Make Today will Curse You or Bless You

Roy Rogers, widely known as Bro. Roy is a Data Solutions Processor at Quad Data Solutions. He is also the Pre-entry & Reentry Liaison, an information analyst for the nonprofit organization The Community, and a public speaker and consultant with the Wisconsin Alliance for Youth Justice (WAY J). Bro. Roy committed himself to juvenile justice issues while serving 28 years as a juvenile lifer in the Wisconsin prison system. He is committed to the philosophy of restorative justice, criminal justice reform, and second-chance opportunities for juveniles waived into adult court and sentenced as adults. Roy sits on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Justice Initiative, an organization that advocates progressive change in the Wisconsin justice system. He's also an active member of the Progressive Baptist Church in Milwaukee.

Ep. 41 Philip Cooper: Darkness to Light

Philip Cooper is a Western North Carolina Native, accomplished reentry expert, criminal justice reform advocate, and regional change agent. He is the Workforce Equity Advocate at the Land of Sky Regional Council, a Practitioner in Residence at NC State University’s Institute for Emerging Issues, and the Executive Director of Operation Gateway. Additionally, he is the founder of Voices of Affrilachia, a state-funded initiative addressing the mental health stigma in the Black Communities of Western North Carolina. Philip believes that those closest to the problem are the closest to the solution, which is why he is fully committed to teaching people how to leverage their experiences to change the world. He is an MLK Service Award Recipient, Appalachian Leadership Fellow, and a Leading with Conviction Fellow with Just Leadership USA. He serves on the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and is the Chair of the Just Economics of Western North Carolina (WNC) Board of Directors.

Ep. 40 Alfred Rivera: The Awakening

 Alfred Rivera was born in Brooklyn, New York, but he has deep roots in Puerto Rico. When he was 20 years old, he moved to Winston-Salem to live with family members after his mother died. Alfred lost his father to homicide when he was just four years old. Alfred spent several years incarcerated as a young man, and then In 1997, Alfred got sentenced to death in Forsyth County, NC, for a crime he did not commit. In 1999, he won a new trial, and after serving 22 months on death row, he was acquitted. However, about a year after his release, Alfred was arrested again and sentenced to life in prison. However, in 2019, he was rereleased under the First Step Act.Alfred is a deep and introspective thinker. He talked with me about the power of manifesting his thoughts and beliefs. He also described how gaining knowledge of himself was the first step in helping him to understand the deliberate systemic design that was created to pave the way to prison, death, and destruction for Black and Brown people from marginalized communities.Alfred now lives in Concord, NC, where he is starting a food truck business and working with North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NCCADP). Alfred is passionate about criminal legal reform and violence prevention among youth. He also believes other innocent people remain on North Carolina’s death row.