Prison to Promise

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.

Ep. 39 David Gethers: Defying the Odds: Becoming What No one Thought I Would Be

David A. Gethers is the Founder & CEO of David A. Gethers SPEAKS, LLC, and the author of WeakDay Remedies: A Transformational Journal. His signature programs are “Defy the Odds Mentoring Program and WeakDay Remedies: A Cognitive Behavior Journaling Workshop. David’s work has impacted and transformed the life of Justice Impacted citizens, Veterans, and People who need Hope.Today, David uses his story of TRAGEDY, TRANSFORMATION, and TRIUMP to empower, encourage and enrich diverse audiences across various platforms. He speaks about Life Transformation, Leadership, Decision Making, Overcoming Adversity, Intentional Success, and more.Listen in as David impacts and transforms your life!

Ep. 38 Brian Scott: Rediscovery

Brian was released from a North Carolina prison in February of 2021 after twenty years of incarceration. One year later, he led a group of formerly incarcerated men to launch OurJourney. This statewide nonprofit organization exists to help make the transition from prison to freedom easier and more successful for those who will rejoin our communities. In just ten months, OurJourney has developed partnerships with the Department of Public Safety, other public agencies, and reentry specialists in counties all across this state, including most recently with the Buncombe County Reentry Council, with the ultimate goal of assisting all 17,000-plus men and women who return each year from our state correctional facilities.www.ourjourney2gether.comFacebook: OurJourneyNC

Ep. 37 Eddie Fordham: Kidviction: A Teenager’s Journey from Prison to Purpose

Eddie was barely 18 when he entered prison. While incarcerated, he started working toward an AA degree, held a 4.0 GPA on the Dean's List, and became Miami Dade College's first system-impacted student to receive an Academic Excellence Award. He was inducted into the National Honor Society for Leadership and Success. He is the longest-serving Senior Counselor of The Dr. Regina B. Shearn Corrections Transition Program, having helped hundreds of "Lifers" prepare for parole. Eddie served 31 years, two months, and eight days for a murder another teen admitted to committing. Instead of becoming bitter, he became better and found purpose even amid trial and tribulation. After receiving an emergency release from prison in mid-2022, he has already been a speaker for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, Boys and Girls Club, and Crossover Church in Tampa. Eddie recently shared his message "Choose Your Friends Wisely" with over 200 youth at the Florida Office of the Attorney General's National Conference on Preventing Crime—the same office of the prosecution that sent him to prison three decades ago. Please join me as we dive right into Eddie's story.

Ep. 36 Anthony Michael Jefferson: The Bumpy Road Less Traveled

Anthony Michael Jefferson’s family arrived in Hermosa Beach, California, from Trinidad and Tobago in 1968 when he was just a young boy. Growing up in the 70s, just after the Watts Riots in LA, there was a lot of cocaine around. As a young man, he got involved in dealing drugs with some very dangerous people. He soon had the money and the nice things he wanted, but it never felt like enough. His biggest regret is not having the courage to ask for help, not from his Mom or sister; his ambition blinded him. At 28 years old, he was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to 25 years to life. Anthony says: “At my trial, the judge told me there was hope; I would hang onto those words for the next 23 years.”

Ep. 35 Drew Doll: It Takes a Lifetime to Make a Saint

In this episode, I'm joined by Drew Doll, who served four years in prison. Drew talks about why he got sent to prison, his long talk with himself while in prison, and his decision to change his trajectory. Today Drew works for the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham [North Carolina], providing reentry assistance to people returning to the community after incarceration.