All In All Out

In this episode, The Ostara Initiative talks about prison birth work across the country. The Ostara Initiative manages several prison birth work programs across the country. Erica Gerrity and Shanita Lawrence joined Shannon to talk about giving birth in prison; designing and managing a prison doula program that now operates in Minnesota, Alabama, Oregon, the federal system, and soon Wisconsin; and...

Kyle Ashley, the newly appointed Director of Community Outreach for the Milwaukee County Executive’s Office, has a rich history of community engagement and collaboration. In this episode, he discusses what he’s learned, what he has demonstrated, and his insights on around how to effectively collaborate, and why it is so greatly important to improving the health and strength of communities, which i...

Cecelia Klingele and Shannon discuss Truth in Sentencing, the difficulty of focusing on crimeless revocation, the fact that incarceration promotes the exact opposite of what’s needed to succeed upon release, and more. This is arguably a must-listen for anyone interested in or doing criminal legal reform work on WI. 

Now former state representatives Evan Goyke and Dora Drake talk with Shannon about strategies, experiences, and hopes around criminal legal system reform in Wisconsin. Since this episode, both individuals have since moved on to different positions in government to continue this work. 

Dominee Meek and Matthew Wick exchange stories with Shannon about all of their journeys through over 60 years in the system without believing in god: what they learned, how it limited their opportunities and path, and how it impacts their reentry journey.

Shannon talks with Ruben Gaona about the pros and cons of entrepreneurship versus employment and rental versus homeownership for people with criminal records, particularly those still on “paper.” Ruben Gaona is the Executive Director of My Way Out, an organization focused on reentry support for formerly incarcerated individuals.  Ruben's work has earned him numerous accolades, including being...

Simmone Kilgore LPC, an experienced trauma therapist talks with Shannon about "Second Chance" language, shame, and her career. She knows incarceration closely in her family. Simmone is the ReCAST Program Manager within Milwaukee's Office of Violence Prevention and assists Milwaukee’s youth and families most vulnerable to systemic and community violence/trauma.

Narrative work is foundational in not only the criminal legal system but in life overall. Kaleigh Atkinson and Shannon discuss the origins of the Correcting the Narrative campaign, how it has evolved over time, what they have learned, and where it is going next.

Janos Marton and I discuss the debate between reform and abolition around the criminal legal system. (Note: This episode was recorded 2 years ago.) Janos Marton is the Chief Advocacy Officer for Dream. Org, an organization committed to closing prison doors and opening doors of opportunity. Janos is a born and raised New Yorker who began his career as an organizer before becoming a civil rights law...

What started out as an exploration of the possibilities of traveling while on paper (extended supervision) ultimately turned into a legitimate research project ending with Adam Procell and Shannon Ross traveling to the only non-profit prison in the world located in Belize.

Temporary project

Marlon has an established track record of creating effective coalitions, including passing the largest sealing expansion law in the United States and leading a voter registration campaign, which registered over 1,000 people with records to vote. He is currently the campaign manager for the Fully Free Campaign in Illinois, which works to dismantle the laws and regulations that govern permanent puni...

Guy Hamilton-Smith is a 2019 JustLeadershipUSA fellow, civil rights activist, and a writer. Most recently, he was the legal fellow at the Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center at the Mitchell Hamline School of law where his work focused on civil rights litigation and policy in the area of sex offense registries and indefinite civil commitment. He currently acts as a consultant on a num...

Artie Gonzales went from a life sentence, including 8 straight years at the infamous Pelican Bay super max, to now a member of big Hollywood productions and a rising star in the movement to correct the narrative about people with criminal records through media and entertainment. He is a wonderful testament to what system-impacted people can be and the unprecedented humanity that lies within. Follo...

Brian Koehn spent 28 years in the private prison industry with a reputation as a "fixer." But during his career, he become more and more disillusioned with the destructiveness and waste of the system. A presentation at a conference and a subsequent visit to the Scandinavian prison system solidified the trajectory of a 180 degree turn in his career toward humanizing and helping system imp...

Dialo Orr has been incarcerated for 25 years on a 100+ year sentence. His journey from angry and lost, to sick and tired, to mighty healer is just one example of the grace and human beauty we neglect and disincentivize in jails in prisons. Chuck is also a prime example of the adage that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. - To contact and for more info on The Community: https...

As an experienced civil rights lawyer and long-time humanizer, Janos Marton is an influential and respected leader in safety and justice work nationally. His commentary on the discussion between reform and abolition is an excellent way to better understand the complexity of the issue. But don’t let it be the whole story for you. For answers on abolitionism we either didn’t cover or didn’t have ans...

David Carlson fought in the military, spent time in prison, and has significant experience as a humanizer in the reentry/reform/decarceration work with the ACLU in Eau Claire. His background and experience led to some powerful commentary during our conversation about collaborating across state, his disappointment working with the police to address the system, and his new venture We Adapt, which tr...

Dawn Barnett of Running Rebels and Carmen Pitre of the Sojourner Truth House are shining examples of the self-awareness, commitment, and power of collaboration. They share fantastic stories and insights about giving up control and sharing the spotlight for the larger purpose that is behind all of our work as humanizers and systems changers. - To contact and for more info on The Community: https://...

Dr. Darren Wheelock is, among other things, a criminal justice professor at Marquette University who has studied recidivism for a number of years. We spoke about the way this widely accepted barometer of success or failure in criminal justice programs and funding is misleading to say the least. Not only is it defined differently in states across the county but many of the ways it is defined overst...

Daniel Forkkio is the CEO of Represent Justice, whose mission is to turn stories into action to change the justice system, while building the capacity of system-impacted communities. Represent Justice started as an impact campaign inspired by the life and legacy of Bryan Stevenson, and launched in December 2019 alongside the Warner Bros. theatrical release of Just Mercy . Through a two-year strate...

This week we talk to Roy Rogers. Roy is what’s known as a j-lifer because he was sentenced to life in prison as a juvenile. We talk about his growth, successes, insights, and extreme sincerity as a human being as he approaches release after 28 years in prison. See this for an article he wrote 10 years ago as well http://secondchanceforjuvenileoffenders.blogspot.com/2009/12/roy-rogers.html?m=1 . -...

This week we talk to Jean Delonget, who has achieved numerous things while serving a 26 year sentence in the Wisconsin prison system for robbing someone with a BB gun. That’s right, a BB gun. And check out some of his work here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/QJUkbNywT9b8vkss8 - To contact and for more info on The Community: https://sociatap.com/Thecommunity/ - For resources and events in reentry/refo...

Scott Budnick, the producer and financier of Just Mercy (and the director of the Hangover) speaks about the national interest coming to fuel reentry/reform/decarceration efforts in Wisconsin very soon. - To contact and for more info on The Community: https://sociatap.com/Thecommunity/ - For resources and events in reentry/reform/decarceration work in Wisconsin visit the Wisconsin Decarceration Pla...