Between The Lines: The Pod' With Ivana Rojas

Luis Lopez grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where the streets seemed to offer the things he felt were missing at home: acceptance, attention, money, status, and belonging. By 14, Luis says he had dedicated his life to gang culture. What started as a search for love and identity eventually led him into years of destructive choices, a life sentence, and the painful realization that the path he...

Joe Moore has been incarcerated for 23 years and is serving life without parole. For years, he says anger, trauma, and violence shaped the way he saw himself and the world around him. But after years in prison, Joe says one prayer changed the direction of his life. Today, he has earned multiple degrees, found purpose through mentorship, and now works with young men entering prison so they do not h...

Before prison, Donel was filming interviews, building a YouTube channel, and chasing a dream. Then one night changed the course of his life forever. In this conversation, he shares the story behind the 72-years-to-life sentence and the perspective he's gained since. Interviewee: Donel Poston Host: Ivana Rojas (@ivanareds) Interview Date: April 16, 2026 About The Program: Between The Lines is a non...

Teiquon Lewis is serving 150 years to life with five separate life sentences for second-degree robberies and attempted robbery as a third-strike case. In this episode of Between the Lines, Teiquon opens up about growing up in Vallejo, California during the crack era. After losing his father at a young age and growing up around poverty, drugs, and street life, Tyquann says he became known in his to...

Michael Montes is currently incarcerated for two counts of second-degree robbery and two counts of intimidating a witness from reporting a crime with gang enhancements. He has been locked up since 2009. In this episode of Between the Lines, Michael opens up about growing up in Colton, California, surrounded by gang life, domestic violence, and chaotic environments that shaped what he thought was n...

Saahdi Coleman is serving 84 years, eight months to life for murder, arson, and discharge of a firearm. In this episode of Between the Lines, Saahdi opens up about the childhood trauma that shaped him, including the moment he walked in on his father attempting suicide while on drugs when he was just 11 years old. After his parents became addicted to crack cocaine, his life changed overnight. He be...

Daniel Nunez is serving life without parole for aiding and abetting murder. In this episode of Between the Lines, Daniel opens up about growing up without his father, being surrounded by gang life at a young age, and how he started believing prison was simply the life he was meant to live. After nearly 20 years in prison, Daniel reflects on regret, accountability, fatherhood, and the moment he rea...

Roderick Cooley, also known as Chosen, grew up in Los Angeles and says he was one of the founding members of the Rolling 40 Crips. As a teenager, he became known in the streets as C. Capone, or Crazy Capone, and eventually fell deeper into gang life, hustling, pimping, drugs, robberies, and repeated prison sentences. In this episode of Between the Lines, Chosen opens up about the life he once glor...

Sonny Bui is serving life without the possibility of parole after being convicted of six murders and eight attempted murders. In this episode of Between the Lines, he opens up about coming to the United States from Vietnam, growing up in California, joining the Asian Boys gang at 14, and how violence became part of his identity. But after decades in prison, Sonny reflects on the pain he caused, th...

Give Butter: https://givebutter.com/btlpod Interviewer: Ivana Rojas (@ivanareds) Interviewee: Jonathan Moore Interview Date: February 27, 2026 About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their uni...

Give Butter: https://givebutter.com/BTLPOD Interviewee: Reuel Hulbert Interview Date: February 27, 2026 About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories, connecting them with the o...

Interview Date: October 15, 2025 About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories, connecting them with the outside world and offering a deeper understanding of their experiences....

Interviewee: Aaron Campbell Interview Date: October 15, 2025 About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories, connecting them with the outside world and offering a deeper understa...

Interviewee: Richard Dor Interview Date: October 14, 2025 In this episode of Between the Lines, we sit down with Richard, a Haitian-American from Pasadena, who has spent 31 years in prison. He talks about growing up between Haitian values and street pressure, how “loyalty” became a life sentence, and why he says there’s nothing to glorify about gang culture, prison life, or violence. About The Pro...

Interviewee: Jeff Interviewer: Ivana Rojas Interview Date: October 14, 2025 About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories, connecting them with the outside world and offering a...

Interview Date: October 9, 2024 About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories, connecting them with the outside world and offering a deeper understanding of their experiences. O...

Interviewee: Brett May Interview Date: October 9, 2024 About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories, connecting them with the outside world and offering a deeper understanding...

About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories, connecting them with the outside world and offering a deeper understanding of their experiences. Our mission is to build bridges b...

At 17, Chris was pronounced dead. At 25, he was sentenced to life without parole. But his story isn’t about what he lost—it’s about what he’s fighting for. From growing up in a Compton gang family to surviving a near-fatal shooting, Chris shares his powerful journey of transformation. Now, from behind prison walls, he’s found a purpose greater than himself—mentoring others, embracing faith, and ad...

Between The Lines: The Pod’ Hosted by: Ivana Rojas  @ivanarojas8090  Guest: Mark “Turtle” Quiroz About The Program: Between The Lines is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing recidivism through mentorship, educational programming, and sports as a form of therapy. Additionally, we provide a platform for incarcerated individuals to share their unique stories, connecting them with the outside...

In this powerful episode, we delve into the extraordinary life of Coleridge Stroud III, a former pastor and successful tech executive whose journey has been marked by incredible achievements and profound challenges. As the father of NFL superstar CJ Stroud, Coleridge shares the pivotal role of faith, perseverance, and family in shaping his life and his children’s success. Currently serving a 38-ye...