Justice Voices

Sonya Massey Called for Help. A Deputy Shot and Killed Her. Here's What Has to Change. Sonya Massey was a mother, a sister, a cousin. She was managing lupus, raising her children, living her life in Springfield, Illinois. In the early hours of July 6, 2024, she called police because she heard banging outside her home. She was alone. One of the responding Sangamon County deputies — Sean Grayson — s...

Healing from trauma and helping others heal from trauma in the high crime community of East St. Louis, Illinois, Skyla Pawnell and Gloria Hicks share their powerful stories of transformation from being victims to community healers.

Rickey Brown shares his story of breaking free from an addiction-driven cycle of crime and jail. He graphically describes what it is like to see the world through the eyes of an addict.

Exploitation of women in prison by prison guards--the problem and solutions. Rachelle Conley shares her eye-opening story of being incarcerated nine times to becoming a correctional officer. Rachelle presents a vivid narrative of her challenging childhood, struggles with addiction, and the systemic exploitation and personal obstacles she faced within the prison system.

Restorative justice and justice in healthcare: two aspects of the justice mission of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good in Springfield, Illinois. This episode features a conversation between host David Risley and three guests from the Faith Coalition: Tyshianna Bankhead (executive director); Vanessa Knox (transformational justice chair); and Quonie Barney (transformational justice community o...

How can a high crime community turn around and what does it take to make that happen? Deana Perez of Bright Star Community Outreach discusses the TURN model as a big part of the answer.

Pastor Chris Harris speaks about Bright Star Community Outreach, NATAL training, the TURN Center in Bronzeville in south Chicago, and the TURN Model of coalition building to reduce trauma and build safer communities.

Judge Jeff Ford (ret.), a pioneer of problem-solving courts and past president of the Illinois Association of Problem-Solving Courts, provides an inside look into this growing approach to criminal justice and explains his experience with creating and managing problem-solving courts in Champaign County in central Illinois.

Virgia Brewer. To meet this wonderful woman today, you would have no idea she is a survivor of decades of abuse and trauma, beginning as a sexually exploited child – exploited and abused by family members no less, beginning at age seven. Now she is happy. Hear what made the difference.

Lenore Anderson discusses the connection between victims' rights and public safety, and how increasing services for victims can reduce crime.

Lisa Daniels: Finding Healing Through Restorative Practices Lisa Daniels transformed her grief into purpose after forgiving her son’s killer. As founder of the Darren B. Easterling Center for Restorative Practices, —named after her son—she embodies the principles of restorative justice and the forgiveness teachings from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. Through her powerful story, Lisa […]

Lisa Daniels lives the principles of restorative justice as a mother who forgave her son's killer and asked for leniency at his sentencing.

On the eve of Christmas, David Risley challenges both the philosophical and moral underpinnings of our prevailing approach to criminal justice and punishment.

Part 2 of Michael Tafolla's story and his message about trauma, violence, transformation, and restorative justice.

Michael Tafolla shares part 1 of his story of childhood trauma from chronic victimization by gang-related gun violence and how as a teenager he became what he feared when he took up the gun, leading him to prison for murder, where he changed his life.

Pastor Jennifer Stephens shares her story of experiencing the trauma of victimization, self-medication with alcohol, jail and prison, support from church and family, reentry to community life after release, barriers faced because of her felony record – amounting to permanent punishment – resource recommendations for formerly incarcerated people in the Chicago area, her path to the ministry in the...

Eddie Bocanegra Video: His Journey from Gang Violence to READI Chicago Eddie Bocanegra grew up in Little Village on Chicago’s west side. His neighborhood felt like a combat zone. At 14, Eddie joined a street gang for protection, identity, belonging, and respect. By 18, he went to prison for a gang-related murder committed in retaliation […]

From a public safety policy and justice reform standpoint, this is one of the most important episodes of Justice Voices published to date. Richard Lovett, who prefers to go by the name Reality Allah, is the Reentry Coordinator for READI Chicago and a board member of the Fully Free campaign of Heartland Alliance. After Reality […]

Willette Benford is Board Chair of the Fully Free campaign of Heartland Alliance. In this episode she tells the story of how she was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison, developed a transformational relationship with God, worked while in prison to improve her life and the lives of others around her, was released […]

Cedrick Frison shares wisdom gained from the hard lessons of living life on the streets of the west side of Chicago, including the effects of drug use, the trauma of living with violence both at home and on the street, and going to prison nine times before breaking free from that cycle and becoming the […]

The Fully Free campaign of Heartland Alliance aims to end “permanent punishment” for people seeking to lead law-abiding lives after release from prison. Campaign manager Marlon Chamberlain (whose personal story was featured in Episode 7) shares his personal experience and describes examples of laws creating barriers for employment, housing, education, and professional licensing, which he […]

Marlon Chamberlain manages the Fully Free campaign of the Heartland Alliance in the Chicago area. In this episode he shares his personal story and insights gained from serving over a decade in federal prison, returning home to community and family life, and following the path that led him to where he is today. Mr. Chamberlain […]

In this episode of Justice Voices, you will hear from guest Sam Dent, who served a mandatory minimum 20 years in prison in a case host David Risley prosecuted around the same time as the case he prosecuted against co-host, Lynard Joiner. Mr. Dent was one of Mr. Joiner’s early clients in his Shifting Into […]

This episode provides a big picture overview of why our criminal justice system needs improvement, especially regarding our overuse of prisons, by exploring the gold mine of information and perspective in the 2016 report of the Illinois Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform. The primary focus of this episode is on the background information […]

The root cause of violentization is trauma from chronic exposure to violence, usually beginning in childhood or adolescence. Victims of violence become victimizers. Why? Because at some point the victim of chronic violence makes the decision that this is a violent, dog-eat-dog world and that to avoid being a victim of violence one must become […]