More Life: The Reentry Podcast

Dr. Mandy Owens is an Assistant Professor at the Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Her work focuses on the intersection between substance use and the criminal legal system, including research and implementation efforts with law enforcement, jails, and prisons. Join VanKe’via and Dr. Owens in a conversat...

Rachel King-Johnson is a harm reductionist, counselor, and advocate for the underserved. She serves as the Director of Clinical Outreach of the Phoenix Center, where she coordinates the Springfield Harm Reduction Initiative (SHaRI). The SHaRI Project is the Center’s syringe access program, which supplies clean syringes and collects used ones to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C....

Join VanKe'via and Pastor Tony Lowden in a discussion on how second chance hiring can help employers find loyal workers and the benefits of being a second chance employer. Tony Lowden is the pastor of former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, and he is a chaplain for the Secret Service in Southwest Georgia. He was appointed by the White House in 2019 as Executive Director of the Federal I...

We are excited to be back after our hiatus. In our hiatus, we celebrated our 1-year anniversary and Second Chances Month. In this episode, VanKe’via provides an update on More Life: The Reentry Podcast and leads a discussion on acknowledging Second Chances Month. Tune into a brief conversation to learn more about second chances and how we recognize those who are formerly incarcerated. Friendly rem...

It’s still Women’s History Month! Dr. Susan Sered joins us to discuss the experiences of women as they transition from incarceration to the community and moving beyond recidivism and desistance. Dr. Susan Sered is a Professor of Sociology at Suffolk University and the author of Uninsured in America: Life and Death in the Land of Opportunity and Can’t Catch a Break: Gender, Jail, Drugs, and the Lim...

More Life: The Reentry Podcast continues their Women’s History Month series, As A Woman. Tune into our episodes this entire month to learn more about Women and their experiences post incarceration. Join Katie Lynch and VanKe’via as they discuss The Benedict Center and how they aim to support justice-involved women during their reentry process. The Benedict Center is an interfaith nonprofit dedicat...

More Life: The Reentry Podcast introduces their Women’s History Month series, As A Woman. Tune into our episodes this entire month to learn more about Women and their experiences post incarceration. This month we will be highlighting women’s reentry experiences, celebrating women who have made positive changes post incarceration, and discussing ways to support Women during their reentry process. F...

More Life: The Reentry Podcast introduces their 1st ever series and Black History Month series, Reentry: The Next Civil Rights Movement. Tune into our episodes this entire month to learn more about the Black community and their experiences post incarceration. This month we will be highlighting reentry experiences of the Black community, celebrating Blacks who have made positive changes post incarc...

More Life: The Reentry Podcast continues the Black History Month series, Reentry: The Next Civil Rights Movement. Tune into our episodes this entire month to learn more about the Black community and their experiences post incarceration. Celebrate Valentine’s Day and Black History Month with Dr. Janae Bonsu-Love and VanKe’via as they discuss Black women’s pathways health and self-care in reentry. D...

More Life: The Reentry Podcast introduces their Black History Month series, Reentry: The Next Civil Rights Movement. Tune into our episodes this entire month to learn more about the Black community and their experiences post incarceration. This month we will be highlighting reentry experiences of the Black community, celebrating Blacks who have made positive changes post incarceration, and discuss...

Join a conversation with VanKe’via Garner and Dr. Kyle Ward about justice-involved populations reentering from incarceration into rural communities. Dr. Kyle Ward is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Northern Colorado. He received his MA in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice...

Dr. Bradley D. Custer is a senior policy analyst for Higher Education at American Progress. He writes about a wide range of policy topics related to access, affordability, and accountability in U.S. higher education. He specializes in studying policy barriers that inhibit criminal justice system-impacted people from enrolling in and completing college, and he advocates for expanding college access...

VanKe’via led a discussion on the importance of goal setting. Specifically, she outlined SMART goals and how SMART goals can be used to create and attain reentry goals. VanKe'via also provided additional tips to help aid in establishing goals and achieving goals. Note: The episode content is discussed in the context of reentry, therefore, may or may not be applicable to everyone. Tag us or send us...

Jessica Hicklin is a founder and the CTO of UnlockedLabs, a tech nonprofit whose vision is enshrined in its company motto, “Building a better justice system from the inside out.” Jessica came to this role as a formerly incarcerated individual who spent 26 years on the inside during which time she crafted and facilitated many educational initiatives. In partnership with UnlockedLabs and other curre...

Dr. Jennifer Ortiz is an Associate Professor at Indiana University Southeast. Dr. Ortiz earned her Ph. D. in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Her research interests center on structural violence within the criminal justice system with a focus on reentry post-incarceration. Ortiz maintains a firm commitment to civil service and activism. Ortiz currently serves as an execu...

Dr. Luke Muentner is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Pediatrics. His research investigates the collateral consequences of parental incarceration and community reentry for children and families. In addition to his academic work, he has social work practice experience supporting men reintegrating into the community after jail and prison and designing and...

Dr. Nate Link is a criminologist, assistant professor, and Director of the Graduate Program in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice. He is also affiliated with the Health Sciences Center and the graduate program in prevention science. Given his background in social work, he aims to create knowledge that can improve both public policy and the lives of those in contact wit...

Dr. Metraux is a recognized expert on housing and homelessness. He has done pioneering work using administrative and survey data to assess housing outcomes; on how people experiencing homelessness use services in the mental health, criminal justice, child welfare, health care and veteran systems; and how receiving housing and related services interventions impacts the lives of formerly homeless ho...

In this episode, VanKe’via addresses the common myth: an individual with a felony conviction cannot vote. She provided information and resources to debunk this common misconception. The information provided in this episode has been selected from the Federal Interagency Reentry Council. More information was also provided about voting rights in Illinois. Resources below: Voting Rights Reentry Mythbu...

Mr. Kardell overcame poverty, gangs, and prison to become a national speaker, 6x author, master certified empowerment coach, and Re-Entry Consultant. After doing state and federal time, Mr. Sims walked out of those prison gates with a blueprint. A blueprint that he put together while incarcerated. His story and his journey is that of Inmate to Inspiration. He shares valuable information he learned...

Mrs. Quianya L. Enge is a community navigator and educator in economic development. Mrs. Enge received her Bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University in Inner City Studies, a Master of Education in Workforce Education and Development, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Higher Education and Administration from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. She is the Founder and Exe...

In this episode, VanKe’via leads an independent discussion about 10 considerations that should be taken into account when working with or interacting with children of incarcerated parents. The information provided in this episode has been selected from Project Avary. However, the interpretations in this episode are additional interpretations of the host. One of the goals for More Life: The Reentry...

Dr. Emily Brown is an Assistant Professor of Counseling and Associate Department Chair in the College of Education at the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Her background includes working with children and their families as an elementary school counselor and mental health counselor. Her research focuses on counseling children who have experienced loss, crisis, or trauma with a particular focus o...

Kristin Turney, Ph. D. is a Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine. Her current research examines the consequences of criminal justice contact for family life: repercussions of criminal justice contact on the wellbeing of children and families over time; the relationship between criminal justice contact and family inequality; and evaluates the processes through which crimin...

Dr. Laura Abrams, MSW, Ph. D. is a Professor and Chair of Social Welfare at UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Her ethnographic scholarship has critically examined experiences of youth in the US justice system through reentry and the transition to adulthood. Currently she is pursuing research in the area of youth justice policy, urban youth civic engagement, and the aftermath of youth sentenced...