Prison: The Hidden Sentence Podcast

In Part I,  Carlos Rebollo  shared his story about what it was like being incarcerated as a 15-year-old juvenile in an adult prison. He served 24 years and was incarcerated longer than he was free. In this second part, Carlos shares his experiences—from the time he learned that he would be released to where he is today and all that he's accomplished. When someone is released from prison...

Hear the incredible story of  Carlos Rebollo , who was incarcerated at just 15 years old and served 24 years in adult prisons. If you have a loved one in prison, then Carlos’ story will give you hope. If you never knew anyone who was incarcerated (or thought you didn’t), this story will humanize the prison experience. Carlos will take you on his journey from being an angry young man to growin...

In the middle of a rising career,  Chuck Gallagher  lost everything and went to prison because he made bad choices. He has since rebuilt his career and his life back to immense success. Chuck focuses on the importance of ethics and how that can help you survive and thrive. He learned a lesson about ethics, choices and consequences the hard way by being convicted of a white-collar crime....

Prison is usually seen as an almost hell-like experience that criminals deserve to go through. But what is it really like to be part of the prison pipeline? What are the stories of these so-called "criminals"? In this episode, radio personality, journalist, and producer Emma Lugo educates people about the criminal justice system. She has interviewed formerly incarcerated and currently incarcerated...

What does a Federal Criminal Appellate Attorney do? How will you know if you need one?  Elizabeth Franklin-Best  has practiced criminal defense for the past 20 years and has focused on appellate law for the past 16 years. She has represented clients in direct appeals, federal post-conviction, the Circuit Courts of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Conviction is not the end of...

If you've ever missed a call from your incarcerated loved one, you know the pain and struggle of wondering if everything is okay.  Alex Peder , CEO and Co-founder of  Corrio SPC , felt there was something that could be improved about the situation. In fact, while he was incarcerated, he conceived the idea of Corrio–a better way to keep prison families, those on the inside and those on th...

You may have experienced trauma and didn't even realize it. Jolyn Armstrong, a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach, talks about how trauma can affect anyone. For the Prison: The Hidden Sentence podcast, she focuses on trauma for those who have or had a loved one in the prison system. No matter when you experience trauma, you can still heal from it. Jolyn brings to light things you may not have thought...

Imagine being found to be wrongly convicted after serving three months of your sentence. That's what happened to Bill Baroni . In this podcast, Bill discusses what he was charged with in the Bridgegate scandal, what he learned about incarceration, and the importance of communication and visitation to keep the prison family together - those behind bars and those on the outside. He has seen the law...

Where can people who have loved ones in the criminal justice system, law enforcement and the judicial system, mental health professionals, legislatures, government officials, scholars, teachers, professors, and communities come together to share stories and learn from each other? They can come together at the InterNational Prisoner's Family Conference! Kayla Victor and Carolyn Esparza talk about t...

The criminal justice system has implemented efficient regulations in throwing wrongdoers to jail. However, it fails miserably in providing recovery support once they get out. David Rothenberg was able to change this poor aspect of the New York’s correctional system all thanks to one trip to prison in 1966. He joins Julia Lazareck to share how producing an off-Broadway play about incarceration insp...

Wrongful Convictions affect not only the person in question but also his family and loved ones. Could you imagine spending years in prison for a crime you didn't commit? Your whole life will change, especially once you adjust to the outside world. Join Julia Lazareck as she talks to  Dr. Amanda Lewis  about how wrongful convictions can happen to anyone and their ripple effect on families...

Disenfranchised Grief affects families who have incarcerated loved ones. When a family member is incarcerated, it is a loss to the family. Those outside find it difficult to openly acknowledge their feelings or seek public support. In this episode, learn the six factors contributing to disenfranchised grief and ways to alleviate the grief. Julia Lazareck interviews  Allegra Pocinki , whose wo...

Collateral consequences are something that most people are not aware of when accepting a plea and how it affects their integration back into society after release. Collateral consequences affect not only the people involved but also our society as a whole. We want people coming out of the prison system to be contributing citizens. However, the collateral consequences can prohibit people from obtai...

Imagine not seeing your son for over six months because he's 3000 miles away in state prison. Rita Rita arrived in Las Vegas so excited to see her son. When she told a friend that she needed to check the bus schedule, she was informed that there were no buses to the prison. When she checked taxis, Lyft, and Uber, they were over $100. She was at a loss. All she wanted to do was hug her son and tell...

Incarceration can be traumatic to everyone involved. However, you can get your life together, and your life can flourish no matter what happened to you in the past.  Vera Moore  started True Beginnings to assist formerly incarcerated people and their families rebuild self-esteem while reclaiming their rightful place as contributing members of society. Vera is a formerly incarcerated woma...

Imagine being incarcerated for 1,385 days, away from your children and grandchildren? Melisa Schonfield shares her story about what she learned while in prison and the effects it had on her family. She compares prison life to real life in ways we may not have thought of. What’s it like visiting the doctor in prison and the things she did when she was released because she had been institu...

This is part two of the journey of Ro and Adam Clausen . In the first part, you learned about how their strong relationship was formed during Adam’s incarceration. We followed them from their first meeting through Adam’s release. Today, we pick up the story with the day that Adam was released and how they moved across country to start a new life. They’ve accomplished a lot in the sh...

This is an amazing story about two people who met through a friend that changed their lives forever . Ro Clausen  had a friend whose boyfriend was in prison. Her friend suggested that she communicate with her boyfriend’s friend,  Adam Clausen , who was also incarcerated. Little did she know how much they would have in common and that they would be able to create a deep relationship....

Arrests can happen to anyone. Incarceration, even for a day, can impact your life. It would permanently be etched on you and change your perspective. In this episode of Prison: The Hidden Sentence Podcast, host Julia Lazareck is joined by Lily, a native and retired hunter–jumper horse trainer as she shares her experience of being arrested, how it affected her life, and her view of the criminal jus...

Are you familiar with how the social justice system works, specifically for public defenders? In this episode, Julia Lazareck speaks with  Jessica Smith-Peterson , Deputy Public Defender at the Clark County Public Defender's Office in Nevada. Jessica takes us through the ins and outs of the job, explaining when a public defender is assigned and what their role entails. Recalling her personal...

Life after prison is challenging for both the incarcerated and their family. Julia Lazareck welcomes Jacquelyn Frank, Ph. D. , who walked into a prison to help with a Shakespeare project. There she met Patrick Cox, one of the incarcerated who participated in the project. Join in the conversation as Patrick and Dr. Jacquelyn discuss the value of programs, the prison journey, and life after. Patrick...

Is your loved one coming home from incarceration? Jolyn Armstrong , Certified Trauma Recovery Coach, talks with Julia Lazareck about the challenges you face when helping them reintegrate back into society. The key is to re-evaluate circumstances and boundaries. For example, when Jolyn’s son came home, it was new to him that he could call for a doctor appointment himself. Because while he was in pr...

Families Outside  is a national Scottish charity working entirely on behalf of children and families affected by imprisonment. They offer support in three ways: direct emotional support, delivery of training and raising awareness, and longer-term development of policies and practices that create change. Joining Julia Lazareck today is the organization’s Chief Executive,  Nancy Loucks , O...

Incarceration is often a traumatic event that negatively impacts both the family as well as the person to be incarcerated. Who do you go to when a loved one is taken into the prison system? In this episode, Julia Lazareck discusses supporting the families and loved ones of prisoners with guests Alexis Schonfield, Barbara Allan, Danica Hubbard, Jolyn Armstrong and Neela Hoeppner, members of the Pri...

We need to dismantle stereotypes around race and prison in America by amplifying the voices of justice-impacted musicians and artists. Meet Fury Young , the Founder and Executive Director of Die Jim Crow, a record label for currently and formerly incarcerated musicians. Die Jim Crow's mission is "dismantling stereotypes around race and prison in America by amplifying the voices of justice-impacted...