Prison to Promise

Podcast Description In this episode of  Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Dr. Joe Louis Hernandez, a father, son, friend, and man in recovery whose life reflects the power of transformation. Joe shares his journey from addiction and incarceration to getting clean at 21, returning to school at 28, and eventually becoming a director at a community college. Through honest reflection...

In this episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Adolphus Redding for a meaningful conversation about life, growth, accountability, and transformation. This interview explores the human side of struggle and the powerful process of becoming more than the circumstances, choices, and systems that may have once defined a person’s path. Through honest reflection, Adolphus shares p...

In this thoughtful and timely conversation, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Taryn VanderPyl and Kyle Black to explore the human realities too often hidden beneath systems of punishment, control, and social marginalization. Together, they reflect on what it means to center the voices of people most directly impacted by harm, and why dignity, listening, and lived experience must be at the heart of a...

On this episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Waymon Daniels of Rochester, New York, for a conversation about transformation, healing, and the power of finding your voice. Waymon shares insights on overcoming pain, rebuilding from the inside out, and what it means to turn lived experience into purpose, leadership, and service to others.

In this powerful episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Edward “Scottso” Scott, a formerly incarcerated man who served nearly 30 years before coming home in 2019. Scottso shares his journey from Brooklyn and North Carolina to prison, to transformation, to faith, to family, and to reentry work. He speaks openly about the emotional and psychological weight many people carry a...

In this episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed speaks with Richie Desersa, currently incarcerated in the South Dakota prison system, about life in prison, his musical journey, and the work of personal change. Their conversation explores mindset, avoiding violence, lessons from solitary confinement, self-belief, legal knowledge, and the struggle to be seen as more than a label.

In this episode of Prison to Promise , Craig Waleed sits down with Nicholas Tsiamis for a powerful conversation about recovery, reentry, education, and personal transformation. Nicholas reflects on the impact of recovery programs, recovery housing, mental health awareness, and the role of lived experience in helping people rebuild stability after incarceration. Together, they explore desistance, a...

In this powerful episode of Prison to Promise, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Erin Parish Mitchell for a deeply reflective and unflinching conversation about transformation, trauma, and the long road from incarceration to purpose. Together, Craig and Erin explore the intersection of personal healing and systemic change. Craig offers insight into how education, emotional intelligence, and intentio...

In this episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast , Dr. Craig Waleed speaks with Gregory Winbush about rebuilding life after incarceration. Gregory shares how family support, mentorship, and personal determination helped him move forward after prison and eventually receive a pardon that restored opportunities and rights. The conversation explores the challenges of reentry, the importance of pro-soc...

What does it really take to rebuild a life after prison? In this powerful episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, host Craig Waleed sits down with Charlotte-based community leader and reentry advocate Shaheedah Ross. After spending years incarcerated, Shaheedah Ross emerged determined to transform her experience into purpose. Today, she works to create pathways for justice-impacted individuals s...

In this episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast , host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with prison reform advocate and Justice Ambassador Jesse Crosson for a powerful conversation about transformation, accountability, and the long road from incarceration to purpose. Jesse shares his deeply personal story of entering the criminal legal system as a young man and spending years behind bars before experie...

In this powerful episode of the Prison to Promise podcast, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Earnest Hanible for a candid and deeply personal conversation about resilience, faith, addiction, incarceration, and transformation. Earnest shares his journey through 30 years of substance use, repeated incarceration, and spiritual torment—until a defining moment in May 2023 changed everything. What followe...

Understanding Freedom, Community, and the Power of Walking With One Another In this deeply reflective episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Lorenzo Trout for an honest conversation about what freedom really means—long after the prison gates open. Lorenzo shares his journey of navigating life after incarceration and the quiet, often unseen challenges that come with rebuildi...

From Felon to Forbes : The Powerful Transformation of Trent Griffin-Braff In this inspiring episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with entrepreneur and change-maker Trent Griffin-Braff to explore a journey defined by loss, growth, and extraordinary transformation. Trent opens up about his early life and the challenges that led him into the system, as well as the life-altering m...

In this powerful episode of Prison to Promise, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Kevin Palmer, founder of Eighteen WHEELIN CDL Training, to explore how trucking can become a true pathway to second chances for formerly incarcerated individuals. Kevin shares his personal turning point—how trucking became more than a paycheck and instead offered stability, structure, and purpose after incarceration. To...

What does it mean to grow up in prison—and come home determined to change the system that confined you? On this episode of Prison to Promise, host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Bryan Widenhouse, a formerly incarcerated advocate who spent over 30 years serving a life-without-parole sentence for a crime committed as a teenager. Now a national leader in sentencing reform, Bryan works to dismantle e...

In this episode of Prison to Promise, host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Monica Wright, a Peer Support Specialist in Buncombe County, NC, whose work is rooted in lived experience, recovery, and radical compassion. Monica shares what peer support really means beyond the title—walking with people through trauma, substance use recovery, reentry, and the long-term emotional impacts of systems that o...

In this episode of Prison to Promise , Khenya Robinson interviews Dr. Craig Waleed, a justice-impacted advocate, for a powerful and deeply human conversation about transformation in the shadow of incarceration. Drawing from his personal experience behind the walls, Dr. Waleed reflects on how confinement reshaped his sense of identity—challenging his understanding of who he was, who he could be, an...

In this long-awaited episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with David Gaspar, CEO of The Bail Project, for a powerful conversation about transformation, leadership, and the fight for real justice. David shares his journey from the decisions and circumstances that led him to prison, to the mental and emotional grind of incarceration, and the hard-fought process of win...

In this powerful episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Kerwin Pittman — activist, policy reformer, and truth-teller — to unpack a journey that moves from incarceration to transformation, and from pain to purpose. Kerwin shares the pivotal moments that sparked his path toward advocacy, the importance of authenticity in leadership, and how healing became the foundation for h...

In this compelling episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Jeff Walker, a beacon of transformation and the driving force behind Wilkes Recovery Revolution, Inc. Together, they explore the intersection of addiction recovery, reentry, and personal redemption—and how one man's pain became the catalyst for a community-wide movement. Jeff shares his journey from incarceration to...

In this episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast , Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with Jasmine Milton, a Forensic Peer Support Specialist and President of the Black Coalition of Forensic Peer Support Specialists based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jasmine shares her journey of transformation—from navigating the challenges of involvement in the justice system to becoming a leading advocate for healing,...

In this episode of Prison to Promise , Dr. Craig Waleed speaks with Jessica Younts — a powerhouse advocate, scholar, and changemaker in the fight for justice reform. Jessica shares her deeply personal journey through incarceration and how it ignited her passion for criminal justice advocacy. Together, she and Dr. Waleed explore Florida’s historic Amendment 4, the ongoing struggles with fines and f...

This conversation explores the transformative journey of Anyakara, who shares her experiences of incarceration, the healing power of art, and the importance of community and storytelling. Through her personal narrative, she highlights how art became a tool for coping with trauma, fostering connections among incarcerated women, and advocating for change within the justice system. Anya-Kara emphasiz...

In this powerful episode of Prison to Promise , host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with James Tompkins, an early-career researcher and MSW student whose journey from justice involvement to academic and professional excellence is inspiring and instructive. James shares what sparked his passion for social justice and recovery services and how higher education played a pivotal role in his transformation...