The PrisonCare Podcast

Sabrina shares some of the specific limitations on phone access, and wonders respectfully about whether there aren't some easy improvements to be made...better options for EVERYONE in the prison. Support PrisonCare with a donation of any size: http://prisoncare.org/community.html Time Markers: 1:59 Punitive vs. Rehabilitative - a Quick Review of the Paradigm 6:00 Let’s Talk About Phones 8:00...

An interview with J! Recorded before J's move to a new facility, this episode explores the complexities of feeding people in prison, the realities that cause people to be persistently hungry even when federally mandated nutritional requirements are being met, and the content (and quantities) of foods on your tray for a typical meal,  the multi-layered truth about "3 hots and a cot"...

Join Sabrina and learn what makes a prison "lockdown," and be surprised by some of the difficulties that arise out of lockdown...in particular, for correctional officers. Support PrisonCare with a donation of any size: http://prisoncare.org/community.html Time Markers: Intro/Outro MUSIC CREDIT:  The Fool, original recording music and lyrics by J. Bloom © 2022. For the full song, visit th...

Prisons operate in the U.S. using a structure that is very similar to the military. Join Sabrina to dig into how that creates a fundamental problem for correctional staff...and is not particularly helpful to prison residents, either.  And get an update on J in this last of the 4 "in-real-time" episodes of the past month. (theme music intro, “The Fool,” by incarcerated artist J. Bloom © 2...

Continuing to learn about prison culture "in real time" with Sabrina and J as they walk through the uncharted territory that follows a rules violation, this week's episode examines the difficulties faced by people undergoing serious  stress, and the limitations placed on even the simplest stress-management efforts, for residents and staff alike. And can someone please explain why ta...

Update on J, who is scheduled to be transferred to a new prison today, if all goes according to plan. Sabrina shares what he will face because of the transfer, and also makes available for the first time another of J's original songs, "Be Honest." Hear the story behind the song, learn how you can get a free .mp3 to add to your music library, and think in a new way about the things t...

Yeah, you read that right. There is so much complexity here, and this episode is Sabrina's super-careful analysis and fiercely-determined effort to LIVE OUT the non-partisan PrisonCare Mission of support for EVERYONE inside a prison neighborhood. No us. vs. them. Not even right now. Please listen to this important episode.  Intro/Outro MUSIC CREDIT:  The Fool, original recording music and lyr...

Sabrina facilitates a powerful imagination game: let's imagine your worst possible work assignment. And then let's look at what that has to do with prison neighborhoods...and how it may increase our compassion for Correctional Officers. (Let's change the world for the better, shall we?) Support PrisonCare with a donation of any size: http://prisoncare.org/community.html Time Markers...

Sabrina starts Season 2 with a big-picture question that we ALL need to be asking ourselves, because it will fundamentally change the way we care for everyone inside a prison neighborhood, whether incarcerated individuals or corrections staff. There are many good questions to ask ourselves: What does "rehabilitation" even mean? How long is long enough? but most importantly..."What i...

The end of a WHOLE YEAR of weekly PrisonCare Podcast Episodes...Whew!! So much important info in this episode, y'all.  The mission is expanding, and there is room for a whole bunch of new personalities in the PrisonCare model. You do NOT want to miss this look at what we learned in our first year, and what we're marching into in Year 2. So much goodness...so much care! Time Markers: (0:3...

Sabrina and Fred continue their conversation about what visits to the prison are like, and how different things challenge each of them, but some things are tough for ALL visitors. Also, get Fred's perspective on what all this prison exposure is doing to Sabrina's mental health in a big-picture way. http://prisoncare.org/community.html Learn more about PrisonCare, Inc. and donate to our w...

As we continue to share prison visit experiences, this first of a 2-part episode series captures a conversation between Sabrina and her husband, Fred, who is J's stepdad. He is not at all the same personality type as Sabrina, so his experience on visits is different from hers in many ways. For more prison visit stories, check out ep. 10 with J's sister, Bekah, and eps. 31 and the Bonus C...

Well, that's a mouthful! PrisonCare's unusual in its non-partisan vision -- EVERYONE on the inside matters. If you are way-left or way-right politically, or somewhere in-between, there's still a place for you at PrisonCare. Want some specific examples of how that can be? Sabrina's got you covered! http://prisoncare.org/community.html Learn more about PrisonCare, Inc. and SUPPOR...

The number one question people ask Sabrina -- answered here! Dig into the nuts and bolts of safety and risk when you are corresponding with someone who is incarcerated. http://prisoncare.org/community.html Learn more about PrisonCare, Inc. and SUPPORT our work Time Markers: 1:30 And the answer is... 4:00 Proximity and our sense of risk 6:00 Defined by that crime? 10:00 Clarity about YOUR purpose 1...

Sounds boring, right? NOT! You need to hear what these two came up with when given the chance to share their thoughts and hearts with a room full of folks at a Criminal Justice conference. Think you know what a "Change Engine" is? Listen, and learn! http://prisoncare.org/community.html Learn more about PrisonCare, Inc. and SUPPORT our work Time Markers: (1:14) Why an essay? (2:57) The Id...

Let Sabrina take you to the ACJS Conference with her and share the major lightbulb moments she had there (plus hear some really cool stories about how people in the PrisonCare Workshop responded to the mission!). A couple of major things she had never thought of before may just blow your mind, too. http://prisoncare.org/community.html Learn more about PrisonCare, Inc. and SUPPORT our work Academy...

Shakedowns are a common occurrence in prison, and they are tough on all the people in the neighborhood. Join Sabrina to learn what a shakedown is, how it impacts EVERYONE on the inside. (And hear what happened to the penguin...) http://prisoncare.org/community.html Learn more about PrisonCare, Inc. and SUPPORT our work Time Markers: (1:07) What is a Shakedown? (4:17) Facility Wide Shakedowns (7:06...

People have been asking for stories from incarcerated people who are connected to PrisonCare Compassion Teams, so "Stories from the Inside" will become a periodic feature on the podcast. This episode, Sabrina shares stories about: * a "7 Habits on the Inside" special event, * a graduation party, * a domestic violence recovery group with a surprising twist, * grief counseling fo...

Well, that's a mouthful! But it really does all fit together in a fascinating way behind the walls of a prison. Natural introverts experience the prison neighborhood in certain ways that natural extroverts do not...and vice versa. And these experiences are present no matter which uniform folks are wearing. So, how does an understanding of these personality traits impact our beliefs about Stat...

BONUS EPISODE! J. Bloom has released NEW original music via PrisonCare.org. "The Fool," what we hope will become the ANTHEM for compassionate people everywhere who rally around the needs of people inside prison neighborhoods (no matter which uniform they wear) is a gift to you from J in gratitude for all you have done to get PrisonCare off the ground this first year! Download your free M...

Why do most of our "prison movies" portray staff in a certain way? And what do the instinctual responses to danger - fight or flight - tell us about prison neighborhoods?  And what can compassionate people on the inside do to be supportive of EVERYONE behind the fence, no matter which way they typically respond to threat? Join Sabrina for this episode, and ask yourself some interesting q...

Naked. Intimate. Complicated for everyone involved! Let's have a talk about strip searches and the impact they have on residents AND staff, shall we? Does that thought make you uncomfortable? Face your fears and join Sabrina for this important topic. Time Markers: 2:00 Let’s Get Naked 2:55 Appreciation for Hospitals 5:40 Prison…appreciation??? 8:00 Not as Clear Cut as we Want it to be 8:55 Ou...

Join Sabrina for this exploration of the power of virtues-based language. More than simply "writing letters," a pen-pal encourager is a voice of truth, hope, and support in the life of an incarcerated person...and HOW those words get chosen is important. Take a listen, and learn to make some subtle changes in vocabulary that will increase your positive impact in a prison neighborhood! Ti...

Perhaps our most important episode to date - Sabrina explains the looming crisis in the Corrections industry nationally, and shares what PrisonCare, Inc. is doing about it. (Hint: there's a LOT more going on here than just the equipping of pen pal encouragers, as important as that work may be!!) http://prisoncare.org/community.html Learn more about PrisonCare, Inc. and DONATE to our work You...

Sabrina shares from a live event one of her favorite exercises for potential pen pal encouragers: "10 Minutes (or Less!) to True Awesomeness!" Walk through the process, and see how easy it is to write...and invest in the mental well being of Correctional Officers, as well as residents. *mind blown* Time Markers: 1:50 Two Reasons for this Practical Episode 2:50 Invite me! 5:30 10 Minutes...