Professor Brad shares his experience as an advocate, activist, attorney, and researcher within the criminal legal system. He describes the intersections of mass incarceration and public health, explaining the hyperincarceration of Black and Brown communities as an epidemic that can be solved only in conjunction with solving the issues and barriers to equitable healthcare in the United States. Brad also explains his current research on solitary confinement reform, as well as promising outcomes for creating cultures of wellness within prisons in an attempt to alleviate, at least in the short term, the negative community health outcomes exacerbated and caused by the carceral system.

Ronald is a formerly incarcerated person who defended himself in prison, succesfully advocated for his own release, and now works as a nationally recognized activist for prison reform. The interview goes over Simpson-Bey’s experience as an incarcerated person, and as a leader within his prison family. In this, we hear stories of dehumanization, found family, and the barriers to education within the prison system. Simpson-Bey also describes life after prison and his vision for the future of incarceration through the decarceration movement. Simpson-Bey calls for an end to the systemic injustice of mass incarceration as it exists today.

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Sofia shares their experience working as a Housing Advocate and Social Medicine Program Coordinator at the Lifespan Transitions Clinic and Social Medicine Programs in Rhode Island. They explain the Clinic’s role and impact in the Providence and Rhode Island community and center the stories and influence of a number of individuals and Community Healthcare Workers who have shaped the Clinics growth and development since its founding in 2018.

Ayana talks about building a relationship with her father who was incarcerated for 17 years of her childhood and how family dynamics changed once he was released. She also discusses channeling these experiences into co-founding and leading an organization that supports young women affected by parental incarceration.

David, a volunteer at Prison Visitation and Support, talks about his experience in a minimum-security facility while incarcerated. He also talks about his experience visiting incarcerated people.

The interviewee spoke to their experiences working as a social worker providing mental health services in the criminal justice system. She described different approaches to working with clients, whether more restrictive or ones that offer more autonomy. Additionally, she offers her experiences in confronting the hierarchies and “rules” that govern mental health in the criminal justice system and the ways mental health professionals become overshadowed by correctional officers, police officers, and judges. Overall, she expresses her affinity for restorative approaches in working with incarcerated individuals.

Brandon has lived in Leavenworth, Kansas, almost his entire life. Leavenworth is home to a federal medium-security prison, a military prison, a state prison, and the Leavenworth County jail. Brandon said that the presence of these facilities is almost a “non-issue,” in that they are so deeply embedded in the community that people do not really think about them very much, and they do not feel unsafe. The time when Brandon felt most affected by the presence of the prisons was one time in 1992 when there was a riot in the federal prison, and Brandon’s father, who was the supervisor of the prison kitchen, had to report to work on his day off to help control the riot. Brandon and his family had to wait several hours for him to come home and were anxious about his safety. However, his father’s job at the prison also provided Brandon’s family with financial security. Brandon’s mother also worked at the state prison for three or four years, running the canteen where inmates could purchase food. This was while Brandon was an adult away at college, and he was slightly anxious about his mother working there. Brandon also worked for six years in the county attorney’s office. He started as a legal secretary, then worked briefly as a diversion officer, and then spent about four years as a victim and witness services officer. In this role, he was the point of contact at the court for victims and witnesses. His responsibilities included collecting victim impact statements, updating victims and witnesses about the status of their case, answering their questions, and arranging for them to appear in court. His docket dealt primarily with drug offenses, property crimes, and low-level violent crimes (“bar fights”), but it was a difficult job because he had to step into very emotionally charged situations and help victims and witnesses navigate the legal system. This was especially difficult because many victims were unhappy with how their case was handled. The most challenging case he ever worked on was one in which the young granddaughters of one of his coworkers were sexually abused, and he had to guide the girls and their family through the trial. As the president and CEO of the Leavenworth-Lansing Chamber of Commerce, Brandon engages with the prison because they are a member of the Chamber. However, unlike other members, his relationship with them is a little more formal and transactional. He sits on the prison’s community relations board and values how the prison contributes to the community. For example, in addition to providing jobs, the prison runs a farm that provides food to local food banks. The prison also has a woodshop that makes trophies, plaques, and other custom goods for community organizations. The prison also participates in many of the Chamber’s activities, such as its leadership development class, and it has given tours to members of the Chamber. Brandon is impressed with how seriously the prison takes its commitment to the community. A few years ago, one area of controversy was when the federal government considered moving detainees from Guantanamo Bay to the federal prison in Leavenworth. Brandon was personally in favor of this because he did not see much danger in it, but he did not feel like he could take a position on it in his official capacity as a Chamber representative since the proposal was very controversial locally. He was somewhat concerned that the move could stigmatize the town. Brandon also gave an in-depth description of the federal prison facility and how a new facility is being built to replace the old one, which was built in the mid-nineteenth century. The construction of the new facility will be a great opportunity for the town because it will require more hiring and contracting. Brandon hopes that the old facility will remain standing because it could be a tourist attraction for the town. Brandon ended the interview by talking about how he thinks of the prison and the inmates as community members. He says that modern prison wardens are not “mean old white guys,” citing that some of the wardens that he has worked with at the federal prison are women and people of color. “Modern wardens” are not harsh or cruel but are “like CEOs” in how they manage their facilities. He also thinks that it is essential for people to recognize inmates’ humanity and treat them like people, and he feels that the staff members at the prisons in Leavenworth all understand this and try their best to treat inmates with respect. He thinks that the line between prisons and the community is blurring and that this is a good thing because inmates should be seen as members of the community. He said that society often does not recognize the humanity of inmates or even of staff members at the prisons.

In this interview, a case manager at both Reentry Campus Program and the Nonviolence Institute in Providence Rhode Island explains the variety of services her organization offers to assist individuals currently or previously incarcerated. She describes how her organizations work collaboratively with others within and outside of the state to provide comprehensive services for individuals at all reentry phases. She discusses how many of the state’s reentry services are accessed by word of mouth. She also discussed the unique difficulties people with incarceration experience face when looking for employment and housing.

Next, she talked about some of the challenges she has faced in providing services to incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes how some of the services her organizations offer have pivoted or expanded and improve client services during the pandemic. Additionally, many of her clients faced technology access and knowledge barriers early in the pandemic, making navigating the reentry process more difficult.

She also described how the reentry programs she is a part of function as a larger community. Many of her current co-workers were former clients of the Reentry Campus Program or the Nonviolence Institute or had prior experiences with incarceration. Finally, she discussed the challenges of working against larger systems of oppression and racism that impact the lives of her clients. She ends on a positive note, describing how her organizations are working toward changing Rhode Island policies that disadvantage individuals with incarceration history and incorporating people with lived experience into policy discussions.