From Chains to Change
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsHear about the changing landscape of criminal justice reform from those most directly impacted. Our discussions range from analysis of the political landscape (local, state and federal), engaging in the promise of abolitionist praxis and of course, elevating the voices of formerly incarcerated people.
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Episodes
Discussing Prison Capital: A conversation with Dr. Lydia Pelot-Hobbs
March 06, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour - 64.5 MBIn this special episode of From Chains to Change, our deputy director and host Bruce Reilly is joined by Dr Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, currently serving as the professor of Geography and African American & Africana Studies at the University of Kentucky to discuss her book ‘Prison Capital: Mass Incarceration and Struggles for Abolition Democracy in Louisiana’ The book explores Louisiana's rise to having the world's highest incarceration rate, examining the racial and economic factors that fueled mass...
The Legislative Corner: A breakdown of the Special Crime Session
February 24, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBIn this special episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director Bruce Reilly is joined alongside the staff of Voice of the Experienced along with concerned members of our community to discuss the ongoing attempts by the Landry administration and the GOP in the Louisiana legislature in their ‘Special Crime Session’ to roll back critical justice reforms and progress we’ve achieved over the past few years. We discuss attempts by the legislatures to dismantle key legislative vict...
From Jailhouse to Statehouse: Rep. Cherie Cruz, along with Steven Parkhurst (Freedom Reads)
January 04, 2024 20:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBIn this episode, our host sits down with two old friends to discuss their unlikely journeys. Rep. Cruz first met Bruce during a successful 2006 voting rights campaign in Rhode Island, when neither of them could exercise the fundamental right of citizenship. Today, she serves as a valued legislator on the Criminal Justice Committee after having earned two degrees from Brown University. Steve first met Bruce in A-Block, while both were awaiting trial over 30 years ago. Today, he puts his passi...
Geaux Vote Louisiana: A conversation w/ Lindsey Cheek (Part II)
November 04, 2023 05:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBIn this special episode of From Chains to Change, filmed from the banks of the Mississippi River in Norco, Louisiana, our host Bruce Reilly sat down with a panel of guest including, Anne Rolfes, the Director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade and our Director of Political Operations Devin Davis to speak with Lindsey Cheek candidate for Louisiana Attorney General. We discussed her candidacy and her priorities if elected along with the devastating impacts the petrochemical industry has had on the...
From Chains to Change: A conversation w/ Tammy Savoie
October 24, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 64 MBIn this Interview, Voters Organized to Educate sat down with Tammy Savoie, candidate for Louisiana House District 23 in the 2023 election. Filmed at our main office in New Orleans, LA on October 23, 2023, for a conversation with our deputy director Bruce Reilly to discuss her candidacy and her priorities if elected.
Geaux Vote Louisiana: A conversation w/ Barbara Carpenter
October 20, 2023 05:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBIn this Interview, Voters Organized to Educate sat down with Rep. Barbara Carpenter, Louisiana house representative for District 63 along with our very own Policy Director Checo Yancy. Filmed via zoom at our main office in New Orleans, LA and our chapter office based in Baton Rouge, LA on October 19, 2023, for a conversation with our deputy director Bruce Reilly to discuss her time in office, the urgent need to mobilize voters and her current race for re-election.
Geaux Vote Louisiana: A conversation w/ Shaun Mena
October 18, 2023 05:00 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBIn this Interview, Voters Organized to Educate sat down with Shaun Mean, candidate for Louisiana House District 23 in the 2023 election. Filmed at our main office in New Orleans, LA on October 18, 2023, for a conversation with our deputy director Bruce Reilly to discuss his candidacy and his priorities if elected.
Geaux Vote Louisiana: A conversation w/ Brittany Gondolfi
October 12, 2023 05:00 - 52 minutes - 48.2 MBIn this Interview, Voters Organized to Educate sat down with Britt Gondolfi, candidate for Louisiana Senate District 12 in the 2023 election. Filmed at our main office in New Orleans, LA on October 12, 2023, for a conversation with our deputy director Bruce Reilly to discuss her candidacy and her priorities if elected. Learn more and stay up to date! Website: www.VotersOrganized.org Facebook: @VotersOrganized X: @justice_votes Instagram: @VotersOrganized
Voice of the Experienced: A conversation w/ Calvin Duncan
September 18, 2023 05:00 - 1 hour - 68.5 MBIn this episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director, Bruce Reilly sit down with VOTE member and the director of the Light of Justice Program Calvin Duncan to discuss his wrongful conviction and his journey back home as well as the changes seen within criminal justice system in Louisiana, the impact of life sentences, his experience completing law school and more.
Geaux Vote: A Conversation w/ Leon Roche
April 03, 2023 05:00 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBIn this episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director, Bruce Reilly sit down with our Executive Director Norris Henderson, and Leon Roche candidate for Orleans Parish Criminal District Court - Section A. We discuss Leon’s experience as a public defender and his plans for the court if he gets elcted. Election Day is Saturday, April 29th and early voting goes from April 15th to April 22nd.
Geaux Vote LA: A conversation w/ Davante Lewis
November 03, 2022 17:00 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBIn this special episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director, Bruce Reilly sit down with our Director of Political Operations Devin Davis, and Davante Lewis our endorsed candidate in the LA Public Service Commission (District 3) race. We discuss Davante’s experience thus far along the campaign trail and if elected, what his priorities would be going into office. We also touch on the recent controversy with current PSC commissioner Boissiere and his campaign finances as well...
The Visiting Room Project: A Recap and Discussion on lived experiences
August 18, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 75.1 MBIn this episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director, Bruce Reilly sit down with our Policy Director Checo Yancy, our videographer Charles Amos who just returned home, Ronald Marshall our Policy Analyst, and our office manager Anthony Hingle, to discuss there own lived experience as well as the recent release of the Visiting Room Project which follows along the journeys of people serving life without the possibility of parole at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, t...
Crimmigration in Louisiana: A conversation with Rose Murray and Homero López
August 02, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 75 MBIn this special episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director Bruce Reilly sits down with Rose Murray, an attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative, and Homero López, the legal director and co-founder of Immigration Services & Legal Advocacy (ISLA) to discuss there work providing services and aid to the immigrant community in Louisiana as well as advocating for legislative reforms on the state and federal level, the crisis of crim...
Voice of the Experienced: A conversation with Professor Andrea Armstrong and Professor Ashley Wennerstrom
July 10, 2022 17:00 - 51 minutes - 47.6 MBIn this episode of from chains to change, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with two special guests, Professor Andrea Armstrong from Loyola College of Law and Professor Ashley Wennerstrom from LSU School of Public Health to discuss their work studying deaths in Incarceration, lack of adequate healthcare while incarcerated and the challenges accessing to medical services upon release in Louisiana.
Voice of the Experienced: A tribute to the life of Robert Goodman Jr.
June 08, 2022 20:00 - 30 minutes - 69.6 MBIn this special episode of From Chains to Change we pay tribute to the life and legacy of our brother Robert Goodman Jr. who was a beloved leader of his community, an organizer with VOTE and Safe Streets. Sadly, Robert was called home at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic on March 6, 2020 but his life, love, and legacy lives on in the community of friends and family he encountered along the way. This is a dedication to that legacy and a reminder that he will always be remembered.
Voice of the Experienced: A conversation with Alfred Marshall
May 06, 2022 17:00 - 42 minutes - 96.6 MBIn this episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director Bruce Reilly sits down with VOTE member and community organizer Alfred Marshall where they discuss his lived experience coming back home, how he got inspired to engage in the work of organizing and advocacy and how going forward, his continued commitment to helping build up the next generation of leaders that will aid in sustaining the movement well into the future.
Legislating Change: A conversation w Rep. Royce Duplessis
April 08, 2022 15:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBIn this episode of From Chains to Change, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with state representative Royce Duplessis to discuss his ongoing legislation around addressing long sentencing, crime prevention and parole reform along with other priorities he’ll be working on throughout this current legislative session.
Legislating Change: A conversation with Rep. Mandie Landry
April 08, 2022 13:00 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBIn this episode of From Chains to Change, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with state representative Mandie Landry to discuss her ongoing legislation around bettering medical care for people currently incarcerated, implementing term limits for sheriffs amongst many other priorities she’ll be working on throughout this current legislative session.
Legislating Change: A conversation with Rep. Candace Newell
April 07, 2022 17:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBIn this episode of From Chains to Change, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with state representative Candace Newell to discuss her ongoing legislation to legalize and regulate cannabis as well as other legislative priorities being championed throughout this legislative session.
Legislating Change: A conversation on the fight for legislative equity in Louisiana
March 29, 2022 19:00 - 1 hour - 65.6 MBIn this special episode of From Chains to Change, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with a number of special guest including our executive director Norris Henderson, Jamila Johnson, attorney with the Promise of Justice Initiative and state representative Matthew Willard to discuss the continued fight around non unanimous juries, than later joined by Earl Hagans to discuss equal opportunity in housing and his own lived experience with housing discrimination.
Voice of the Experienced: A conversation with LaTonya Tate
March 25, 2022 17:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBIn this special episode of From Chains to Change, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with Birmingham City Council member LaTonya Tate, discussing her experience running for office as a black woman in the Deep South, having recently been elected and since taking office, the work she’s engaged I within her community and chairing the councils Public Safety Committee. Our discussion also delves into LaTonya’s lived experience and work as an activist and transitioning from the advocacy realm to a po...
FIP in Higher Education: A conversation with Jarrod M. Wall
March 03, 2022 18:00 - 1 hour - 84.8 MBOn this week's episode of from Chains to Change, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with Tulane Ph.D. student and FIP Jarrod M. Wall on his lived experienced, the impacts of the school to prison pipeline as well as discussing his research around Post-Secondary Prison Education, Stigma & Collateral Consequences of Criminal Records.
Our Grand Opening - 'What it means for the movement' (PART II)
January 24, 2022 18:00 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MB(PART II) In this special 3-part episode of From Chains to Change, we take you into the Grand Opening of VOTE’s new building in New Orleans. Formerly incarcerated people reflect on the road to this realization, and the power it represents”
Our Grand Opening - 'What it means for the movement' (PART I)
January 23, 2022 18:00 - 1 hour - 100 MB(PART I) In this special 3-part episode of From Chains to Change, we take you into the Grand Opening of VOTE’s new building in New Orleans. Formerly incarcerated people reflect on the road to this realization, and the power it represents”
Our Grand Opening - 'What it means for the movement' (PART III)
January 17, 2022 18:00 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MB(PART III) In this special 3-part episode of From Chains to Change, we take you into the Grand Opening of VOTE’s new building in New Orleans. Formerly incarcerated people reflect on the road to this realization, and the power it represents”
New Sheriff in Town: A Conversation with Susan Hutson
January 07, 2022 06:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBIn this episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director Bruce Reilly and our executive director Norris Henderson sit down with a special guest and the newly elected, Orleans Parish Sheriff-elect, Susan Hutson to discuss her recent victory over 4 term incumbent Marlin Gusman in the December 2021 runoff election and how she envisions the upcoming transition process as well as her priorities once she takes office this May.
Election Recap: December 2021 Runoff Election
December 18, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 57 MBIn this episode, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with Norris Henderson, our executive director, Nziki Wiltz, our chapter organizer and Devin Davis, our political coordinator to discuss the results of the recent December 2021 runoff election in New Orleans and recapping our victory in the race for Orleans Parish sheriff.
Voice of the Experienced: A conversation with Biggy Johnson
December 09, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 63.2 MBOur host Bruce Reilly sits down with VOTE co-founder Biggy Johnson who retells his expereince of being stranded in OPP during Hurricane Katrina and other insightful tales from our executive director Norris Henderson along with a special guest.
The Road Home: A Conversation with Ronald Marshall on his journey home
December 05, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 72.4 MBIn this episode, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with Ronald Marshall discussing his lived experience along with his journey reconnecting with his family and community after 24 years in Angola and the urgent need for parole and release reform. Bruce then does a closer breakdown of the Orleans Parish Sheriffs Office over the years and its shady financial dealings under the watch of Sheriff Marlin Gusman.
Changemakers Taking Over: A conversation with Susan Hutson & Troy Glover
November 19, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBIn this episode, our host Bruce Reilly and Executive Director Norris Henderson sit down with Susan Hutson candidate for Orleans Parish Sheriff, and Troy Glover candidate for New Orleans City Council District D about their experience throughout the primary election and recapping their victories in making it to the runoff. We also discuss with the candidates, the road ahead to the December 11th runoff election, along with if elected, their vision of reform, and what their priorities will be on...
The Breakdown: A conversation on non-unanimous juries and the November 13th election
November 19, 2021 16:40 - 1 hour - 75.5 MBIn this episode, our host Bruce Reilly sits down with Hardell Ward an attorney with the Promise of Justice Initiative and community advocate, to discuss their work on post-conviction relief applications and more recently a decision out of the 4th circuit court of appeals not just finding non-unanimous jury verdicts to be unconstitutional but that it should also apply retroactively, which will hopefully bring some relief to 1500 some individuals across Louisiana who are still incarcerated due...
The Road Home: A conversation with FIPs on their journey back home (PART 2)
November 11, 2021 20:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBThis week our host Bruce Reilly sat down with Greg Finney who recounts his saga of voter disenfranchisement even after he got his right to vote restored. Also, we’re joined by the co-founder of Voters Organized to Educate Checo Yancy to breakdown and discuss all the good, the bad and ugly of the system.
The Road Home: A conversation with FIPs on their journey back home
November 04, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBIn this weeks podcast our host and deputy director Bruce Reilly sit down to have a conversation with three amazingly strong women all who’ve served over 20 years in prison and have been recently released to talk about there lived experiences, transitioning, transformation and hope.
The Road Home: A conversation with FIPs on their journey back home (PART 1)
November 04, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBIn this weeks podcast our host and deputy director Bruce Reilly sit down to have a conversation with three amazingly strong women all who’ve served over 20 years in prison and have been recently released to talk about there lived experiences, transitioning, transformation and hope.
November 2021 Voters Guide: A breakdown of the upcoming election in New Orleans
October 29, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 86.4 MBIn this week's episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director Bruce Reilly chat with our Executive Director Norris Henderson and our Political Coordinator Devin Davis, about the upcoming November 2021 election taking place in New Orleans. We’re also joined by Alonzo Knox who’s running for City Council District C discussing his experience so far on the campaign trail along with his ideas and priorities if elected to the council.
Down with OPP - 'Real talk about the New Orleans jail and 2021 sheriff's election'
October 21, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 66.6 MBIn this week's episode of From Chains to Change, our host and deputy director Bruce Reilly and Executive Director Norris Henderson chat with two formerly incarcerated women, Ivy Mathis, (Baton Rouge organizer) and Kisha Edwards (New Orleans reentry specialist) about the exploitation and trauma women experience while incarcerated, along with commentary on the Netflix propaganda series ”Jailbirds: New Orleans.” We also speak with Sade Dumas, with PAC for Justice and OPPRC, regarding the lat...
Revisiting Our Roots
October 14, 2021 19:00 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBMany people wonder why Louisiana is the leader in mass incarceration. Norris Henderson (Executive Director) and Bruce Reilly (Deputy Director) talk about the sentencing and parole laws, non unanimous juries and the lack of access to exculpatory evidence as so many people have been convicted and sentenced so many times. This has created the problem we have dedicated our work to solve.