Trafficking the Good Life with Jennifer Myers

Jennifer is an author, speaker, and prison consultant whose fervent desire is to bring an end to our country’s mass incarceration problem. Her own arrest and incarceration in a federal prison camp affected her deeply when she saw the hundreds of women and mothers locked up on lengthy, non-violent drug sentences. She knew when she was released from prison she had to do something to give back.

In 2009, Jennifer founded LA Myers Consulting, a prison consulting business where she works with people affected by the criminal justice system. Her passion to be an advocate for women in prison led Jennifer to co-found R.I.S.E. to Empower, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering girls and women to make positive choices. Their work with At-risk, teen girls led to their program being accepted into San Diego U.S. Federal Probation’s reentry initiative, where they facilitate high-risk women recently released from Federal Prison.

Jennifer’s memoir, Trafficking the Good Life, was a finalist in the 2014 San Diego Book & Writing Awards. Her writing has received accolades in the PEN Prison Writing Contest and has been published in Salon Magazine, the anthology Razor Wire Women, and The Huffington Post. Jennifer has spoken extensively to teens about making good choices, was a 2017 TEDx speaker at TEDxWilmingtonWomen, and has appeared as a Prison Consultant on Inside Edition and Lifetime’s special, Abby Tells All.

The last two years Jennifer has journeyed back to prison to help produce San Diego’s first TEDx inside of a prison. As Co-organizer of TEDxDonnovanCorrection, Jennifer’s desire to change the paradigm of our criminal justice system has intensified. She is deeply affected by the men she meets locked up on life sentences. Their big hearts, and willingness to transform continue to inspire Jennifer, weekly, and confirm to her that some of the most courageous people live behind bars.

In this episode, Greg Paul and Jennifer talked about their life experiences as former felons, ways they did to overcome the shame, their struggle to transition back to the society and how they used those experiences to become advocates to reform the federal prison system.

“I want to express to people that come out after being incarcerated to move forward and be honest anyway and just see the magic that can happen when you own it.”  

- Jennifer Myers

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Topics Covered

02:51 – Jennifer’s backstory from being a dancer, falling for a Marijuana Kingpin, being involved in marijuana trafficking, her arrest, and incarceration

03:03 – Serving 17-months because of a drug-related offense, spending three years on probation.

03:40– Her experience and disheartening stories of women inside the prison that inspired Jennifer to be a prison reform advocate

07:51 – How she rebuild and restart her reputation, overcoming the shame and the stigma of being a felon

08:42 – Her struggles transitioning back to the society

09:50 – The work that is involved in the journey that once you've been incarcerated, there's no way to avoid taking that journey of dissolving the shame

13:30 – Having integrity and owning your story through honesty and perseverance

14:04 – Jennifer sharing their aftercare programs for prisoners

17:10 – Importance to keep the inspiration, hope, and support from the community to hold the candle of light for felons

18:04 – Impact of community and collaboration to people inside prison and how they find hope, support and family through them

20:10 – Transformation inside the prison that feeds Jenifer’s heart and life
 

People Mentioned

The Tariq Foundation
Azim Khamisa
Speaker Adventure

Resources

The Truth About Lies: How Admitting Nothing Can Cost You Everything

Project Angel Heart
Trafficking the Good life

Connect with Jennifer Myers

risetoempower.org

jennifermyers.co
 
Connect with Gregory Paul

veracitygp.com

Twitter

Instagram

Pitching the Truth Podcast