Best 2ndchance Podcasts (2025)

1
CRIME & CONSEQUENCES IN A MISSOURI SMALL TOWN, PART 1 of EP 111 27:53

2d ago27:53

27:53

In Episode 108, Attorney Charlie Weiss shared the wrongful conviction and exoneration of Josh Kezer, a man who spent sixteen years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. That interview led to a compelling conversation with former Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter. Rick shares his harrowing experience of discovering the body of Mischelle Lawless in…

1
CRIME & CONSEQUENCES IN A MISSOURI SMALL TOWN, PART 2 of EP 111 26:35

4d ago26:35

26:35

In part 2 of this gripping story, former Sheriff Rick Walter dives deeper into the complex and haunting case of murder victim Mischelle Lawless. After years of investigation and a wrongful conviction, Rick shares his journey of reopening the case, the obstacles he faced, and the truth he uncovered. This episode also delves into the themes of justic…

1
WHEN LIBERTY IS YOUR LAST NAME 27:59

21d ago27:59

27:59

In this milestone episode, The Hustler Files welcomes, for the first time, a Department of Corrections (prison) Commissioner. Randall Liberty is the head of the Department of Corrections in Maine, overseeing eight prison/correctional facilities. With over 43 years of experience in law enforcement, Commissioner Liberty shares his transformative jour…

1
TRUTH BE TOLD 28:04

30d ago28:04

28:04

Laurence Colletti is a seasoned podcast producer, writer, and attorney. For over a decade, he’s brought to light the stories and critical issues surrounding prison reform and wrongful convictions while hosting the Legal Talk Network Podcast, and producing the For The Innocent Podcast. In this episode of The Hustler Files, Laurence shares his journe…

1
THE BREAD AND BUTTER FOR HIS SOUL 27:58

30d ago27:58

27:58

"The future isn't about what you do. It's about what you're for”. Charlie Weiss never thought he’d become an attorney, but a chance meeting with a man of the cloth led him to a scholarship at Notre Dame Law School and a storied career fighting for the rights of those who are wronged. From his early days in law to his impactful pro bono work, Charli…

1
FROM BEHIND BARS TO BETTER DADS 27:58

1M ago27:58

27:58

To date, 99 incarcerated men have participated in the Nurturing Fathers program at the Hampshire County Jail and it’s nothing short of transformative. Incarcerated fathers seeking to reconnect with their children attend this 13-week program, behind the wall, to help them become better fathers. Listen as Sheriff Patrick Cahillane shares insights on …

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FROM A GYM TO A COMMUNITY OF EQUALS 27:59

2M ago27:59

27:59

What started as a gym is now a community where people belong together. In this space, surrounded by weight machines, free weights, and mats, they are valued as equals, and those with lived experience are listened to as the experts. As April marks Fair Chance Hiring Month, guests Caz Walcott, Director of Inclusive Hiring at the Responsible Business …

1
GIVING A VOICE TO THE SILENCED 27:58

2M ago27:58

27:58

With over two decades of experience, reporter Katie Johnston shares her journey from reporting on arts and entertainment to focusing on work and income inequality, specifically with incarcerated and justice-involved populations. Katie’s dedication to offering a voice to those who don’t have one is the driving force behind her writing. In this episo…

1
AN UNINTENDED LIFE 27:15

2M ago27:15

27:15

To be in the wrong place at the wrong time cost William Allen 28 years behind bars for an unintended crime. William shares his tumultuous journey from his early days of family dysfunction, the guilt he carried from a childhood accident, and the pivotal moments that led him into a life of crime. He candidly recounts the fateful robbery that resulted…

1
TWO TRASH BAGS, $647 & NOWHERE TO GO 27:58

2M ago27:58

27:58

In this powerful episode Miguel Vazquez engages in a heartfelt conversation about his journey from the streets of Brooklyn to an 18-year prison sentence. His story is nothing short of transformative. Miguel opens up about his challenging upbringing in a single-parent household, the loss of his mother, and the choices that led him down a path of cri…

1
EMPLOY, TEACH, ACT & HELP 27:59

2M ago27:59

27:59

At Baker Industries, an organization dedicated to providing fair chance hiring for marginalized communities in Eastern Pennsylvania, their mission is centered around four simple but powerful words. EMPLOY those who have the most difficulty in getting and holding jobs. TEACH the work ethic through real work experience. ACT as a transition step towar…

1
NEW TO THE HUSTLER FILES? CHECK OUT THE NEW TRAILER! 3:35

2M ago3:35

3:35

IF YOU'RE JUST FINDING OUR PODCAST, THE HUSTLER FILES, WELCOME! WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE YOU LISTEN IN! THIS IS OUR THIRD SEASON AND WE'VE GOT OVER 100 EPISODES, SO FAR, FOR YOU TO CHOOSE FROM. WE KNOW IT CAN BE OVERWHELMING WHEN YOU COME ACROSS A NEW SHOW. OUR EPISODES ARE CREATED WITH THE MISSION TO BREAK STIGMAS, RESHAPE NARRATIVES, AND AMPLIF…

1
THIS CALL IS BEING RECORDED, SAN QUENTIN PART 2 28:04

3M ago28:04

28:04

Every incarcerated person knows the exact date and time of their parole hearing, even if it’s years in the future. For Chan Park, his first parole hearing took place after 13 years, 8 months of incarceration. His rejection by the Parole Board because he hadn’t served enough time. That was the first of what would be three more parole hearings over t…

1
THIS CALL IS BEING RECORDED, SAN QUENTIN PART 1 26:58

3M ago26:58

26:58

In March of 2023, Governor Newsom of California announced that the infamous San Quentin State Prison would have its name changed to the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Since the mid-1800s San Quentin has housed some of the most notorious criminals, but times are changing and that includes the use of tablet technology for the incarcerated populat…

1
A BRIDGE TO RACIAL JUSTICE 27:43

3M ago27:43

27:43

Some prison reform advocacy organizations call their mission, pillars. Some, key initiatives, and in the case of the advocacy organization, The Sentencing Project, are strategic priorities. But at The Sentencing Project, they take their mission one step further and bring a unique value to their prison reform work, as a bridge organization. For Kara…

1
HONOR, SACRIFICE & ANSWERING THE CALL 28:00

4M ago28:00

28:00

Gabrielle Perry was one of the lucky ones. Her birth mother was incarcerated when giving birth to Gabrielle. She engaged the aid of a friend who found a family to adopt Gabrielle, site unseen. Her parents were older, settled and without children and as she tells it, her beloved father Thurman Perry, answered the call to raise her as his own. Gabrie…

1
REMAINING TRUE TO HER VALUES 27:47

4M ago27:47

27:47

There are a little over 3,000 Sheriffs’ in the United States. Of that number only 60 are women. Sheriff Donna Buckley of Barnstable County, Massachusetts,(also better known as Cape Cod) is the first female in the County’s 331-year history to hold this office. Sheriff Buckley will tell you that running for Sheriff in 2022 was not on her bucket list,…

1
PHONE HOME 28:00

4M ago28:00

28:00

In the movie E.T., the alien builds a way to communicate with his planet. Inside the jails and prisons in the US, communication between an incarcerated individual and their family and friends, was for many decades, strictly by mail but technology waits for no one. Today, many behind the wall have access to tablets, kiosks, and wall-mounted phones, …

1
A CHAMPION AMONGST COMPANIES 28:08

4M ago28:08

28:08

According to the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice or, in short, RBIJ, everyone is entitled to respect, equality, fairness, and dignity under the law. It is this mission that drives Maha Jweied and her team to work with companies and bring solutions that promote public safety, deliver justice, and strengthen communities. But RBIJ doesn’t …

1
IT REQUIRES COURAGE TO TRANSFORM 27:00

4M ago27:00

27:00

The title of this episode is aptly named for guest Aron Roy. Like many justice-impacted individuals, Aron's journey means digging down deep to find the grit to transform and not return to their past life. But Aron also has the courage to share what sent him to prison for almost a decade and the transformation that took place during those years. Aro…

1
THE DEATH PENALTY CAN BE WEEDY 28:01

5M ago28:01

28:01

As Joe Biden started winding down his Presidency, and Donald Trump started accelerating his, Joe Biden took advantage, like all Presidents, to commute 37 men sitting on death row. These commutations reduce their sentences from the death penalty to life without parole. These 37 (out of 40) are in federal prisons vs. the thousands that sit on death r…

1
TRUST THE PROCESS OF YOUR PATH 27:58

5M ago27:58

27:58

Throughout this 2nd full season, one of the go-to themes has been to chat with various Sheriffs about their jails and the communities they have watch over. In case you’re not aware, there are approximately 3100 Sheriffs’ across the United States and a similar amount of jails. Also if you’re not aware, the various tiers of incarceration are Jail, St…

1
TAKE UP ONE IDEA, MAKE THAT ONE IDEA YOUR LIFE 27:40

5M ago27:40

27:40

In April of 2023, Episode #11, we first chatted with Economist and Author Jeff Korzenik. His book, Untapped Talent, had been recently released, and we were excited to hear about how a well-known, National U.S. Economist, became involved in the fair chance hiring movement. Since then, Jeff has been crisscrossing the U.S. making a case for hiring jus…

1
WE DO CRAZY 28:00

5M ago28:00

28:00

In Episode 89 we became acquainted with Sheriff Karl Leonard of Chesterfield County, Virginia. We circled back with the Sheriff to meet his Behavioral and Mental Health Division Director, Kerri Rhodes. Kerri is no stranger to the tragedy of addiction, and in looking for a way to heal herself, she found a pathway at the Sheriff’s HARP program by hel…

1
BELIEVING THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE BEHIND BARS 28:09

6M ago28:09

28:09

You have to love a person who has spent 43 years in a career and when asked ‘When are you retiring’ their response is, ‘When I don’t have anything else to learn’. Sheriff Karl Leonard of Chesterfield, Virginia, is that person. For his entire career, he’s been a public servant; from a military career to the Chesterfield Police Department to the Pent…

1
FEAR HAS NO END DATE 28:00

6M ago28:00

28:00

Sadly domestic violence is a 365-day-a-year issue, but the more survivors step forward, ask for help, and share their stories, the more aware society becomes of this ongoing epidemic. Liz Dineen, CEO of the Western Massachusetts YWCA, has been one of many organizations across the country to take up the protection sword to help women and men, of dom…

1
EARN & LEARN APPRENTICESHIP AT CATALYST 27:54

6M ago27:54

27:54

Over the last couple of decades, tech companies and tech-minded entrepreneurs have been developing various ways to assist incarcerated and justice-involved individuals with job training both behind the wall and upon returning to the community. Checkr, a California-based background tech company, has been leading the charge for more employers, like t…

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LOVE IN A BACKPACK IS LIKE A WARM HUG 27:46

6M ago27:46

27:46

When you leave jail, there isn't much you take with you, so to receive a backpack filled with shampoo, conditioner, socks, female hygiene items, snacks, water, and other items can feel, as one formerly incarcerated individual, like Christmas. Most ideas to help less fortunate, others, have the commonality of being hatched at a kitchen table, and LO…

1
THE 13TH AMENDMENT, LEGAL SLAVERY & PROPOSITION 6 28:03

6M ago28:03

28:03

Here in 2024, the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution still states; “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”. This year, on the California ballot, was Proposition 6, a ‘yes’ vot…

1
SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE, BUT SHE DIDN’T DO THE CRIME 28:06

7M ago28:06

28:06

Unfortunately, the cycle of domestic abuse can be handed down, from generation to generation, and it is an inheritance that can prove deadly. Such was the case for Kelly Savage-Rodriguez. Kelly grew up in an abusive family, and her mother was constantly, in the criminal justice system. Kelly herself was in a domestic violence situation when sadly s…

1
THE EXONERATED 5 TAKE ON DONALD TRUMP IN A DEFAMATION CIVIL SUIT 27:29

7M ago27:29

27:29

On September 10, 2024, in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Attorney Alex Van Dyke, of famed legal firm, Kline & Specter, along with 67 million viewers tuned in to watch the Presidential debate between Vice President, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump. What transpired that evening, would once again put the former Central Park Five, now known as the Exonerat…

1
CHOSEN BY THE PEOPLE, WITH GOD’S GRACE, TO UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW 28:00

7M ago28:00

28:00

Sheriff Kieran Donahue of Canyon County, Idaho, will tell you it’s humbling to be a Sheriff that's responsible for a jurisdiction that encompasses 602 square miles, with a population of close to 250,000, but then again, Sheriff Donahue is no ordinary Sheriff. Sheriff Kieran Donahue’s career reads like an adventure novel and maybe that’s because it’…

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MAN UP ISN’T JUST A PHRASE, IT’S A CRUSADE 26:58

7M ago26:58

26:58

We all know the pink ribbon that signifies support for Breast Cancer. But did you know there’s another color ribbon that’s just as significant? It’s the purple ribbon of Domestic Violence. In 2012, in Nampa, Idaho, Sheriff Kieran Donahue of Canyon County approached his wife, Jeanie, and suggested they launch an organization to raise funds for those…

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ARE MANY INCARCERATED WOMEN ALSO THE VICTIMS? 27:58

8M ago27:58

27:58

This episode continues some additional, and important storylines we explored during our recent visit behind the wall in Episode 79. Coincidentally, it also touched upon a recent Op-Ed article on BostonGlobe.com from Professor Susan Sered, a criminal justice specialist who wrote, ‘incarcerated women are being held in overly restrictive environments …

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THE WOMEN OF THE WESTERN MASS REGIONAL JAIL 27:56

8M ago27:56

27:56

Behind the wall in Chicopee Massachusetts, there are 150 women serving time. If you’re sentenced, you wear green prison garb. If you’re waiting to be sentenced then you’re wearing orange. The Women’s Western Mass Regional Correctional Center is under the watch of the Hampden County Sheriff, Nick Cocchi, and thus, considered a jail. Just don’t make …

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MAKING ‘WHAT IF’ A REALITY with KEY 4 LIFE , Part 2 28:00

8M ago28:00

28:00

This episode is the second of a two-parter featuring Eva Hamilton, MBE, CEO and Founder of the very successful re-entry program, Key4Life. There was still so much to cover, including a very revealing conversation with Aaron White, a Senior Case Worker on the Key4Life program and a formerly incarcerated individual. If you’re wondering about Eva’s Ke…

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MAKING ‘WHAT IF’ A REALITY with KEY 4 LIFE , Part 1 28:00

9M ago28:00

28:00

Eva Hamilton, MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), is nothing short of a whirling dervish when it comes to seeing a challenge and then creating a solution. For 38 years, Eva has worked with some of the U.K.’s most marginalized groups. From her organization, Business Action on Homelessness to the program Seeing is Believin…

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SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL 27:58

9M ago27:58

27:58

We’ve all heard the quote – ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.’ With more than 600,000 people being released across the U.S. each year yet more than two thirds are rearrested within three years, the prison reform wheel needs to become more innovative, and leading that charge is …

1
A ROADMAP OF RAGE, A SAFE HAVEN AND THE REALITY, IT’S NOT SOCIOECONOMIC 28:14

9M ago28:14

28:14

This milestone episode for The Hustler Files was recorded at the Hampden County Jail, in Western Massachusetts, but this conversation with Sheriff Nick Cocchi, who runs the jail and Liz Dineen, CEO of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts could take place in any city or county, USA. Domestic violence month may be in October, but it’s not a once-a-year …

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AT THE INTERSECTION OF FAITH, JUSTICE & INCARCERATION 28:03

10M ago28:03

28:03

Prison Fellowship is approaching their 50th anniversary, but when Founder, Chuck Colson, President Nixon’s ‘hatchet man’ launched Prison Fellowship, he himself had just served 7 months for his involvement in Watergate. While incarcerated, Colson was inspired to help restore lives and families broken by crime and incarceration. He thought Prison Fel…

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REIMAGINING REENTRY SO IT FEELS LIKE A WARM HUG 27:59

10M ago27:59

27:59

Launching a social entrepreneurial venture is no easy task, and for Founder, President, and CEO of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute it was not an overnight success. Brandon conceived the EDWINS concept in 2004, with a three-fold mission: teach a skilled and in-demand trade in the culinary arts, empower willing minds through a passion for ho…

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IT’S EPISODE SEVENTY-TWO, SO LET’S REVIEW, WITH SPECIAL GUEST, PRODUCER JESS TYLER 28:00

10M ago28:00

28:00

With a guest gap for this week's show, Creator/Host, Lisa Reilly, thought it would be fun to introduce her Hustler Files Producer Jess Tyler and chat about their favorite shows, since launching The Hustler Files in February 2023. It’s because of Jess that The Hustler Files sounds so great each week! And it’s not a coincidence that it does! Jess has…

1
THE SINS OF THE STEPFATHER 27:36

10M ago27:36

27:36

Will Soper was first arrested at the age of eleven, defending himself against the man who was his stepfather. This was not the first time Will had been sexually abused, but it was the first time he fought back and sadly his mother took his stepfather’s side. Despite the toxicity of the family, he was never given any mental health or other counselin…

1
FROM CAREER TRACK TO PRISON TRACK AND BACK 28:00

10M ago28:00

28:00

Amanda Hall had it all. A flourishing restaurant career as a Regional Training Manager and even her own home. But for Amanda all of that was a facade. Inside she says, ‘I was a mess’. The wrong choice in men, and late nights with friends at the restaurants she trained at, along with rheumatoid arthritis led her from alcohol to cannabis to hard core…

1
NOT ALL MONSTERS ARE STRANGERS 28:00

11M ago28:00

28:00

Alicia and Jenna both grew up in middle-class, 2 parent homes. Alicia was a top student and leader in her school. Jenna went to a private school and had a typical teenage life. But while Alicia and Jenna lived 3000 miles apart their stories became intertwined because they both became victims of human trafficking while still in High School. Even wor…

1
FROM PRISON TO PRESIDENT 27:59

11M ago27:59

27:59

Terah Lawyer is the first to tell you that her lived experience as a formerly incarcerated woman, absolutely fell into the ‘wrong place, wrong crowd, wrong time’ adage. Terah spent 15 years behind the wall, but realized early on, in her incarceration, that her mission was, as she states, “to love on the women” who were behind the wall with her. Tak…

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THIS PLACE IS NO RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN MUSICAL 28:42

11M ago28:42

28:42

There are three comparisons one can make between the musical South Pacific and the Naval Base, Guantanamo Bay. Number 1, both involve islands, Number 2, both involve the U.S. Military and Number 3, both are created after a significant interaction with warring factions – World War II and September 11th. Guantanamo Bay, also referred to as Gitmo, is …

1
WHEN YOUR MAIN PRODUCTION IN LIFE BECOMES CHANGING PEOPLE’S LIVES 27:58

12M ago27:58

27:58

In 2003, Scott Budnick was an EVP at Green Hat Films. One evening he was invited to attend a writing workshop at the juvenile hall through the InsideOUT Writers program. Many of the young people in that program were facing adult prison sentences, and even worse, when released from the juvenile halls and prisons across California, many were returned…

1
FROM PRISON BARS TO REBAR & MORE 27:51

12M ago27:51

27:51

In the very male dominated field of Ironworkers, Bricklayers and Cement Masons, otherwise referred to as the Trades, a guiding light to help justice impacted WOMEN succeed after prison, has taken shape. Outside of Seattle, Washington, Business Agent, Heather Kurtenbach is leading the charge to see women who are nearing the end of their time behind …

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DEFYING THE ODDS, ONE STATE & ONE JUSTICE IMPACTED PERSON AT A TIME 28:18

12M ago28:18

28:18

Imagine spending a full day, as a volunteer, sitting right next to, or across from, a justice impacted person, except you’re behind the wall with them! You’re shaking their hand, sharing ideas, their ideas to transform their lives, maybe start a business when they get released, and at the end of the day, watching them put on a cap and gown, maybe t…

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2ndchance Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen