Episodes

Marlon Chamberlain manages the Fully Free campaign of the Heartland Alliance in the Chicago area. In this episode he shares his personal story and insights gained from serving over a decade in federal prison, returning home to community and family life, and following the path that led him to where he is today. Mr. Chamberlain […]

In this episode of Justice Voices, you will hear from guest Sam Dent, who served a mandatory minimum 20 years in prison in a case host David Risley prosecuted around the same time as the case he prosecuted against co-host, Lynard Joiner. Mr. Dent was one of Mr. Joiner’s early clients in his Shifting Into

This episode provides a big picture overview of why our criminal justice system needs improvement, especially regarding our overuse of prisons, by exploring the gold mine of information and perspective in the 2016 report of the Illinois Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform. The primary focus of this episode is on the background information

The root cause of violentization is trauma from chronic exposure to violence, usually beginning in childhood or adolescence. Victims of violence become victimizers. Why? Because at some point the victim of chronic violence makes the decision that this is a violent, dog-eat-dog world and that to avoid being a victim of violence one must become

What makes violent people violent? The short answer is violentization. Dangerous violent people almost invariably choose to become violent to survive physically and emotionally in what they perceive as a dog-eat-dog world, a perception rooted in the chronic trauma of being the victim of repeated acts of violence, usually beginning in their homes and neighborhoods

Unless we understand the psychological impact of chronic abuse on victims, we can fail them. Even worse, we can misjudge them, including misjudging them in court.

That’s why this part 2 of Donna Lomelino’s story is so important and instructive. 

This episode of Justice Voices will be emotionally intense.

Facing realities involved in criminal justice policy sometimes is, including facing the
reality of what a lifetime of abuse and exploitation can do to people.

Some prisons are physical, made of concrete and steel. Other prisons are psychological.

In this update to Episode 1, host David Risley, a former career federal prosecutor, has a conversation
with one of his former defendants, Lynard Joiner, founder and CEO of Shifting Into New Gear (SING).

“Going to prison saved my life.”

That is what guest, Lynard Joiner, said during this conversation with host, David Risley.
It is also the subtitle of an autobiographical book written by Lynard Joiner, titled, LJ’s Cocoon.

That is the first of three doses of criminal justice reality described in this introductory episode by Justice Voices founder and host, David Risley, former career federal prosecutor and former Director of Public Safety Policy in the Illinois Governor’s office.Reality dose #2: Prisons do only one thing well — incapacitation of dangerous criminals.