Podcasts: The Hustler Files
The Hustler Files
The Hustler Files – Storytelling That Will Challenge What You Thought You Knew
Join creator and host Lisa Reilly every Saturday morning from 9:32 AM to 10:00 AM, streaming here on WHMP.com, or find us on your favorite podcast platform. Each week, we bring storytelling with grit, purpose, and possibility to break stigmas, reshape narratives, and amplify the voices of justice-involved individuals, advocates, and change-makers. We’ll explore the criminal justice system, addiction recovery, domestic violence, human trafficking, fair-chance employment, and prison reform through powerful storytelling and candid interviews that bring humanity to issues too often overlooked.
Please reach out with questions or comments to thehustlerfiles@outlook.com
The Hustler Files Ep 68
FROM PRISON TO PRESIDENT
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. Taking that leadership role in prison and continuing to educate herself, receiving two associate degrees, was pivotal in preparing her for the work she would take on, once released. That work, in reentry and rehabilitation led Terah to advocate for other justice impacted individuals and not surprisingly it didn’t take long for her to take on the role of Associate Director of The Homecoming Project, an initiative that provides formerly incarcerated people with room to rent with matching housemates. From there Terah was asked to join CROP (Creating Restorative Justice and Programs) and was just recently promoted from Executive Director to President. Visit crop-org.squarespace.com to learn more about their holistic approach to reentry and services for those who are coming home from prison.
The Hustler Files Ep 67
THIS PLACE IS NO RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN MUSICAL
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 in Cuba and the military prison there first opened after the September 11th attacks. While the prison was created to house the worst terrorists, many detainees were not even Al Qaeda fighters, but villagers, turned in by their fellow countrymen, for large ransoms. At one time there were 779 people detained, and the reports of torture and abuse were real. Listen in as Attorney’s Bill Newman and Buz Eisenberg share their own experiences on Guantanamo, where, of their own volition, traveled to give council and represent a handful of detainees.
The Hustler Files Ep 66
WHEN YOUR MAIN PRODUCTION IN LIFE BECOMES CHANGING PEOPLES LIVES
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 to incarceration. So, the man whose day job was writing and producing, decided to orchestrate another production in 2013, a production whose mission he aptly named The Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), its main mission, end mass incarceration. But ARC’s ongoing success, in workforce and housing programs, higher employment and lower recidivism rates, takes a well-trained village of team members and volunteers. Under the leadership of Executive Director, Sam Lewis, they continue to rewrite the ARC narrative by changing lives, changing laws, and changing the perception of justice involved individuals.
The Hustler Files Ep 65
FROM PRISON BARS TO REBAR & MORE
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 the wall, participate in a program called TRAC, Trades Related Apprenticeship Coaching. TRAC is run by the Department of Corrections and the local trade unions and offers qualifying women a course in a trade, which then guarantees them a job upon their release. Down the road a piece in Portland, Oregon, Anna Martin is also leading the charge to help women at the Coffee Creek Correctional Center find success upon release. With some entrepreneurial spirit and an Ironworker background, Anna pulled together her local trades in Cement Masons and Bricklayers to form U-PACT, also an apprentice-based program. U-PACT is grant funded and not only offers the training and curriculum to the incarcerated women, but also the wrap-around services needed for equipment and clothing. With such a shortage of employable people in the U.S., these programs are a shining star to help justice involved individuals start over.
Hustler Files Ep 64
DEFYING THE ODDS, ONE STATE & ONE JUSTICE IMPACTED PERSON AT A TIME
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 the first they ever had, and walk across a stage to accept a graduation certificate for participating in a program that brings leadership, empowerment, self-care, healing, and entrepreneurial ideas to paper. Well at Defy Ventures, you don’t have to imagine it. Since its beginnings over a decade ago, Defy Ventures has connected 7,200 volunteers with almost as many justice impacted individuals behind the wall. They’ve also connected many of those same individuals once they are released and have met reentry stability goals, with people and programs to move them forward with their business ideas. None of what Defy Ventures accomplishes is easy, but with Executive Directors, like Melissa O’Dell of Defy Ventures Illinois, even providing opportunities to ONE individual, like Cordelia Spivey, is life changing!
Hustler Files Ep. 63
TO NORMALIZE OPPORTUNITY, WE MUST FIX THE TALENT PIPELINE PROBLEM
Here in the U.S., there is a belief that the education and workforce systems are broken. At Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national non-profit, they believe it’s time to tap the full potential, skills, and aspirations of more than 70 million people with records, living in the U.S. As part of JFF’s commitment to that effort, they created the JFF Center for Justice & Economic Advancement. Under the guidance of VP Lucretia Murphy, she and her team are focused on providing a road map for federal, state, and local leaders, so they can fine tune and apply their efforts to ‘normalize opportunity’ for people with records.
Hustler Files Ep. 62
COMPASSION IS THE #1 INGREDIENT FOR A 2ND CHANCE.
No one could ever accuse Liz Buxton, Director of Operations at the Western MA Food Processing Center, of having a small heart, especially when it comes to Fair Chance Hiring. Even her wife wrote about her on LinkedIn after this episode aired on @WHMP Radio. ‘My wife constantly amazes me. She’s an incredible human and inspirational leader. She leads with her heart. It’s what makes her, and her impact, so special.’ And her impact is special. Just ask her Floor Supervisor, Scott Savoie, who served five years behind the wall before finding work at the Food Processing Center. As he puts it, he wasn’t sure that he’d ever find a job once he returned to the community. In his former life he was a mechanic, but years of bending over an engine had taken its toll. With Liz and the Food Processing Center, Scott is able to take his mechanical skills and transfer them to the upkeep of the processing equipment. He’ll be the first one to tell you that having the opportunity to start a new career and work with Liz has been two of his greatest blessings.
The Hustler Files Ep 61
FROM DECARCERATION TO KIDS WITH FLOPPY EARS
Sheriff Patrick Cahillane will tell you that as an elected official of the people, his first responsibility is to the community. But as part of that citizen responsibility, Sheriff Cahillane is also progressive in his thought processes and actions, and as such implements programs and opportunities that will not only help those in his charge, behind the wall, but also those who are released and are in the process of re-entering the community, and like on part of this day, it’s all about creating a human connection between the incarcerated men and a handful of floppy eared Nubian goats.
The Hustler Files Ep 60
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A WORLD-WIDE EPIDEMIC, AND THERE’S NO CURE IN SIGHT
Kristy Norbert may look like a typical soccer Mom, but ask her about her non-profit organization the Empower HER Network, it’s 11 locations across the U.S. and how every day, she and her team which includes trauma-informed Advocates and former Survivors (the name given to those who have found their way out of a human trafficking situation), are operating from the exit ramp for those who are still caught in the web of human or even labor trafficking. Luckily for some, the Empower HER Network has been able to provide programming, housing, job opportunities and most of all a place of trust for those who have experienced this horrific way of life.
The Hustler Files Ep 59
IT ONLY TAKES ONE VOICE TO BE THE CHANGE
It’s hard to imagine someone spending 24 years in prison, let alone 10 of those in solitary confinement, but 5 years after his release, he’s the Vice President of Social Responsibility at tech innovator CHECKR, and Executive Director of their corporate foundation, Checkr.org. This is the journey of Ken Oliver. In the broad landscape of fair chance hiring, Ken knows firsthand the barriers that face anyone who has been justice impacted. As Ken says, ‘it’s not just someone’s criminal record, but there are 44,000 other collateral consequences that can prevent a justice impacted person from finding a job’. Ken has chosen to take up the flaming sword and use his powerful and passionate voice to educate corporate America, one company at a time, about the fair hiring practices associated with assessing justice impacted individuals when they are applying for a job.
