Jacques talks about one stigma he currently faces in Scarlet F's (Season 1) finale: The only thing worse than a brand is banishment. Jacques sheds light on how a Scarlet F can banish military veterans from the country they swore allegiance to. This topic is worth listening to and talking about. To hear more, press play.

Jacques interviewed Sammy Perez. Sammy was a juvenile offender that graduated to an adult offender, but had a crisis of faith that changed the trajectory of his life. Now, Sammy is a husband, father, and advocate for the justice involved. His life and work definitely speaks to why stigmas should be erased. To hear more press play.   **Apologies for the audio, the silent featured guest on this episode was a severe storm which affected the connection. Thank you for listening!**

Jacques interviewed Richard Jackson. Richard Jackson was sentenced to life in prison, but was given a second chance. Since his release, Richard has been involved with a community service provider helping returning citizens fight drug addiction, housing insecurity, etc. His work and perspective definitely add to the discussion of ending stigmas. To hear more, press play.

Jacques interviewed Marshall Williams -- a former inmate who is on the front lines of criminal justice reform. His work with a community resource organization helps returning citizens in every area of their lives, starting with pre-release preparation. Marshall's perspective on ending the stigma is worth hearing. To hear more, press play.

Jacques interviewed Troy Ketchmore. Mr. Ketchmore served 27 years in prison. And even though he was wrongfully convicted, he was never exonerated. But in spite of the stigmas that a felony record brings with it, Mr. Ketchmore is doing amazing work reaching the youth with his organization Ketchmore Kids. To hear more of his story, press play.

Jacques interviewed Reese Washington. Mr. Washington has been involved in the justice system in many ways. He's been a corrections officer, a chaplain in the city jail, and involved in prison ministry. Mr. Washington also has a son that's incarcerated. His perspective is vital to ending the stigma. To hear his perspective, press play.

Jacques interviewed Misty, a woman who served 7 years in prison. Misty talked about how prison--a place that utterly dehumanizes a person and constantly degrades their self worth--has led to bouts with anxiety and paranoia. She advocates for more people to get involved with prison ministries, which has helped her overcome many of the stigmas, imprinted in her mind, from the justice system. To hear more of Misty's perspective, press play.

Jacques interviewed Asiatic, an entrepreneur and community advocate, who served 22 years of a 40 year sentence. During his time in prison, Asiatic saw how prison was conditioning him for failure upon his release; and so, he decided to plan for his success by taking control of his mental well-being. And now, he's realizing his success. To hear more, press play.

Jacques interviewed Charles "Russell" Clink, Jr., a travelling social worker, who served 13 years of a 15 year sentence. During an internship for his Masters from NYU, Russell talked about being denied an Airbnb and a job at UBER, even though his social work required him to make house calls. Russell marveled at the irony, suggesting that we judge others by the content of their character.To hear more of Russell's amazing story, press play.

Jacques interviewed Anthony Edwards, a prolific artist, muralist, and creative. Anthony served 23 years of a 50 year sentence. Anthony talked about being stigmatized when he was fired from a job because of his conviction, even though his immediate supervisor recommended him for a promotion. Anthony's exhortation is that we have conversations with justice involved individuals instead of jumping to conclusions. To hear more of Anthony's compelling story, press play.