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Sharif Brown has an older brother who’s cycled and out of prison most of his life and a cousin who struggles with the effects of spina bifida. That lived experience with loved ones fuels Sharif’s passion to help people with disabilities reintegrate back into society after prison. We learn about the reentry program he’s developed with the North Carolina Alliance for Disability Advocates and find out how NCADA has helped Robert Lewis become independent despite a delayed diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy that’s compromised his vision.

https://adanc.org

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

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In Part Two of our series we meet two TROSA graduates, who have completed the two-year program treatment program. Dymont Spellman and Kristie Foy come from quite different backgrounds and found their way into addiction through different paths. Yet years later, when faced with the possibility of dying, they both chose to come to TROSA, where they discovered a community of people who'd beat their addiction and were now supporting others through their recovery.

We hear their stories and discover why Dymont and Kristie are so committed to the TROSA community. (TROSA stands for Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers.)

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

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TROSA is an evidence-based, peer-driven treatment program for substance use disorder in Durham, North Carolina. Based on the concept of a therapeutic community, Trosa's two-year program provides comprehensive treatment, vocational training, education and continuing care.

In Part One, we meet CEO Keith Artin who began as a volunteer and never left. We learn what makes TROSA effective and why peer-driven community support is so vital in helping people kick their addiction.

(TROSA stands for Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers)

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

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Jefradian Stafford wants you to know he's not the same man who, a decade ago, lost everything to his opioid addiction and found himself in prison. In prison, he kicked his addiction. And after he got out, a second chance employer hired him as a truck driver. With the love and unconditional support of his mother and grandmother, he began to rebuild his life. But it was not until Jefradian learned to love and nurture himself that he began to find true happiness. Today he owns his own home and is about to be married.

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

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In this installment of her series, April talks about the latest advocacy initiatives she's become involved with. The Coalition of Black Forensic Peer Support Specialists supports Black people adversely impacted by the justice system. Jingle advocates for juveniles who've received a life sentence.

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

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Arise Collective is one of those rare organizations that provides housing for women transitioning from prison. But that's just the beginning. Arise provides emotional support, teaches life skills needed to become independent and, as we'll learn in this episode, even offers the opportunity to get a college degree. We'll meet two Arise residents who are taking advantage of that opportunity.

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

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In Part Two of our Arise for Women series, we meet two women who are in the Arise program. Each one has children and each one has done prison time for offenses related to substance use disorder. They've come forward to tell their stories to offer hope to others caught in the grip of addiction.

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.

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While the female incarceration rate in North Carolina continues to rise at an alarming rate, there's precious little reentry support available for women. Arise Collective in Raleigh aims to change that by providing not just housing, but also wrap-around services to help women get their back on their feet.

In our first of a three-part series, Reentry Project Director Kimberly Stone describes the many ways in which Arise provides stability and support for formerly incarcerated women. We also discover how her own lived experience informs her work.

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.