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Amplified Voices

Amber & Jason - Criminal Legal Reform Advocates with Lived Experience

Amplified Voices is a podcast that lifts the voices of people and families impacted by the criminal legal system. Hosts Jason and Amber speak with real people in real communities to help them step into the power of their lived experience. Together, they explore shared humanity and real solutions for positive change.
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Top 10 Amplified Voices Episodes

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Amber and Jason talk with Richard about his experience with Wall Street as part of the Wolf of Wall Street firm. In the conversation, Richard takes us on his journey from prison and all of the collateral consequences to reentry up through his entrepreneurial efforts focused on others who have been incarcerated. He takes us from New York to Florida to California.
From Richard's bio on his new site Commissary Club: Richard was the founder and CEO of 70 Million Jobs and 70 Million Staffing. Before launching 70 Million Jobs, Richard served as Director of Defy Ventures, a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to providing incarcerated men and women second chances upon release. Before that, he was a co-founder of the popular nostalgia website, DoYouRemember.com. His career began on Wall Street, where he managed money at Lehman Bros. and Bear Stearns. He eventually went on to found Biltmore Securities, a registered broker-dealer based in South Florida. Richard grew Biltmore to nearly 500 employees and took many companies public. After Biltmore, Richard founded Channels Magazine and launched several successful consumer product and service businesses. Richard was convicted of securities fraud in 2002, arising from his activities in the 1990s and served two years in a Federal prison camp.
https://www.commissary.club
https://www.70millionjobs.com

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Join Amber and Jason as they launch their second season of Amplified Voices with a guest you won't want to miss: Attorney Stefanie Mundhenk. In this episode, Stefanie talks about how her life was altered by an incident at Baylor University. Her journey takes us from Texas to Washington D.C., where she was a graduate law student at Georgetown, and ultimately to Kentucky where she studied for the bar and is now a practicing attorney.
Hear Stefanie explain why she believes the entire criminal legal system needs to be reformed, as she discusses Title IX and her experiences as a public defender.
Stefanie can be followed on Twitter @philawsostef
Here's a link to an article that she wrote for The Appeal:
I Was Sexually Assaulted. And I Believe Incarcerating Rapists Doesn’t Help Victims Like Me. - The Appeal

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In a rare peek behind the scenes, Amplified Voices hosts, Jason and Amber round out their first season by reflecting on how the podcast has evolved - exploring how proximity and storytelling have been able to make an impact on the many people who have participated, listened and shared the show with others.
Through a candid discussion, the hosts highlight the feedback they have received, what the project has meant to each of them and the many things they have learned from the guests who have trusted them to amplify their inspiring stories of pain, growth, triumph and humanity. They also offer a look at how guests are selected, how the show is organized and produced, and offer a preview of what to expect in season two.

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Join Jason and Amber for a different perspective, as they speak with Thomas Owen Baker, a veteran and former police officer who shares how his involvement in policing affected him, leading to his strong desire to convert his experiences into something of social value . He candidly speaks about life as a law enforcement officer and how his perceptions changed over time. After 9 years serving on the force, he decided to enter the academic sphere, focusing his research on police culture, use of force, and qualitative research methods. Tom believes that we must all work toward a society where citizens and their governmental representatives – the police – aren’t so terrified of one another. He hopes his research and outreach can be part of positive solutions.
Thomas is a PhD student in the department of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri-St Louis, a Pat Tillman scholar and podcaster. You can follow him on Twitter @thomasowenbaker
During the show, Thomas mentions a project called Fatal Encounters - which describes itself as a "step toward creating an impartial, comprehensive and searchable database of people killed during interactions with the police." He also mentions: https://www.trainingreform.org

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11/11/20 • 57 min

Deb Martinez's brother is currently incarcerated in Connecticut. In this episode, Deb shares her experience as an advocate for her brother as well as for other incarcerated individuals and their families. She also talks about when she was the victim of a sexual assault as a teenager, an occurrence that completely changed the trajectory of her life. Like most stories, Deb's is multi-dimensional and one you won't want to miss. Deb can be found on twitter as @victim2advocate, on Facebook or by email at victimtoadvocate@gmail.com.

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10/26/20 • 40 min

In this episode of Amplified Voices, Jason and Amber speak with Tiheba Bain, a mother, student, activist and advocate for formerly incarcerated women and girls. Tiheba shares her experiences: being raised by her grandmother in Brooklyn, a difficult struggle with addiction, her time behind the walls and the long journey to find her way.
Tiheba is the founder of Women Against Mass Incarceration, a nonprofit organization, located in Bridgeport, CT that exists to empower, change and re-shape the lives of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and families. They are a partner organization of the National Council of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls. You can find them at http://www.wamict.org.

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10/13/20 • 58 min

In this episode of Amplified Voices, Amber and Jason speak with Nancy - a business owner, wife, mother, student and advocate from Iowa. Nancy authentically shares how her family was affected by addiction, incarceration, special probation conditions, mandated treatment, public registration and more.
Her story particularly highlights how broad and often inflexible probation restrictions can deeply affect the lives and mental health of all members of the family. Her journey and aspirations to become a mental health treatment provider illustrate the resilience of families who have been affected by the criminal legal system.
*Trigger warning* This episode includes references to suicidal ideation. Those who have struggled with similar challenges should listen with a support person, listen in chunks or turn the podcast off if needed.

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In this episode of Amplified Voices, Jason and Amber speak with Tricia, mother of four and wife of a man who was convicted of a white collar crime and subsequently incarcerated. Tricia bravely shares her experiences, including how she and her children were affected through the process, the shock of the arrest, coping with co-parenting while a parent is incarcerated and public responses to the idea of white collar crime. She speaks of finding humanity in the most unexpected places and highlights how every family is unique.

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09/29/20 • 49 min

In this episode of Amplified Voices, Amber and Jason speak with Andrew, a pastor from Connecticut who has been impacted by the criminal legal system, both as a family member and as the victim of a crime. Andrew speaks about how the crime and the system has affected his family, congregation, community and more. He shares valuable insights and coping strategies for those who have an incarcerated family member during the age of COVID19, as well as for those who are living with the challenges of a criminal record in a world turned upside-down after incarceration. Finally he speaks about spirituality and the responsibility of individuals of faith to define justice as equality and love, seeking a path to redemption and reconciliation for everyone.

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In this episode, Amber & Jason meet Carol, the mother of an intellectually disabled son and a passionate advocate for reform.
She shares how her family was thrust into the world of courtrooms, plea bargains, ankle monitors and public registration after a situation that occurred in 2012. Their story is one of tragedy and triumph, one that shines a light on the fact that criminal prosecutions of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities often lead to disastrous consequences for individuals and their families without any benefit to the public.
In the episode, Carol shares enthusiastically about LRIDD - Legal Reform for the Intellectually & Developmentally Disabled. Listeners can learn more about their work here: http://www.LRIDD.org
The story of Carol and her family was also featured in a recent article by Chiara Eisner, When People with Intellectual Disabilities Are Punished, Parents Pay the Price

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  • FAQ

    How many episodes does Amplified Voices have?

    Amplified Voices currently has 39 episodes available.

    What topics does Amplified Voices cover?

    The podcast is about Society & Culture, Justice and Podcasts.

    What is the most popular episode on Amplified Voices?

    The episode title 'Richard Bronson -Wall Street to Prison to Commissary Club Entrepreneur- Season 2 Episode 2' is the most popular.

    What is the average episode length on Amplified Voices?

    The average episode length on Amplified Voices is 50 minutes.

    How often are episodes of Amplified Voices released?

    Episodes of Amplified Voices are typically released every 18 days, 9 hours.

    When was the first episode of Amplified Voices?

    The first episode of Amplified Voices was released on Jul 18, 2020.

    Show more FAQ

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