Law Enforcement System: Accountability and Loopholes with Louis Molina and Karla Cruel

07/02/20 • 55 min

In this episode, we look at the law enforcement system from two different perspectives, a correctional executive and a lawyer activist provide insights into how the system is, and how it needs to change. Our guests are Louis Molina and Karla Cruel: bios below.
Louis Molina is a second generation, decorated veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, with over twenty years of experience in the public sector, namely in the criminal justice arena having uniquely worked in policing, the District Attorney’s office and corrections. His current role has allowed him to operationalize sustainable criminal justice reform practices that advance the principles of social justice in an effort to break the cycle of poverty, crime and abuse. Louis believes that in order to improve the criminal justice system and enhance the impact of social services, these systems need strategic disruption in how they are managed in order to address today’s challenges. Louis is currently the First Deputy Commissioner, Westchester County Department of Correction and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Chaminade University, a Master in Public Administration degree from Marist College School of Management, Master of Arts degree in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, studied abroad at University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and was a United States Department of Justice/Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice Scholar for Law Enforcement, advancing the infusion of research and evidence into policing policy and practice from 2014 to 2017.
Karla L. Cruel, Esq., a former educator, now social entrepreneur who launched Legal Empowerment Group to educate and support lower-to-middle income individuals. She worked as staff attorney for Tenant Union Representative Network (TURN), assisting with Philadelphia’s Eviction Prevention Project. Having grown up in West Philadelphia, attending academic programs created to help poor minority children go to college, now she holds three degrees. Throughout her schooling, she has been promoting social equality and racial and religious reconciliation. After living in Japan for 4.5 years, Ms. Cruel returned to the US to have a greater impact on the community in which she was raised. Through the encouragement of her students, Ms. Cruel attended and graduated from Drexel University’s Thomas Kline School of Law. She has practiced law in various areas including criminal law, family law, landlord-tenant law, business law, charter school law and other civil transactional and litigation. Karla L. Cruel is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania. Ms. Cruel also holds a master’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University in criminal justice is a mentor, speaker, educator and community advocate. Karla has also given back to her community through volunteering with and serving as a member of Christian Legal Services’ Board of Directors, teaching at Temple University’s Pan-African Studies Community Education Program, serving on the Board of Directors of Imhotep Charter School, and teaching legal education workshops at Imhotep’s Communiversity. Even ran for a Philadelphia District City Council seat in 2019. She is the recipient of the Outstanding Law Student Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers and the Pro Bono Award from Drexel University Law School and First Judicial District in 2019 for her working in Landlord-Tenant court.

Resources mentioned on the show:
Contact: Louis Molina
www.LouisMolina.com
Karla Cruel email: [email protected]
Originally aired on June 19, 2020.

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Resources mentioned on the show:
Contact: Louis Molina
www.LouisMolina.com
Karla Cruel email: [email protected]
Originally aired on June 19, 2020.

Support the show

To recomend a guest contact us at: [email protected]
To support Collective Power join our Patreon

Previous Episode

Child Welfare Systems: My Child Was Taken with Lawanda

In this episode we hear from a birth parent who lost one of her children to foster care how daunting the experience with DHS was an how, the more she advocated for her child's needs, the worse the experience became. Our guest, Lawanda, is a single mother of three. "I'm college educated and hard working. I'm a survivor of DHS. My story is a little different, you see DHS wasn't always the beast they became. In the beginning they were a source of help. I can't explain how or why they changed but one day I was enemy and all eyes were on me. I went from being a concerned, kind, caring parent to someone who was unstable and a risk to her own children. There were lies told to paint a picture of someone I wasn't. However, I was smart cookie and no one's fool. I found a different set of resources and fought back. In the end of I was victorious and cleared my good name. I wouldn't wish what happened to me on my worst enemy but I came out on the other side."

Resources mentioned on the show:
Video here
Every Mother's a Working Mother's website
Originally aired on February 7, 2020

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To recomend a guest contact us at: [email protected]
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Next Episode

Juvenile Justice System: A child not embraced by his village with Sousan

...will burn it down to feel its warmth" An African Wisdom Saying--that Sousan mentions on the show.
In this episode, we talk with a mother who has seen all three of her children in the juvenile justice system. We talk about personal power, race, and the split between how the private juvenile "injustice" facilities offer high quality services--to predominantly white children, while the state facilities are youth prisons with predominantly children of color. Sousan also describes the soul-crushing experience of juvenile court.
Our guest, Sousan is the mother of 3 children age 30, 18 and 16 and grandmother of 3. She was widowed last May when her childhood sweetheart died suddenly of a heart attack. She works for the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit where she serves as a school counselor for several schools in the county. She is currently completing the requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. Sousan considers herself a healer and cares deeply about helping others to remember who they are, to re-claim their power and to use their incarnation in a mighty way.

Sousan is a Certified Family Recovery Specialist and serves as a peer support to other parents who have children with substance-use disorder. She is involved in and deeply committed to the recovery community. Sousan regularly attends parent support groups and continues to educate herself about the disease of addiction. She volunteers at a Women’s Treatment Center as part of a Mom’s group for mothers of addicted children, lovingly referred to as the Mama Bears.

Sousan is also a member of Power, an interfaith organization and movement committed to building power within communities and creating a more just and loving world. Her focus and passion is police reform, ending mass incarceration and systematic racism and overall systems change.

The guiding force of Sousan’ life is the divine presence. She believes that we are all emanations of the most-high. Sousan is known to carry index cards of affirmations to give out to others and she frequently writes herself reminders, applied with a sharpie to her hand, of how she intends to walk thru life, in order to guide her through each day. Her highest intention is to be in a state of:

Reverence Grace Humility and Thanksgiving
Resources mentioned on the show:
Contact sousan: [email protected]
An article on Crossover Youth
First aired on July 3, 2020

Support the show

To recomend a guest contact us at: [email protected]
To support Collective Power join our Patreon