Just Justice

S3EP5: Meet David Carrillo, the First Incarcerated College Professor in the United States

David Carrillo was serving a life without parole sentence when he realized he needed to radically change his thinking, and the way he was living behind bars. From a prison cell, he began a journey of education, reflection, and transformation that led him to become the first incarcerated college professor in the country. In this inspiring episode, we talk about what it means to imagine a life of purpose in a place built for punishment, how education became David’s pathway to hope, and what his story reveals about the power of redemption and the human capacity for change.
 
To learn more about David's work: https://www.davidrcarrilloconsulting.com/.
Check out his memoir, Kiko: From Life Without Parole to Life with Purpose: https://a.co/d/3Qth27p
 
For more about Jessica Henry, go to jessicahenryjustice.com.

S3EP4: Sixteen Years in Prison For A Crime He Didn't Commit: Attorney and Exoneree Jeffrey Deskovic on Justice and Redemption

At just 17, Jeffrey Deskovic was coerced into a false confession and wrongly convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, despite DNA evidence that proved his innocence. After 16 years behind bars, he was finally exonerated. Now an attorney and founder of the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation, Jeff joins Just Justice to share his powerful story and his mission to free the wrongfully convicted. It’s a powerful conversation about resilience, truth, and the urgent need for justice reform to protect the innocent.   
Learn more about Jeffrey Deskovic at: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.deskovic/ 
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreydeskovic/ 
Learn more about the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation (with a link to donate!): https://www.deskovicfoundation.org/ 
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/deskovicfoundation/ 
Watch the short documentary "Conviction": https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0B35H3CR3/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r
Learn more about Jessica Henry at jessicahenryjustice.com.

S3EP3: The Cost of Integrity, with former U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer

When former U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer refused to recommend a pardon for actor Mel Gibson, the Trump administration fired her just three hours later. Now, Liz is telling her story. Liz has become a leading voice for justice, transparency, and integrity in the criminal legal system. On this episode of Just Justice, we dive into the politics of federal pardons under the Trump administration, and talk about what it takes to stand up for what's right, even when the personal cost is devastatingly high.  
 
You can learn more about Liz Oyer at: https://www.lawyeroyer.com, (where you can subscribe to her substack!) or find her on the socials at "Lawyer Oyer" 
 
For more about Jessica Henry, go to jessicahenryjustice.com
 
 

S3EP2: Aliza Kaplan: Second Chance Lawyering

Law professor Aliza Kaplan joins Just Justice to share the human side of “second-chance lawyering." Aliza details the chllanging legal work that happens after a conviction, where post-conviction advocacy, parole, clemency, and re-sentencing can truly change lives. Aliza traces her journey from co-founding the New England Innocence Project to helping reshape criminal justice policy in Oregon, and shares stories of people who came home ready to thrive. If you’re curious about reforms that actually work, and the people behind them, join us for a conversation that is hopeful and inspiring.  

S3EP1: What if Justice Meant Healing Instead of Punishment? with Amanda Carrasco author of Becoming the Brave One

On this episode of Just Justice, Amanda Carrasco, author of the new memoir Becoming the Brave One, shares how her experiences with sexual abuse and homicide shaped her path toward healing, and how restorative justice became a powerful framework for accountability, resilience, and hope. This conversation highlights the strength it takes to tell your story and the possibilities of justice rooted in repair rather than prison.
To learn more about Amanda Carrasco and to order her new memoir, Becoming the Brave One, go to: https://amandacarrasco.com/.
To learn more about Jessica Henry and the Just Justice podcast, visit jessicahenryjustice.com.

S2EP13: Second Chances and Reentry, with Andrew Hundley, Executive Director of the Louisiana Parole Project

At just 15 years old, Andrew Hundley was sentenced to life without parole. Nearly two decades later, he became the first juvenile lifer in Louisiana released after the Supreme Court ruled such sentences unconstitutional. In this powerful episode of Just Justice, Andrew shares his extraordinary journey from incarceration to non-profit leader. Now the co-founder and executive director of the Louisiana Parole Project, Andrew is helping rewrite the narrative for over 600 formerly incarcerated individuals by providing housing, employment, life skills, mentoring, and a community that believes in redemption. Tune in to hear how one man’s second chance is helping hundreds of others find theirs.   
 

S2EP12: We Can't Afford It, with Zoë Towns, Executive Director of FWD.US

Ever wonder what mass incarceration really costs us—not just in terms of dollars, but in lost opportunities, strained families, and long-term economic impact? Spoiler: it’s a lot more than you think. In this episode, I sit down with Zoë Towns, Executive Director of FWD.us, to unpack the eye-opening findings from their report We Can’t Afford It: Mass Incarceration and the Family Tax. We break down the staggering financial burden of the prison system and explore what a better, more equitable future could look like. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
 
To find out more about Zoë Towns and the work of FWD.US: go to https://www.fwd.us/
To read their groundbreaking report, go to: https://www.wecantaffordit.us/
 
To learn more about Jessica Henry and Just Justice, go to www.jessicahenryjustice.com.
  

S2EP11: "Children are Children," with Michael Pinard, Law Professor and Juvenile Justice Advocate

Michael Pinard has devoted his entire career to advocating for children and fighting against the racial biases that often accompany their mistreatment in our legal systems. A former public defender turned law professor, Michael's work focuses on the intersection between race and the civil, criminal and juvenile justice systems. Michael is the faculty director of the Gibson-Banks Center for Race and the Law and director of the Clinical Law Program at the University of Maryland School of Law. He also is an old friend of mine, going way back to our days at NYU School of Law. If you care about children and justice, you won't want to miss this episode of Just Justice. 
 
To learn more about Michael Pinard's work, go to: https://www.law.umaryland.edu/faculty--research/directory/profile/index.php?id=093
 
To learn more about Jessica Henry, go to www.jessicahenryjustice.com 
 

S2EP10: Phillip Alvin Jones, In Prison but "Already Free"

Phillip Alvin Jones is incarcerated in a Washington prison, where he is serving two life sentences plus twenty years for a crime he committed many years ago in Maryland. Although he has been in prison for over thirty years, he has used his time to be an agent of change, both inside and outside the walls. Phillip hosts the podcast, The Wall: Behind and Beyond, and runs his own company, Phillip A. Jones, LLC., which seeks to transform our justice system by working towards a future where justice and rehabilitation meet. In this episode of Just Justice, Phillip and I talk about prison, books, and how he stays focused on being free in all the ways that matter. Join us.  
 
For more information about Phillip Alvin Jones:
To contact Phillip directly at Airway Heights Corrections Center in Washington:
1. Create a Securus account here: https://securustech.online/#/login
2. Search for Airway Heights Corrections Center 
3. Alvin Jones,DOC number: 881507 
 
To learn more about Phillip's work, go to https://www.phillipajonesconsultingllc.com/.
To listen to his podcast, The Wall: Behind and Beyond, https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWallBehindandBeyondPodcast
   
For more information about Jessica Henry, go to www.jessicahenryjustice.com.

S2EP9:Bryan Widenhouse: Advocate, Artist and JLWOP Survivor

S1EP21 Bryan Widenhouse: Advocate, Artist and JLWOP Survivor
 
Bryan Widenhouse received a life without parole sentence when he was only 17 years old. During his 31 year incarceration, some of which was spent at the notorious Angola prison, Bryan chose to serve others as a path toward accountability and redemption. When a change in law allowed Bryan to be released, he seized the opportunity to continue serving others. Bryan now works as a State Legislative Affairs Manager for FAMM, challenging extreme sentences and promoting second look laws. He has spoken to members of Congress, testified to legislators, and helped to develop a Speakers’ Bureau to change the narrative around extreme sentences. In this episode of Just Justice, I talk with Bryan about the importance of second chances, his art, and the power of community service to heal and transform. 
To see a small sample of Bryan's art:
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To learn more about the National LWOP Leadership Council and the Speakers' Bureau of former lifers, as well as a wealth of information about LWOP and our efforts to abolish the sentence: https://www.beyondlwop.org/national-lwop-leadership-council/
To learn about FAMM:  https://famm.org/
 
To learn more about Jessica Henry, go to www.jessicahenryjustice.com