Listen Now

Gethin Aldous co-directed and produced The Work, an award-winning documentary about Inside Circle’s emotional healing work at New Folsom State Prison in California. Listen as he shares the unexpected series of connections that inspired him to get involved with the documentary project and describes how doing “the work” with Inside Circle changed his life and inspired the creation of All Kings - a New York based group that puts together therapeutic circles and hosts retreats for formerly incarcerated men and others.

The subject of a documentary entitled, Visiting Day, Scott Nolan was close to his incarcerated cousin, Patrick Nolan, who founded what is known today as Inside Circle. Their relationship, kept alive through letters, conversations and occasional visits, influenced Scott’s work and inspired him to make art and music with incarcerated people. Tune in for a conversation loaded with rich, humorous stories and unexpected insights from a perceptive artist. This lively interview goes deep into the meaning of Inside Circle’s work and illuminates how to make it real in our lives and our hearts.

The work of our corrections officers is often difficult and dehumanizing. The prison system perpetuates harm on both sides of the bars and Stephen Walker, a corrections officer for over 30 years - most notably in facilities for incarcerated youth - is passionate about changing that for everyone impacted by incarceration and abuse. He is not proud of the role he played in the system before turning his life around and working to become a deeply kind and compassionate person. Now, he shares his hard-earned wisdom and technical expertise to improve systems and situations for as many people as he can, making that kind of change possible for more people.

Entrepreneur, author and speaker, Cheryl Armstrong, is ready to inspire others with her story of perseverance and personal transformation. Incarcerated as a teenager, she spent almost twenty years in prison. After years of bitter darkness, she started to focus on what she could actually change and made incredible progress - both in her outlook on life and on how she used her time. She earned a master’s degree while in prison and now, as a returned citizen, she’s committed to using her lived experience to serve others. Enjoy this one, folks - Cheryl’s energy and enthusiasm are infectious!

Jarrell Daniels is passionate about changing the narrative of the criminal justice system to ensure that justice and democracy are applied equally to all. Tried as an adult when he was 17, Jarrell was released after serving a six year sentence. Today, as Founder of Justice Ambassadors Youth Council - an interactive social-emotional program for disadvantaged youth - he brings policymakers together with community members and academics to develop strategies and best practices for effective community-centered interventions.  Listen in as Jarrell opens up about his vision and the challenges and joys of his journey.  For more from Jarrell, catch his TED Talk covering the factors that led to his incarceration and his innovative approach to collaborative education between the system and the system-impacted: https://www.ted.com/talks/jarrell_daniels_what_prosecutors_and_incarcerated_people_can_learn_from_each_other

Luis Manzanares spent 15 years in prison and eventually, after witnessing and participating in so much violence, something finally shifted inside him and he realized that he needed to change. Luis had long believed in the righteousness of his gang and what it stood for but through long, unglamorous years on the inside, he came to understand that there were other things that really mattered to him, people who truly cared about him and who he could live for. In this conversation, Luis tells his story of darkness and loss and how he came out the other side. Luis is now running an inspiring YouTube channel called “A Prisoner’s Awakening,” spreading his message that there is so much good to live for and believe in outside of gangs, violence, and anger. With love, humanity, grace, and humor, Luis is now living free and sharing what inspires him.

Raymond Garcia spent 20 years in prison. Since his release, he’s become a vital part of Inside Circle, facilitating circles and participating in groups as part of his unfolding reintegration on the outside. In this special in-person interview, Raymond talks about how he found Inside Circle, the impact that sitting in healing circles has had on his life, and what he hopes to bring to others as a facilitator. Tune in to enjoy Raymond's beautiful understated wisdom that offers a guiding light to anyone seeking to change and deepen their understanding of themselves.

Revealing how the work of Inside Circle extends far beyond prison walls, retiree Jessica Coronado shares how she found Inside Circle and in doing so, tapped into a deep well of support while battling stage 4 cancer. Full of life and hope, this conversation is incredibly inspiring. Don’t miss Jessica’s hard won pearls of wisdom and the opportunity to witness how individuals who have healed themselves and built lives free of the justice system can make a profound and positive impact on the communities they return to - one circle at a time.

Cartis Wilcox and Eldra Jackson III met while serving life sentences in prison. Both are free now and have incredible stories to share. Join them for a wild ride as Cartis details his journey through darkness, strife, and grief to find himself and reflects on his most important lessons this side of transformation.

Join host, Eldra Jackson III, as he sits down with Dr. Curly Moloney to learn how she and her team developed The Cambridge Code, the first digital tool capable of reading and interpreting the mind’s subconscious behavior. With incredible potential to support folks who might have trouble accessing therapy or other psychological support, the Cambridge Code is a powerful new tool for looking at your own mind. In today’s conversation, learn about what’s going on during your most difficult moments and hear all about how the subconscious mind drives your actions, how to find resilience and how to make empowered choices.

Samuel Nathaniel Brown and Jamilia Land are an inspiring duo. Sam was in prison for 24 years, and he got out 16 days before this interview. But his grace and insights in the midst of this transition are matched only by the extraordinary wisdom and strength of his wife, Jamilia.  Collaborating with deep faith and commitment to the work and their community, they are working on both legislation and programs to improve experiences, education, and outcomes for system-impacted people.

Alvin Hall is an incredible historian and producer who documents the history of Black people in America through books, films, podcasts, and television - he’s also a deeply warm and empathetic person. Sharing his favorite wisdom drawn from life, his family and deep study of finance, he’ll pull you in to this practical, heartfelt, and fascinating conversation! And please, don’t forget to check out Alvin’s work at https://alvinhall.com/, you won’t regret it.

An executive coach and community facilitator focused on anti-racism and peer learning, Nina Simmonds approaches her personal transformational work with rigor and compassion. Taking us right to the heart and soul of some of her most difficult work, Nina lends a gentle and powerful perspective. Tune in as she and host Eldra Jackson III discuss how to navigate through fear while guiding yourself through big life transitions.

Join host Eldra Jackson III as he sits down with Rick Misener, a formative member of Inside Circle who found himself in the healing circles Inside Circle is known for. In this dialogue, Eldra and Rick go right to the heart of vulnerability, love, and wisdom as they reveal that every drop of contentment in our lives is worth working for. This kind of community, these moments of connection, are the heart of transformation. Today, Rick shares his powerful lived-experience as a coach and facilitator for Inside Circle. You can join his virtual drop-in support group every Wednesday 6-8 pm PST. We think you’ll want to after you hear this incredible conversation.

Jillian Richardson is a coach and community organizer whose work focuses on how to build and sustain nourishing relationships and communities. She curates The Joy List, a weekly email of positive community events in New York, and leads a program called “New Yorker in 90 Days.” There’s a depth to Jillian’s work and the way she approaches her own personal growth that resonates with Inside Circle. This interview highlights unexpected connections among different types of community building and transformational work.

James McLeary was part of the original group that brought men’s circles to New Folsom Prison after the 1996 riots that led to the formation of Inside Circle. He’s been part of the men’s work movement for over 25 years and his wisdom shines through this beautiful, rich conversation. James has made incredible contributions to initiation practices and circles over the years - especially for black men and people inside prison, but above all, he’s committed to doing his own work.

Today’s conversation is a true opportunity to sit down in circle, to feel the connection and growth that happens when we make space together to sit with our vulnerability in mutual trust and support. Stephanie Lane has spent more than half her life in and out of the juvenile and adult prison systems. She’s been out for two years now, and she is not going back. She’s got her support network, goals for her life’s work, and a willingness to do the work. This will be the best half hour of your day, folks, so please sit down with us and get ready to go deep.

Maurice Regalado is a life-long educator who has been serving students in economically disadvantaged communities in the Los Angeles region since 1988. In this inspiring dialogue he sheds light on the forces driving the school-to-prison pipeline, highlights the challenges that violent, chaotic, impoverished home lives bring to school achievement, and addresses the underlying issues that cause students to fall behind, repeatedly break school rules, and drop out.  Listen as Maurice, with heart, soul, and hard-earned wisdom, shares his vision for a brighter future.

This episode’s guest is Steve Kawaja, a businessman who got interested in personal transformation and the prison system about ten years ago. He started visiting prisons with Inside Circle in 2015. Through sitting in circle with incarcerated folks, Steve has found something that sounds an awful lot like deep personal transformation. In this conversation, Steve gets real about what personal growth looks like for him, how vulnerability frees us, and the joys of being a little lighter and freer in the world.

Joining us today is Dr Bandy X Lee, a psychiatrist, author, and public health expert who works in violence prevention. She has been motivated throughout her life to work with those most in need, and during her medical training identified that people who are incarcerated are that population. She has studied the terrible negative effects of solitary confinement, and explains how that punishment is profoundly inhumane. Dr Bandy X Lee has also studied the effects of tyrants and other impaired personalities in affecting mental health at the societal level. She talks to us about the collective mental health impact of former President Donald Trump’s time in power. This conversation is a real eye-opener!