Stay Free Forever

Straight talk from a Black historian who draws parallels and lessons for any oppressed community seeking to adapt and thrive, starting one at a time...

Sixty-four percent of us have lived through "adverse childhood experiences," a clinical term for really bad stuff. For the prison population, that jumps to 98 percent. Drawing from her own life, counselor Crystal Nelson explains where it comes from, why it matters, what to do about it, and how her own "Rising Phoenix" non-profit will help.

At first convinced that the Domestic Violence and Anger Management courses were not what she needed or deserved, a 37-year-old single mom and EMT comes to terms with her anger, her past, her abuser and her family. Effort, thought, Arapahoe culture, a devoted aunt and an emotionally mature 10-year-old daughter combine forces for the win.

Court-ordered to complete the SFF Personal Responsibility eLearning course after a freak ATV accident, medical student Rae Gresham recalls the flip and its aftermath. Along the way, we hear about the good and bad of foster care, the ABCs of dropping toxic friendships, nicotine-food-video game addictions, and the heart-to-heart wisdom of Taylor Swift.

Once-happy family man recalls how an unexpected divorce and unimpeded self-indulgence led him to spend a third of his life behind razor-wire fences. Corkey Mullendore discusses bad choices, lucky breaks and the hard-earned wisdom that led him to where he says he is now: one stumble away from "an unmarked grave" in prison.

Interview from the Twin Towers Correction Facility in LA with the leader of a successful  movement to help and treat severely mentally ill patients, while also restoring and truly rehabilitating lifers and other convicted felon volunteers by permitting them to serve in a meaningful way