Background Check Podcast

Background Check Podcast

After five DWI’s landed me prison, something had to change. One day I got into a fight and I spent eight days in solitaire confinement thinking about my life and the decisions I had made that led me to that dark place, literally. I came out of the hole a different man with a different heart, mind, soul, direction, and outlook on life. I got mentored by a couple of inmates who eventually made parole but within a year they were both back in. This confused me and ticked me off. I wondered how I was going to make it out there. Since my release in 2006 we’ve opened up a transitional house for men, with another ”ranch” coming, launched a documentary, been on the Mike Huckabee Show, launched this podcast, and it goes into prisons all over the nation.

Episodes

June 20, 2025 150 mins

PRODUCTION NOTE:

This is a re-airing of this episode, but with video this time. Jimmy and Beth have informed us that they are opening three more houses so they have more room. 

 

In this episode we do announcements with Jessa including talking about the weekend we had at Breakfast Bible Study and church. We had two ladies drive from a Weatherford transitional house to go to ‪@SocialDallas‬ with us. Two men from another transitional...

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In this episode, Jay Dan and Jessa take their time with announcements and have some fun. They do shout outs, show baptisms pictures, talk about breakfast Bible study, the ranch, the new truck, the new grill, and we show a video of Shannon Marshall, who was released in November of 2024, skydiving.

 

We address the recent “call out” from Real Vida podcast and their challenge in the corn hole ...

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In this episode we sit down with the Erick Wilsons, One and Two.

We talk about fatherhood, sports, and so many other things.

Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.  

First Option Mortgage Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597 jgumm@myfirstoption.com 972-897-5476  

From On High Roofing and Construction Reginald Reed 469-9...

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On this episode, Jay Dan and Jessa tell some jokes, do a small devotion, play a shout out from Angelo, talk about sports, and Forgiven Ranch. 

Ben's story intertwines with the previous week's guest, Kimberli Lemon. So many people's stories intersect in our broader Forgiven Felons family. 

We talk yoga pants, peanut butter, satanic tattoos, and Jesus. We laugh so much and we get serious too. Watch the whole episode to hear how we na...

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In this episode, we air some Mother's Day shout outs from Alabama, we do a little devotional about having the keys, and we sit down with a mother. 

Kimberli Lemon, a sister of an incarcerated man in Texas, shares her story of incarceration from a family's perspective. She shares how things were done in her family growing up, how she studied Buddhism for a very long time, and how she could feel God working on her through the incarce...

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We hung out at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, TX with Deanna Luprete and the crew from Epicenter Ministries, in support for House Bill 200, aka the Second Look Bill.

 

We interviewed a couple of second lookers and the father of a second looker.

Thank you to everyone at Epicenter Ministries for taking the time to speak about the bill.

Visit the website: https://secondlooktexas.org/

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During announcements Jay Dan and Jessa talk about Easter, shout outs, sports, 2nd Chance Month, and upcoming prison trips. 

 

Round Two with Dr. Letitia Scott Jackson from Keeping Families Connected. 

Speaker, author, playwriter, and so much more, Dr Jackson sits down with Jay Dan again and talks about all she's been doing since the last interview. 

From toy driv...

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At 13 years of age, Fresh and his friend stole a pair of clippers from Minyards. The reason they stole them is because their families couldn’t afford a hair cut at the time.

Fresh and his friend cut each other’s hair, but then started cutting all the kids hair in the neighborhood.

Coming from a broken home, Fresh did his best along the way to avoid getting into gangs but couldn’t altogether...

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PRODUCTION NOTE: This podcast is friends with Background Check Podcast and we will air their episodes from time to time. While the mission and vision of both podcasts are the same, the methods and people may be different. As on our show, BCP, if you have any questions about the topics, please feel free to message Jay Dan at jaydangumm@forgivenfelons.org

We love SAR and think you will too. Tre9 and the te...

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PRODUCTION NOTE: This podcast is friends with Background Check Podcast and we will air their episodes from time to time. While the mission and vision of both podcasts are the same, the methods and people may be different. As on our show, BCP, if you have any questions about the topics, please feel free to message Jay Dan at jaydangumm@forgivenfelons.org

We love SAR and think you will too. Tre9 and the team also serve at Eyes On Me ...

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This is the second time we've had John on the show and there are some life updates. 

On December 31, 2024, John started having a heart attack while walking his dog in his neighborhood. He called his wife and his so came to get him. When he was on the operating table, it was found he had 100% blockage in his widowmaker. 

Life, family, prison ministry, diet, and exercise has all been different since that day. He's fully recovered and...

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EP 201 “Take Your Shots”

 

In this episode we do some shout outs and show art. We pray over some units that were hit by tornadoes, and we honor Eve from Real Vida.

 

Then we sit down with Damon West and share all that’s happened since his last time on the show, which was three years ago.

 

We talk about his new book “Six Dimes and a Ni...

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Our interview with Brian "Head" Welch, from Korn

Also available on our YouTube channel

https://youtu.be/IGE7x_OGkp8?si=UMeGMfu5t8NWRScW

 

Have a great week and don’t let your background hold you back, make it pay you back.

 

Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.

First Option Mortgage Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597 ...

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What are you weighting for? 

Are you carrying around weights you shouldn't be? 

Jay Dan talks about Hebrews 12:1 and laying down those weights that slow us down. 

 

Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.

First Option Mortgage Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597 jgumm@myfirstoption.com 972-897-5476

From On High Roofing and C...

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This episode is optimized for video. 

 

James was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and is the youngest of 8 children in his family. Despite both of his parents working, his family was always involved in illegal activity. At a very young age, James began selling drugs. He saw the benefits it brought to those who did it.

He was arrested at the age of 20 for this very behavior. By the time he was 21, James was convicted by a jury a...

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In this episode, Jay Dan and Jessa talk about the Ranger game they went to, do some shout outs, discuss FI-5’s in Texas, show off some drawings and do a devotion about not going back to the old you.

Then we get to hear from Dalton and Dakota. Dalton came to us from the Way Back connection which he talks about. After they got married, they both were on their own meth journey. They have kids of their own, as well as adopted kids, an...

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In this episode, we sit down with Bryan Burns, from Trinity West Roofing and Construction to hear his story. We talk addiction, divorce of his parents, his love for the LA Dodgers, and who he thinks is the biggest crybaby in the NBA. We talk about how he got into roofing too.  

Jessa and I do the announcements and we talk with a newly released inmate from the Florida prison system, Jimmy Cowden. We also get some shout outs from th...

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To wrap up the Laws of Growth series, Jay Dan and Tuan traveled to Atlanta to interview Mark Cole in the Maxwell Leadership Podcast Studio.

Mark talks about leadership, defining moments, which laws of growth are the most challenging for him, how he got started in the company, and his struggles and victories since becoming CEO.

Thanks to John Maxwell, Mark Cole, Jake Decker, and Kimberly Whetsell for making all this possible.

Als...

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In this episode, Jay Dan and Jessa start things off with announcements including graduation celebrations at the Kyle, Hilltop, and O'Daniel units, jokes, prayer requests, prison recipes, and sports.

Then we welcome Ron Adkins, from episode 4, back along with the Judge who handed him his five 99 year sentences. This is a conversation you don't want to miss.

Please like, share, and subscribe.

Let your loved ones in prison and jail...

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We highlight some amazing murals done by four men at the Ellis unit and highlight a soccer game held at the Allred unit.

Then we sit down with John Earle and talk about his days as a professional football player and how he got into prison ministry.

You can buy merchandise or learn more about Forgiven Felons at:

 

https://www.forgivenfelons.org/

 

This episode is optimized for video and you can watch it on our YouTube channel:

...

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