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Bessie Elmore’s life was turned upside down in 1992 when her son William was sentenced to life in prison. Working through her anger, she threw herself into making the best of a bad situation. She got a job working with domestic violence victims. She became certified facilitator with Nami, the National Alliance of Mental Illness. She started a support group for people who had a loved one who was incarcerated. Little did she know at the time that she was preparing herself for a career in reentry. Today, Bessie runs a reentry house in Durham, North Carolina that specializes in supporting formerly incarcerated men with mental health challenges. In this podcast, Bessie offers her insight into the many complicated issues people face after they are released from prison.

In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a longtime video producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022.