Voices of The Returned is a podcast created by Criminal Justice Associate Professor Dr. Alesa Liles. The podcast features formerly incarcerated individuals and others impacted by mass incarceration.
Season Two
Episode 3: Repaying the debt
In this episode, we revisit an old friend. Now living in Florida and working for a non-profit organization, Stedmund is living a life he never imagined. He is now four years into life after incarceration, and in this episode he opens up about the moment he felt "convicted" to make a difference in his community.
Episode 2: A ‘Hallmark’ Story
In 1999, David Garlock, along with his brother, was arrested for murder. In an act of desperation, they killed the man they say abused them for years. At 20 years old, David was sentenced to 25 years in the Alabama Department of Corrections. With the help of the renowned Equal Justice Initiative, he was released after serving over 13 years in prison. Since his release, David has used his voice as an advocate for others in the criminal legal system, including individuals convicted of sex offenses. Here is David's story.
**A quick note: This episode contains discussions of violence, sexual abuse, and traumatic events. The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. Listener discretion is advised.
Episode 1: Thunder goes to prison
Last year I (Dr. Liles) had the privilege of interviewing a former student who is now a Transitional Case Manager at a local correctional facility. Grace graduated from GCSU in December of 22' and began working in the prison in the Spring of 23'. What is unique, is the fact that in her last semester, Grace took my Inside-Out* class where she was inside the exact prison she would eventually work.
This was never her plan, but as we all know, our life plans rarely work out how we expect. In this episode, I talk to Grace about how she ended up working at the prison, the classroom experience that started her journey, and how she is navigating adulthood.
In 2008 the Second Chance Act was signed into law establishing the National Reentry Resource Center under the Department of Justice. Each year the NRRC recognizes April as Second Chance Month. During this time, public events are held to help individuals, communities, and agencies across the country recognize the importance of reentry and their role in supporting safe and successful reentry.
In recognition of Second Chance Month, Dr. Alesa Liles in conjunction with the Offender Alumni Association and Dr. Stacy Moak from the University of Alabama-Birmingham held a Reentry Simulation. This simulation was developed by the Department of Justice to simulate the struggles and challenges faced by individuals who are transitioning from incarceration back into society. Each participant assumes the identity of an ex-offender and receives a packet of materials explaining the reentrant’s criminal background, current living situation, current job situation, and the specific weekly tasks that must be accomplished to avoid the risk of being sent back to prison. The goal of this simulation is for participants to gain an understanding of the significant obstacles faced by men and women attempting to navigate the system upon their release from incarceration and returning home to their communities.
You can listen or view the simulation as well as the open dialogue with two former offenders by following the link to our Spotify page.
EPISODE 5: DADDY'S GIRL
In our Season Finale, we hear from an often forgotten viewpoint. Tammy was 2 years old when her father was incarcerated with a life sentence. She grew up in a small town known as the child of a "murderer". Normal does not describe her childhood. Surprisingly, after 43 years, Tammy's father was granted parole. His release in 2021 brought about a much needed reconciliation and new beginning for their family.
EPISODE 4: LIVING IN PURPOSE
In this episode we meet Dena. This year marks Dena's 10th anniversary of freedom. In 2002, Dena was sentenced to 114 years for drugs. During the next 10 years, she was not only physically incarcerated, she was also mentally and emotionally incarcerated by choosing not to maintain contact with most of her family on the outside. After 5 parole denials, she was finally released in 2012. Listen to her story of transformation as she overcame a lifetime of trauma.
EPISODE 3: 30, FLIRTY & THRIVING
At the age of 18, Stedmund was convicted for a gang related offense. As a self-described delinquent, he took a plea deal that sentenced him to 50 years. Somewhat unexpectedly, he was released in 2020 after serving 10 years. Now that he has been out for 2 years, listen to his struggles and triumphs as he attempts to build a life as an adult for the first time.
EPISODE 2: THE COST OF 40 YEARS
In 1977, Charlie was convicted of murder and given a life sentence. He was 18 years old. Leaving behind a wife and 2 small children, Charlie eventually served over 40 years. After being denied parole 9 times, he was released in 2021 at the age of 62. Never having stepped foot in a Walmart and with most of his family long passed, listen to Charlie's path toward reconciliation in a brand new world.
EPISODE 1: CAMPUS COMMUNITY Q & A
What do you know about mass incarceration in the United States? A lot? A little bit? That's what we sought to find out. In our inaugural episode, we walked around campus and asked random faculty, staff, and students a few questions about mass incarceration and the people it impacts.
Meet the Team
Season Two
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Alesa Liles
Host
About Alesa
Alesa R. Liles is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at GCSU. She has an MSW and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Her research interests include legal policy, women and crime, juvenile justice, and mental health issues in the criminal justice system. She has published in multiple journals, books, and other media. Dr. Liles is also the current instructor for the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program at GC. She continues to receive multiple grants to create combined educational opportunities for college students and currently and formerly incarcerated individuals. Dr. Liles is an avid lover of all animals, particularly her two rescue dogs, Lily and Onyx.
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Mallory Free
Producer
About Mallory
My name is Mallory Free, and I am a junior mass communication major with a focus in strategic communications. I am from Alpharetta, GA and have always loved creating and putting my own twist on things. Learning how to edit this podcast and be a part of this team has been so enjoyable. This has been a wonderful learning experience and I’m excited to apply my skills into my future career!
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Griffin Peavy
Co-Host
About Griffin
Hi! My name is Griffin Peavy, and I am a senior at Georgia College studying criminal justice. I love TV, especially Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, and have a financially draining relationship with Chick-Fil-A. After graduation, I plan to work for the Department of Community Supervision for at least a year while I decide whether or not to pursue law school. I am interested in reentry and life after incarceration because I hold the belief that no matter the background of an individual, there is always an opportunity to change. I am especially interested to hear if there are any overlapping themes with those who did successfully reenter into ‘normal’ life on this podcast this year. I am thankful for this new experience and can’t wait to see how it goes!
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Ansley Walker
Co-Host
About Ansley
My name is Ansley, and I am a graduate Criminal Justice student at Georgia College. I attended GC for my Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, and I absolutely loved it! I am currently in my last semester as a grad student and am working on finding a career path. I am interested in Child Advocacy, Re-Entry programs, and Juvenile Justice. I spend my time away from school working with children at the local Montessori Academy. I spend most of my free time at home with my husky, Koda. I love listening to podcasts on my weekend drives, so getting the opportunity to be a part of a podcast that involves our criminal justice system was a no brainer. I hope you enjoy listening!
Season One
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Alexis 'Lexi' Skowranek
About Alexis
Hi, I am a senior Criminal Justice major with a minor in Psychology and a concentration in Pre-Law at GCSU. I am looking forward to attending law school in the fall. My ambition is to become an attorney advocating for defendants on death row. I enjoy being involved in and giving back to my community. I am the presiding President of GC's chapter of Gamma Beta Phi and an active member of my sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. I am an avid lover of hedgehogs, traveling, crepes, concerts, fashion, and the color pink! I am so excited to share this Podcast with everyone and also honored to have the opportunity to be a part of it.
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Kaylie Kimsey
About Kaylie
My name is Kaylie and I’m a graduate student at GC. I received a Bachelor of Art in Criminal Justice, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from GC and loved it so much I decided to stick around. Currently, I’m on the last leg of working towards a Master of Criminal Justice and throughout much of this time I was employed as a 911 dispatcher. I hope to continue working within the criminal justice field and help at least one person along the way. I spend most of my time as a crazy dog mom to my two dogs Ruger and Rip. I’m so excited for you all to listen to this podcast and hopefully learn something new about our criminal justice system.
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Maimee Henderson
About Maimee
My name is Maimee Henderson and I am a Junior Mass Communication major with a concentration in Digital Media at Georgia College and State University. I am from Macon, Georgia, and I have grown up having a passion to share my creative side, especially through editing via computer programs. I love podcasts and helping produce this podcast has been so much fun and a great learning experience!
