Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher 163: Catherine Hoke and Tom Williams — Finding Compassion in Those Who Have Done Wrong
This show is a bit different from your regular episodes. Bill recently worked with incarcerated men on the subjects of business and life improvement and it deeply affected him as well as made a profound impact on him. This show is about connecting one-on-one with fellow human beings and how we can use that to be better leaders for our team.
Catherine Hoke is the Founder of Defy Ventures and Hustle 2.0, programs that are dedicated to providing inmates with the tools they need to develop a better future. Tom Williams is the Chair of the Pelican Bay Volunteer Alliance and works with Catherine one-on-one on these incarceration volunteer projects.
One of the important aspects of doing a volunteer program like this is to realize that these men have done horrible crimes, but these men are not their crimes. When you understand their story — being raised in poverty, poor family support systems — you understand that the journey they’ve undertaken can be very devastating and bleak.
One inmate had experienced a lifetime of abuse, starting at the age of a year and a half. However, what stood out to Bill was the man’s thoughtfulness and ability to care and feel regret. He is a human being after all and his life is not over. After ten years, he still has more time to serve, but there’s room for reform and growth in that time.
It’s important to note that the R in Rehabilitation was only added ten years ago. California state and the rest of the nation believed you locked up the ‘bad guys’ and threw away the key. It was only until recently did we realize that it is not an effective method to help these individuals get better.
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