The Inside Circle Podcast with Eldra Jackson III
Eldra Jackson III
Welcome to the Inside Circle podcast with your host Eldra Jackson III.
Eldra spent over a decade unlearning dangerous lessons about masculinity and finding freedom while serving 24 years in prison. In conversation with leaders from all walks of life who have overcome some of lifes' greatest challenges, The Inside Circle podcast aims to broaden our concept of personal transformation, 'men's work', and what it means to 'lead change from within'. Beyond the manufactured constructs of race, class, gender, and even criminal history, this deep dive exposes the heart of our shared humanity, revealing prison as an intensely personal state of mind that can be transcended at any time.
Eldra is the Co-Executive Director of Inside Circle, a non-profit organization that supports justice involved people in transforming their lives. Featured in the documentary The Work while he was still incarcerated at New Folsom prison, Eldra's TEDTalk about his personal journey received over 1.2 million views. The Inside Circle Podcast - where your truth will set you free.
Learn more at www.insidecircle.org.
Eldra spent over a decade unlearning dangerous lessons about masculinity and finding freedom while serving 24 years in prison. In conversation with leaders from all walks of life who have overcome some of lifes' greatest challenges, The Inside Circle podcast aims to broaden our concept of personal transformation, 'men's work', and what it means to 'lead change from within'. Beyond the manufactured constructs of race, class, gender, and even criminal history, this deep dive exposes the heart of our shared humanity, revealing prison as an intensely personal state of mind that can be transcended at any time.
Eldra is the Co-Executive Director of Inside Circle, a non-profit organization that supports justice involved people in transforming their lives. Featured in the documentary The Work while he was still incarcerated at New Folsom prison, Eldra's TEDTalk about his personal journey received over 1.2 million views. The Inside Circle Podcast - where your truth will set you free.
Learn more at www.insidecircle.org.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 2, 2023 • 45min
Peak Performance with Justin Danforth, Episode 55
Experience the inspiring journey of Justin Danforth from incarceration to serial entrepreneurship. After serving a sentence of over 14 years in the North Carolina Department of Corrections, Justin's life took a remarkable turn and through daily dedication and unwavering commitment, he was able to transform his life. Join us and prepare to be inspired as Justin shares his story of perseverance, resilience, and finding purpose.
May 5, 2023 • 35min
The Love Factor with Stacey Gonzales, Episode 54
Discover the inspiring story of Stacey Gonzalez, a former alcohol addict turned Therapeutic Counselor and Men's Coach. Join him as he shares how he overcame his struggles and now dedicates his life to helping men embrace their masculinity, overcome their traumas, and tackle their greatest obstacles. Explore the pivotal role that love played in his transformation and gain valuable insights into how you can make needed changes in your life.
Apr 12, 2023 • 36min
Precious Time with Calen Robertson, Episode 53
Calen Robertson was born and raised in Spokane, Washington. He was gang-impacted from a young age and through a personal epiphany he came to understand the preciousness of time and decided to stop wasting his own. He now actively works to bring kids in his community out of gang life through safe community partnership with the organization New EDS 101.
Mar 3, 2023 • 40min
What's in the Water? with Tommy Shakur Ross, Episode 52
Tommy Shakur Ross was paroled in 2022 after being imprisoned for over 36 years. Shakur was formative in launching radio programing at San Quentin, producing stories for KALW in San Francisco and in 2017, Shakur received an award for excellence in journalism by the Northern California chapter of the Society for Professional Journalism. In this episode Shakur talks about key milestones that led to the healing of his childhood traumas and how the gift of empathy transformed him into a formidable force for good in his community. Check out Shakur's work at www.weareuncuffed.org.
Feb 3, 2023 • 50min
Voice of the Voiceless with Jabari Jackson, Episode 51
A survivor and product of the streets of San Francisco, community activist, Jabari Jackson was raised in a violent, chaotic world that was defined by addiction, crime and incarceration. After decades in and out of prison, Jabari shares how change became possible for him. Today, he's committed to the restoration of underserved communities and lives to fight for restorative justice and the recovery community.
Nov 18, 2022 • 35min
Doing the Work with Eldra Jackson III, Episode 50
In this episode, we turn the microphone around and ask podcast host and Co-Executive Director of Inside Circle, Eldra Jackson III, a few questions about the work that Inside Circle does. Eldra was an inmate at New Folsom Prison when he found Inside Circle and began the inner personal journey that eventually led to his release in 2014 and his current leadership role. Today, he's a coach, healing circle facilitator, writer and sought after public speaker on the topics of at-risk youth advocacy, effective criminal justice rehabilitation and turning around "toxic" masculinity. Tune in to hear from this living example of successful rehabilitation and re-entry.
Nov 4, 2022 • 47min
Barrier-Free Mental Health with Dr. Trina Clayeux, Episode 49
Join host, Eldra Jackson, as he sits down with Dr. Trina Clayeux, the extraordinary CEO of Give An Hour, a non-profit that provides population-based, no-cost access to mental health care for veterans, formerly incarcerated people, refugees, survivors of mass shootings, and many more. In this uplifting conversation, Trina discusses how she turned her personal story into a life's work driven by ethics and dedicated to meeting communities where they are and providing long-term support for healing. Tune in to enjoy this living example of how we can all come together to care for ourselves, our families, and our communities.
Oct 21, 2022 • 52min
Lead with Gratitude with Antong Lucky, Episode 48
Returned citizen, author, speaker, activist, group facilitator and now President of Urban Specialists, a nonprofit organization working to eliminate violence in urban culture, Antong Lucky, is the epitome of redemption and transformation. After transforming his own life, he has worked tirelessly to transform his community, bringing peace, understanding, and awareness to incarcerated folks and gang members on the streets of Dallas, Texas and beyond. Tune in to hear how he organized a major peace treaty between rival gangs and about his men's groups. Antong Lucky has incredible insight into the humanity of each of us and in this episode he beautifully articulates how we can unearth it - even when it feels dangerous and is buried within deep layers of fear. Let this inspiring man show you how to open up and be the change you want to see.
Oct 7, 2022 • 40min
Appreciating the Truth with Tracy Scott, Episode 47
Tracy Scott got out of prison in 2022 after serving a 28 year sentence. Listen as he shares his powerful story of trauma, pain, transformation, and how he found his commitment to a life of good works. Today, he works with youth in and out of the prison system and is passionate about rehabilitation. Tune in as Tracy and host, Eldra Jackson III, discuss the amazing potential for folks throughout the prison system – workers, wardens, and incarcerated folks – to transform their own lives and support a more vibrant and healthy society.
Sep 26, 2022 • 29min
Making the Imagination Real with Juan Velez, Episode 46
The son of immigrant parents, writer Juan Velez was the first child in his family to graduate college. In this episode, he talks about the hard work, focus, and family support it took for him to write as he worked other jobs and faced challenges like depression, anxiety, and loss. Listen as Juan discusses the therapeutic aspects of both his writing and his relationship with his community. In his newly released debut novel, The Argom's Influence, he honors the community bonds that sustain him by introducing historically marginalized people into the world of fantasy fiction, a genre traditionally dominated by characters of white European descent.
