The Inside Circle Podcast with Eldra Jackson III

Samuel Nathaniel Brown and Jamilia Land are an inspiring duo. Sam was in prison for 24 years, and he got out 16 days before this interview. But his grace and insights in the midst of this transition are matched only by the extraordinary wisdom and strength of his wife, Jamilia.  Collaborating with deep faith and commitment to the work and their community, they are working on both legislation and programs to improve experiences, education, and outcomes for system-impacted people.

Alvin Hall is an incredible historian and producer who documents the history of Black people in America through books, films, podcasts, and television - he’s also a deeply warm and empathetic person. Sharing his favorite wisdom drawn from life, his family and deep study of finance, he’ll pull you in to this practical, heartfelt, and fascinating conversation! And please, don’t forget to check out Alvin’s work at https://alvinhall.com/, you won’t regret it.

An executive coach and community facilitator focused on anti-racism and peer learning, Nina Simmonds approaches her personal transformational work with rigor and compassion. Taking us right to the heart and soul of some of her most difficult work, Nina lends a gentle and powerful perspective. Tune in as she and host Eldra Jackson III discuss how to navigate through fear while guiding yourself through big life transitions.

Join host Eldra Jackson III as he sits down with Rick Misener, a formative member of Inside Circle who found himself in the healing circles Inside Circle is known for. In this dialogue, Eldra and Rick go right to the heart of vulnerability, love, and wisdom as they reveal that every drop of contentment in our lives is worth working for. This kind of community, these moments of connection, are the heart of transformation. Today, Rick shares his powerful lived-experience as a coach and facilitator for Inside Circle. You can join his virtual drop-in support group every Wednesday 6-8 pm PST. We think you’ll want to after you hear this incredible conversation.

Jillian Richardson is a coach and community organizer whose work focuses on how to build and sustain nourishing relationships and communities. She curates The Joy List, a weekly email of positive community events in New York, and leads a program called “New Yorker in 90 Days.” There’s a depth to Jillian’s work and the way she approaches her own personal growth that resonates with Inside Circle. This interview highlights unexpected connections among different types of community building and transformational work.

James McLeary was part of the original group that brought men’s circles to New Folsom Prison after the 1996 riots that led to the formation of Inside Circle. He’s been part of the men’s work movement for over 25 years and his wisdom shines through this beautiful, rich conversation. James has made incredible contributions to initiation practices and circles over the years - especially for black men and people inside prison, but above all, he’s committed to doing his own work.

Today’s conversation is a true opportunity to sit down in circle, to feel the connection and growth that happens when we make space together to sit with our vulnerability in mutual trust and support. Stephanie Lane has spent more than half her life in and out of the juvenile and adult prison systems. She’s been out for two years now, and she is not going back. She’s got her support network, goals for her life’s work, and a willingness to do the work. This will be the best half hour of your day, folks, so please sit down with us and get ready to go deep.

Maurice Regalado is a life-long educator who has been serving students in economically disadvantaged communities in the Los Angeles region since 1988. In this inspiring dialogue he sheds light on the forces driving the school-to-prison pipeline, highlights the challenges that violent, chaotic, impoverished home lives bring to school achievement, and addresses the underlying issues that cause students to fall behind, repeatedly break school rules, and drop out.  Listen as Maurice, with heart, soul, and hard-earned wisdom, shares his vision for a brighter future.

This episode’s guest is Steve Kawaja, a businessman who got interested in personal transformation and the prison system about ten years ago. He started visiting prisons with Inside Circle in 2015. Through sitting in circle with incarcerated folks, Steve has found something that sounds an awful lot like deep personal transformation. In this conversation, Steve gets real about what personal growth looks like for him, how vulnerability frees us, and the joys of being a little lighter and freer in the world.

Joining us today is Dr Bandy X Lee, a psychiatrist, author, and public health expert who works in violence prevention. She has been motivated throughout her life to work with those most in need, and during her medical training identified that people who are incarcerated are that population. She has studied the terrible negative effects of solitary confinement, and explains how that punishment is profoundly inhumane. Dr Bandy X Lee has also studied the effects of tyrants and other impaired personalities in affecting mental health at the societal level. She talks to us about the collective mental health impact of former President Donald Trump’s time in power. This conversation is a real eye-opener!