Trailer Take One

In the podcast "Just Justice," Jessica Henry explores the concept of justice beyond forever punishment. She discusses the idea of the mythical bad guy, the needs of victims, and the purpose of long prison sentences. The podcast focuses on second chances for individuals convicted of various crimes, including nonviolent drug offenses and murder. Henry shares the story of Bobby Bostick, who received a 241-year sentence for armed robbery but was eventually given a second chance. The podcast challenges assumptions about the criminal legal system and explores the potential for transformation and change. It features interviews with formerly incarcerated individuals, victims, lawyers, judges, philosophers, psychologists, and even current inmates seeking their own second chances. Jessica Henry, a former public defender and professor of justice studies, hosts the podcast. My name is Jessica Henry. Welcome to Just Justice. When you think of justice, I'll bet some of you think of solving crimes, finding the bad guys or gals, and locking them up forever. You've probably heard that's what justice means. But what if I told you that justice doesn't have to mean forever punishment? What if there was a better way? In season one of Just Justice, we'll be unpacking those ideas, the idea of the mythical bad guy, of what victims want and need, and the whole idea behind long prison sentences. And we'll be looking at second chances for people who've been convicted of all different kinds of crimes, from nonviolent drug crimes to murder and everything in between. Take, for instance, Bobby Bostick. At age 16, he was sentenced to 241 years for an armed robbery in Missouri where no one was seriously injured. While he was in prison, he got his GED, completed every program available to him, wrote multiple books, and even wrote apology letters to his victims. The judge who sentenced him changed her mind about the harsh punishment she had given. But it took a change in Missouri state law and tons of advocacy for Bobby Bostick to get a second chance. After over 25 years in prison, he finally got out in 2022. Today, he devotes himself to making his community a better place. He got his second chance and he took it. But without that change in law, without that second chance, he'd still be locked up. Would that have been justice? And what about all the people, just like Bobby Bostick, who have transformed themselves but who don't have a legal way out? Shouldn't they get a chance, an opportunity to show they deserve a second chance? I'm redoing that. And what about all the people, just like Bobby Bostick, who have transformed themselves but who don't have a legal way out? Shouldn't they have an opportunity to show they deserve a second chance? In each episode, we'll peel back the layers and challenge your assumptions about what you feel and why you feel that way about the criminal legal system and our punishment. Doing that again. In each episode, we'll peel back the layers and challenge your assumptions about what you feel and why you feel that way about the criminal legal system. Do you believe that people can fundamentally change? Do you believe that change even matters when we're talking about people who committed crimes of violence? What would it take for you to give someone a second chance? We'll tackle these questions and so much more. In Just Justice, we'll talk to the formerly incarcerated people who were given those second chances. We'll also talk to people who've been harmed by crime, to victims and their families, and see how they feel about second chances for people who offend. You might be surprised by what you hear. We'll look at the people who are thinking through second chances, prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges. We'll explore the ideas of change and transformation with philosophers and psychologists. We'll even talk to people who are still in prison, who have fundamentally changed and pose virtually no threat to public safety, who are desperately seeking their own second chances. I'm Jessica Henry, and I'll be your host of Just Justice. After years as a public defender and also as a professor of justice studies, I'm excited to find new ways to put justice back into our criminal legal system. Join me for season one as we talk about second chances. See you at Just Justice. Look for us wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.