Nightmare Success In and Out

What happens if your worst fear becomes your reality? Brent Cassity was a successful CEO working in a family business that grew to a national company that was recognized by the media of being the pioneers in their industry. Brent had it all and lost it all. He found himself standing at the gates of Leavenworth Prison to serve a 5 year sentence. Brent’s podcast explores the stories of inmates who were in and now out of prison. What was life like before they went in, life inside prison, and life now that they are back home. These conversations are deep, sad. often funny, but always interesting.

Latest Episodes:

Prison Warden advocating change - Brian Koehn Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

Could a guy who has been a Warden with 5 prisons be the change agent that impacts the system for the good? Meet my guest Brian Koehn. He is the founder and CEO of Social Purpose Corrections. Through his tenure as warden of 5 separate prisons, Brian experienced firsthand the existing gaps and opportunities within the criminal justice system. His personal mission is to reform corrections. Brain has 28 years in the corrections world. He is a security expert which includes 14 years as warden of 5 separate facilities. He has managed contracts in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, The United States Marshal Service, and Immigration and Custom Enforcement. Brian has also served as the Director of Security over 65 secure facilities. He also served in the United States Marine Corps and is an Ironman Triathlete. He has a passion for reform, and has incredible team he has assembled to begin accepting contracts to implement his reform system in prisons nationwide. His plan of life coaching with the main focus being rehabilitation as opposed to punishment has worked when implemented. If you would find it interesting to tune in to hear an ex-inmate and warden discuss how real reform can happen in the prison system...this is the episode for you!

Nightmare late night car wreck to prison- Lark Hodge Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

Imagine driving home from work one night on a dark road, and you wake up in the hospital finding out you have been in head on collision. Hours later you find out someone died. This was the beginning of Lark Hodge's nightmare. This story has so many twist and turns. It is revealed that the driver who died had a .15% blood alcohol content with a history of DUI's, and Lark's was under the legal limit. The fireman that saved her life at the scene of the accident is now her husband. The prosecutor pursued the case without any witnesses and the judge did not allow evidence of the dead driver's history or blood alcohol content. Lark was sentenced to 4 years in prison. The jury said there was no way they would have convicted her if they knew the whole story. The most incredible part of this story is how Lark handled this incredible setback in her life, and what she is doing today. You will want to hear this story.

From Prison to Farmer to changing lives - Melvin Parson Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

Farmer Melvin from bad soil to good soil. Melvin Parson had spent his life going in and out of prison for 13 years homeless and addicted to drugs. What happened next in his life was not planned. Melvin was living at a place that had a community vegetable garden. The man tending to the garden passed away. People living there encouraged Melvin to take care of the garden. He said, "I don't know anything about farming." He began paying close attention to the soil. He instinctively added good compost and just tried to be really kind to the soil. As a result, it produced really good produce. And it dawned on Melvin that the same thing applies to human beings. It is all about the soil. You take a healthy plant and put it in bad soil, it becomes unhealthy, and you take an unhealthy plant and put it is good soil it can thrive. Melvin thought this could break the cycle of incarceration. As Parson learned more about gardening and farming, he began to think about creating a sustainable farming system that could support a workforce of formerly incarcerated men and women. Melvin had faced many challenges reentering society, and understood the power of second chances. He founded We The People Opportunity Farm in 2015. The WTPOF provides paid internships for the previously incarcerated. They also provide life skills and financial literacy education. Melvin has become kind of famous. He has been featured on several news networks including the PBS New Hour. Celebrities, such as, Jane Fonda have visited and contributed to the efforts of WTPOF. This is an inspiring feel good story! visit the website and contribute to www.wtpof.org

Ghost Dope and the girl next door - Sabrena Morgan Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever heard of ghost dope? My guest Sabrena Morgan is here to explain what that is and how you can go to prison with a ghost dope conviction. Sabrena has had a rollercoaster journey. She was even shot in the back of the head by a police officer while she was a passenger in a car chase. How did all this happen to the girl who came from a strong loving family. Her early life was about being a honor student and a high school athlete. Her passion was showing her horses nation wide. She even became a law school student, but she had other demons that she was trying to fight off while battling depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. That led her into leading a double life with drugs as her escape from her mind battles. This eventually got Sabrena tangled up with the wrong side of the law. She received a federal sentence of 9 years. This is the place where she started figuring herself out. She worked, taught, trained herself and others, and she wrote. Her writings are fascinating insights into her world. Please go and read these thought provoking blogs she wrote from prison at sabrenamorgan.com. She talks a lot about how the war on drugs looks a lot more like a war on mental disorders when you get to see the inside of it all. Addiction is a medical condition and should be treated as such. Sabrena says, "it is easy to live in your world and become complacent. My crazy journey led me to prison for a reason. I set my intentions on making huge changes with myself and delivering awareness to people while I was in prison and now that I am out the possibilities are endless." Check out Sabrena on TikTok. She has a huge following with important insightful things to say.

Horrific Childhood, prison, helping others, college graduate - Jessica Henry Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

Would you give up on yourself if you lived through being in foster care, drug addiction, and 9 years in prison? Jessica Henry did not. She got sober, she began getting educated while she was in prison earning 2 associate degrees with high honors. . She got out and found a meaningful job with Nation Outside as a manager who uses her personal experiences to help others through recovery. She mentors and provides support for returning citizens who need to reach the next milestones in their lives. After returning home, Jessica did not stop with her education. She just graduated with a bachelor's in social work, focusing on corrections counseling, with a double minor in psychology and business. I love this quote from Jessica, "Everything I am doing is something that I love. I had been through so many things in my life - juvenile delinquency, foster care, teen pregnancy, addiction, rehab, therapy, prison, and probation. And I am like, Why did I go through all of this? And now I know why. It's because I can help those who are struggling or going through similar things...to make changes one step at a time." Jessica has a fascinating story and she is an incredible storyteller. She is a true survivor who has found her passion in life. If you would like to donate or know more about Nation outside or donate for all the important work they do...go to nationoutside.org

From Sheriff to Ex-Felon to Priest - Father Joe Ciconne Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Have you heard the story about the Sheriff of Bergen County that was convicted, but became a priest? Father Joe Ciconne is that man. He is an incredible man who has lived a fascinating life. Father Joe was born in New Jersey. His dad was a police officer, and he eventually followed in his dad's footsteps. His dad was actually his boss in their precinct when he first began. He spent over 20 years in law enforcement and also taught as a professor social science/criminal justice. Father Joe was eventually elected Sheriff to the largest county of New Jersey...Bergen County... as a long shot candidate in a special election. Father Joe began making impactful change immediately that clearly ruffled the feathers of the old establishment. He was commanding nearly 500 law enforcement officers, managing a budget of over $40 million. Father Joe was investigated for illegal campaign fund raising and he eventually was forced to resign with his conviction. How Father Joe became a priest and the knockdowns and grit it took to stand back up and get what he was passionate about is what inspiring movies are made of. This is a good man helping so many people with their second chances. Father Joe is my kind of Priest! If anyone would like to contact Father Joe stjosephmissionchurch@gmail.com and 201-754-4GOD.

National Marijuana Empire Entrepreneur- Los Dahda Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

How did a kid in Kansas with a paper route become the head of a national marijuana empire from California to Kansas? Meet Los Dahda who has quite the story of a weed entrepreneur who's case went all the way to the Supreme Court. Los and his twin brother were eventually arrested with 43 other people with over an alleged 8,000 pounds of marijuana funneled through the charged conspiracy. Dahda was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Los become a student of the law, and began fighting his case from prison. Most of the main points he raised had to do with illegal wiretaps. He was able to work his way all the way through the legal system to the Supreme Court of the United States. Los does a great job of walking us through the behind the scenes workings of what it was like to be part of this national organization with his twin brother. Los had a day job as a Union pipefitter. Since Los has gotten released he has been able to go back to his union pipefitting job. Dahda is a smart guy who shares a fascinating story of survival. Can't wait to read the book he is working on.

Green Energy Pioneer goes to Prison - Jason Safford Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

How does a guy who helped displaced companies after 9-11 end up in Federal Prison. Meet Jason Safford who in only 4 months removed from getting out of Federal Prison. Jason has been a CEO, a real estate investor, author, speaker, and executive coach. He was an early pioneer of green energy, and even taught New York City officials how it could work for the city. Jason was the CEO of Safflyn for 16 years, and led the acquisition of development of more than $200 million in real estate. He helped companies find cost efficient ways to find new office space in Brooklyn using green energy after 9-11. Jason's nightmare began with an ambitious green energy community that went from bad to worse to prison. There are nuggets of wisdom Jason shares of what to look out for in a partnership. This is a story about never giving up on yourself, and sticking to what you know even if you have to survive a nightmare to get there. Jason is fresh out of prison, and it is interesting to hear his perspective of how he is adjusting to reentry. Amazingly, Jason is still passionate about developing the land that sent him to prison. Jason's books are Think Green the Future is Awesome, Sun, Sand, and Salt, and Winning with Exceptionalism.

Decades in prison - now 1 million TikTok followers- Jesse Crossen Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

How does a guy who was released in August 2021 have over 1 million TikTok followers? Well, meet Jesse Crossen. Jesse, says he found cocaine in 2002, combined with alcohol and insecurity he went from a kid graduating high school to strung out and barely hanging on. Just after his 18th birthday he committed a robbery and a crazy argument that ended up with a shooting. He was arrested feeling a sense of relief that someone stopped him because he couldn't stop himself. The upper range of his sentencing was 16 years and the judge doubled that. Jesse was crushed, but he put his life together in prison with love and support from his family. He received a Bachelor's degree, became a journeyman electrician, wrote articles for publication, and found a new way forward. On August 16th 2021 the governor of Virginia granted Jesse a conditional pardon commuting the rest of his sentence, and was released immediately. Since being released he started the Second Chancer Foundation to provide services to people getting out of prison. He has an incredible following on TikTok discussing his life experiences. I think his followers are drawn to his raw honesty of how he has survived.

From Guidance Counselor to $3 Billion Big Pharma Sales- Alec Burlakoff Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

How does a school guidance counselor go on to generating over $3 billion dollars of sales in the pharmaceutical drug industry? Meet Alec Burlakoff who was the VP of sales at Insys Pharmaceuticals. You may have seen him on 60 minutes, maybe you have read his book "Selling Hard Lessons Learned." Netflix has a movie coming out about in October titled "Pain Hustlers." In the end the founder and 6 company executives were convicted. It was one of the first of its kind taking down executives with prison sentences in the pharmaceutical C-Suite. This is a fascinating story of a man that was told by his Dad he wanted Alec to avoid sales, so Alec got a masters in child psychology and became a guidance counselor and coach at a prestigious private school. One of the parents told Alec that he could get him an interview at Eli Lilly. Alec wanted to make more money and went to the interview and became the Rookie of the Year at Eli Lilly. He made a name for himself then jumped to Johnson and Johnson before he landed at InSys. Alec is a man who is straight forward and honest about what he did and how he did it. He also gives us a behind the scenes look of doing your prison time during COVID. This is an incredible rollercoaster story. You won't want to miss this one.

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