Stay ConnectedAnyone paying attention can tell you that our criminal legal system is perpetuating cruelty and harm, but the complexity of the legal world overwhelms most people simply trying to get through another day.
Public Defenseless explores the rot in the justice system and what we can do about it. Join host, Hunter Parnell, as he interviews top defense attorneys and criminal justice stakeholders from across the country as they pull apart the convoluted web of our criminal justice system.
Today, Hunter spoke once again with Rob Poggenklass and Bryan Kennedy from Justice Forward Virginia. Last year, Justice Forward Virginia joined the show to discuss the 2025 criminal justice policies being floated in Virginia. Today, Rob and Bryan are here to discuss what the 2026 legislative session has in store for criminal justice reform in Virginia, and how things might be different now that the Dems control all three branches of government.
Guest
Rob Poggenklass, Executive Director, Justice Forward Virginia
Bryan Kennedy, Public Defender, Fairfax County, Treasurer, Justice Forward Virginia
Resources:
Justice Forward Virginia 2026 Legislative Priorities
https://justiceforwardva.com/issues-2
Justice Forward Virginia Socials
https://www.facebook.com/JusticeForwardVa
https://www.instagram.com/justicefwdva
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDC0qXV1Mbx27ibJXgy28uQ
Sign up for the ABA Public Defender Summit
https://events.americanbar.org/event/12d07164-1011-4723-9352-e8e3168db945/welcome
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
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Today, Hunter was joined by Stephen Saloom, the Director of Concerts of Indigent Defense. He joined the show to discuss Concerts for Indigent Defense and the share with us the lessons he has learned over a career of advocating for and passing criminal justice reform policies.
Guest:
Stephen Saloom, Director, Concert for Indigent Defense
Resources:
Learn More About Concerts for Indigent Defense
https://concertsforindigentdefense.org/
Sign up for the ABA Public Defender Summit
https://events.americanbar.org/event/12d07164-1011-4723-9352-e8e3168db945/welcome
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter was joined by Samantha Pourciau of the Promise of Justice Initiative to discuss litigation they are brining to end the "Farm Line" at Angola State Prison. On previous episodes, the show has explored how Louisiana's mass incarceration system is rooted in the state's slave holding, colonial past. Few practices are more reminiscent of that past than the "farm line." This immoral practice forces men to labor in brutal, dangerous conditions for the sole purpose of sadistic punishment. Samantha joins the show to discuss their upcoming trial that aims to end the practice once and for all.
Guest:
Samantha Pourciau, Senior Staff Attorney, Promise of Justice Initiative
Resources:
Read the report
Punitive by Design: The Farm Line at Louisiana State Penitentiary
More Coverage on the Suit
https://promiseofjustice.org/news/incarcerated-farm-line-workers-win-class-certification
https://vimeo.com/877204358?fl=pl&fe=sh
https://www.wwno.org/law/2026-01-13/angola-prison-farm-line-suit-becomes-class-action
Read the Complaint
Find PJI's Socials
https://www.instagram.com/justicespromise/
https://www.facebook.com/promiseofjustice
https://www.facebook.com/promiseofjustice
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMj-FFyyoOf-u0WbH-A6AGg
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pjinola
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
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Today, Hunter was joined by Ali Bloomquist and Cherise Fanno Burdeen PhD about their new paper titled "Emotion First Theory & Practice: Emotional Intelligence as Foundational Infrastructure for Equity Practice." In it, Ali and Cherise detail the importance of making the development of Emotional Intelligence as something that public defender systems and organizations need to prioritize. Without a system based approach, public defender's alone cannot be expected to develop the emotional intelligence needed to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
Guest:
Ali Bloomquist, Public Defender, Co-Founder, EIDEIA Institute
Cherise Fanno Burdeen PhD, Community Psychologist, Co-Founder, EIDEIA Institute
Resources:
EIDEIA Website
eideiainstitute@gmail.com
Register for the Webinar Here
https://www.eideia.org/trainings
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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Today, Hunter was joined by the American Immigration Council's Aaron Reichlin-Melnick to discuss a new report published by AIC. Over the past two years, the Trump administration has rapidly expanded the use of and capacity of immigration detention. Aaron joins to detail how this has happened, what might come next, and the best ways to prevent it in the future.
Guest:
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, Senior Fellow, American Immigration Council
Resources:
Read the Report
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/report/immigration-detention/
Contact Aaron
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/authors/aaron-reichlin-melnick/
https://x.com/ReichlinMelnick?lang=en
https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Today, Hunter was joined by Thomas Gant, a Community Organizer with the Center for Community Alternatives. Thomas joins the show to describe three different bills pending in New York that could chip away at the impacts of mass incarceration.
Guest:
Thomas Gant, Community Organizer, Center for Community Alternatives
Resources:
Email Thomas
tgant@communityalternatives.org
Join the Coalition here
https://www.communitiesnotcagesny.org/take-action
https://www.communityalternatives.org/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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Today, Hunter was joined by Alex Burness of Bolts Magazine to discuss his recent piece of reporting on American Samoans in Alaska. Specifically, Alex walks us through the history that gave American Samoans passports, social security numbers, but no right to vote. From there, Alex tells the story of a small American Samoan community that is facing decades in prison for voting when everyone thought they had the right to.
Guest:
Alex Burness, Staff Writer, Bolts Magazine
Resources:
Read the Piece Here
https://boltsmag.org/prosecuted-for-voting-american-samoans-alaska/
Contact Alex
https://boltsmag.org/authors/alex-burness/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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Today, Hunter was joined once again by Mano Raju, the elected Chief Public Defender in the San Francisco Public Defender Office. Last time he was one the show, Mano explained why he decided to stop having his attorneys accept new case assignments on certain days of the week. Now, six months later, a judge has given the office an ultimatum: Accept new cases or be held in contempt.
Guest:
Mano Raju, Chief Public Defender, San Francisco, California
Resources:
Read the Order
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SyOK2OVQobVjmnA99BL1tXOycjWvVMyD?usp=drive_link
Coverage of the Office
https://sfstandard.com/2026/01/12/public-defender-manu-raju-crime-san-francisco-court/
Contact Mano or the Office
manohar.raju@sfgov.org
https://www.facebook.com/sfpublicdefender
https://www.instagram.com/sfpublicdefender/
https://bsky.app/profile/manorajupd.bsky.social
https://x.com/manorajupd?lang=en
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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Today, Hunter was joined by Max Miner the Founder of Executive Treatment Solutions. At one point in his life, Max hit rock bottom. Suffering with drug addiction, he reached the point where it thought it would be a good idea to get into a shootout with police officers. In a moment of clarity, he put down the weapon and started his road to recovery. Thanks to the work of an attorney who understood the power of pre-trial mitigation work, Max was able to get sober and avoid jail time. Now, Max works with people, who like him, need non-carceral treatment plans to help them escape the criminal legal system.
Guest:
Max Miner, Founder, Executive Treatment Solutions
Resources:
Contact the Office
https://exectreatmentsolutions.com/
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
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www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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Today, Hunter was joined by Alex Flood and Dan Fitzgerald of the Denver Municipal Public Defender Office. Today's episode focuses on the holistic public defender model in the office that leans on the expertise of lawyers, social workers, and system impacted people to combat the City's efforts to punish poverty.
Guest:
Alex Flood, Public Defender, Denver Municipal Public Defender Office
Dan Fiztgerald, Peer Support Specialist, Denver Municipal Public Defender Office
Resources:
Contact the Office
daniel.fitzgerald@denvergov.org
alex.flood@denvergov.org
Contact Hunter Parnell:
Publicdefenseless@gmail.com
@PublicDefenselessPodcast
@PDefenselessPod
Subscribe to the Patreon
www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast
Donate on PayPal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ
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Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show!
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