Shows / The Redemption Project Podcast
The Redemption Project Podcast
The Redemption Project tells real stories of change, accountability, and second chances. Hosted by Brandon Burley—a retired law enforcement detective, criminal justice educator, and journalist—this podcast features conversations with men and women who have lived on both sides of the justice system, along with the ministries, programs, and people helping them rebuild their lives. Each episode explores what redemption actually looks like after prison: recovery, faith, responsibility, failure…
Episodes
The Redemption Project PodcastWm. Paul Young: The Shack and the Work of Redemption
Before The Shack reached strangers, Wm. Paul Young had to face the damage he had caused among the people who knew him best. In our conversation, he describes a…
The Redemption Project PodcastThe Military Teaches You Never to Leave a Buddy Behind. So Why Do We Let Veterans Face Civilian Life Alone?
The military teaches you a great many things. It teaches you discipline, responsibility, teamwork, and how to operate under conditions most civilians will…
The Redemption Project PodcastAshley Cantrell Found Faith in Jail. Getting Clean Took Longer.
When Ashley Cantrell turned herself in to the Murray County Jail in Georgia, she had spent approximately three months avoiding arrest. She was tired of looking…
The Redemption Project PodcastAaron Kinzel: Out of the Convict Closet
2026-10-12: Substack draft https://newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/publish/post/220088925 saved with processed audio, article cover image, and owned-product…
The Redemption Project PodcastScarlett
She had survived an overdose. She was still weak after a severe health crisis. In our conversation, she described leaning against the hospital building…
The Redemption Project PodcastLaura on Reentry: Support Beyond the Gate
An appointment can be arranged on paper. Getting someone there is a different problem. Laura and Brandon Burley discuss the practical gaps people may face when…
The Redemption Project PodcastHe Was Arrested for a Murder He Says He Didn't Commit. Then He Believed God Had Another Purpose for His Imprisonment.
Baba had no idea that renting an apartment for a few days would change the direction of his life. In 2021, he needed to conduct business in another part of…
The Redemption Project PodcastJoshua Ashburn: Why Run for Congress?
Why choose federal office—and what problems would you try to solve there? Joshua Ashburn joins Brandon Burley for an archived Civic Conversations interview…
The Redemption Project PodcastRhonda Paulsen: Changing the Way Foster Care Begins
A child can be leaving an unsafe home and still be losing everything familiar. That is the tension Rhonda Paulsen asks us to understand before we talk about…
The Redemption Project PodcastSimon White
Simon White’s story does not begin in prison. It begins in Dillon, South Carolina. From there, his life moved to Harlem, then Philadelphia, then Florida, then…
The Redemption Project PodcastBail Reform Explained: Ken Good on Cashless Bail, Ankle Monitors, Risk Assessments and Public Safety
Bail is one of those words people hear all the time but often misunderstand. To some, bail is a way to keep dangerous people in jail. To others, it is a system…
The Redemption Project PodcastShowerUp
Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe Paul Schmitz thought Christian radio would be his lifelong…
The Redemption Project PodcastKathy Simmons S2:E17
What helps someone find community and purpose in recovery? Brandon Burley talks with Kathy Simmons of The Other Side of Rock Bottom about free support, faith…
The Redemption Project PodcastUnderstanding Lobbyists: Genevieve Turner on Influence, Advocacy and How Policy Gets Made
People hear the word lobbyist and often picture money changing hands, private dinners and powerful corporations attempting to buy political influence. That…
The Redemption Project PodcastALPR and Flock Technology Explained: When License Plate Readers Become a Privacy Debate
What are Flock cameras, and why are so many people suddenly concerned about them? In this Season 3 Systems Explained episode, Brandon Burley talks with Nick…
The Redemption Project PodcastAlliance Women’s Clinic: Breanna Houston on Faith, Pregnancy Support and a New Lenoir City Mission
For Breanna Houston, the debate over abortion is not theoretical. At 18 years old, away at college and frightened about what an unexpected pregnancy might mean…
The Redemption Project PodcastGrace Baron on The Sycamore Institute, Tennessee’s Budget and Impartial Policy Research
The Sycamore Institute exists to help Tennesseans understand the issues, data and policy choices shaping the state. In this Season 5 Good Works episode…
The Redemption Project PodcastTennessee Forward Party Chair Nick Nugent on Third Parties, Ballot Access and Breaking the Two-Party Grip
What is the Tennessee Forward Party? In this Season 4 Civic Conversation, Brandon Burley talks with Nick Nugent, chair of the Tennessee Forward Party, about…
The Redemption Project PodcastMore Than a Halfway House: How FOCUS Helps Women Rebuild After Incarceration
Savannah Ford turned 30 years old in jail. The milestone landed harder than she expected. Looking back at her life, she felt as though the only things she had…
The Redemption Project PodcastMen of Valor Mash-Up: From Prison to Purpose
Men of Valor is not just a prison ministry. It is a place where men coming out of incarceration are being challenged, discipled, restored and rebuilt. In this…
The Redemption Project PodcastA Poll Is Not a Prediction: Mark Cunningham on Reading the Numbers Without Being Misled
The numbers are interesting. They are also easy to overread. A poll can tell us something useful about public opinion at a particular moment. It cannot…
The Redemption Project PodcastMark David Grasso: Addiction, Prison and the Recovery Work That Finally Broke the Cycle
Mark David Grasso did not describe his childhood as the worst story anyone had ever heard. That is part of what makes it important. He grew up in a…
The Redemption Project PodcastBreaking Destructive Cycles: How Blue Monarch Rebuilds Mothers, Children and Families
When a mother enters recovery, her children do not simply wait outside the process. They may have witnessed addiction, instability, incarceration, violence or…
The Redemption Project PodcastThe Smaller the Race, the Greater Your Voice: Katie Growden on Voting, Local Power and Civic Confidence
Voting can feel complicated long before anyone reaches the polling place. People register, but then struggle to find reliable information about the candidates…
The Redemption Project PodcastSentenced to 80 years in prison, he is now a CEO
Tremaine Smith was 15 years old when one decision changed the rest of his life. He had been a straight-A student. He played football and basketball. He had…
The Redemption Project PodcastFrom prison to redemption
Derrick Westfield did not begin life with the story many people might expect. He was not raised in a home without both parents. He did not describe his…
The Redemption Project PodcastRedemption Isn’t Always Rescue—Sometimes It’s Faithfulness
If you’re wondering, why are these stories being re-uploaded this week . . . well, I was integrating my server from an old one to a new one when POOF, several…
The Redemption Project PodcastFrom Abortion Pain to Healing, Hope and Purpose: The Redemption Story of Breanna Houston
Breanna Houston remembers being 18 years old, living in a college dorm and realizing she was pregnant. She was scared. She was the first in her family to…
The Redemption Project PodcastYou Can’t Remove Incentives and Expect Compliance
This segment explores why incentives matter in criminal justice and reentry systems.Compliance does not happen in a vacuum. When individuals are given no…
The Redemption Project PodcastFrom Addiction and Prison to Recovery, Reentry and Purpose: The Redemption Story of Samantha Acy
Samantha Acy knows what it feels like to be labeled. Addict. Inmate. Felon. Criminal. For many people, those labels become permanent. They follow someone long…
The Redemption Project PodcastCriminal Justice Is Tested After Release
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Sentencing may dominate debate, but many of the most important public safety outcomes begin after someone returns…
The Redemption Project PodcastTennessee Gubernatorial Roundtable 2026
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government…
The Redemption Project PodcastFederal marijuana classification changes
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project When federal marijuana classification changes, many people assume practical rules shift immediately. In reality…
The Redemption Project PodcastNew Opioids Move Unevenly
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Federal detections of a new synthetic opioid show why drug markets do not spread state by state the way most…
The Redemption Project PodcastPolice Officers carry the weight of a call, long after it ends
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project A call may close operationally and still remain mentally active much longer than people realize. That is part of…
The Redemption Project PodcastHuman trafficking and tattoo studios?
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Human trafficking indicators do not always surface first where people expect. Sometimes they appear where trust…
The Redemption Project PodcastAlabama Watching: What Jefferson County Says About an Emerging Synthetic Opioid
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Jefferson County officials say cychlorphine has not been detected locally, but the larger issue is how forensic…
The Redemption Project PodcastSocial media as an investigative tool
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Investigative value online usually appears through patterns, not single posts. Repeated names, reaction behavior…
The Redemption Project PodcastSheriff campaigns . . .
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Sheriff campaigns often center on broad safety language. But the stronger voter questions usually involve…
The Redemption Project PodcastOhio’s forensic system reflects a larger reality
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Ohio’s forensic system reflects a larger reality: emerging synthetic compounds often arrive faster than older…
The Redemption Project PodcastHow Europe Spots New Opioids Early
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project European forensic systems are increasingly identifying synthetic opioids before those substances become fully…
The Redemption Project PodcastSteve Smith
By Brandon Burley of The Redemption Project Redemption Story of the Week: Steve Smith Steve walked out of prison in August 2025 with nothing but the clothes on…
The Redemption Project PodcastNewer synthetic opioid vs narcan
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project As newer synthetic opioids appear, responders are again asking how consistently naloxone behaves across changing…
The Redemption Project PodcastCounty Commission vs City Council
Many people know they vote for both city and county officials, but fewer people understand what each level of local government actually controls. In Season 3…
The Redemption Project PodcastThe Question We Rarely Ask After Prison
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Most criminal justice debate focuses on sentencing and incarceration. Far less attention is given to what happens…
The Redemption Project PodcastPolice Department vs. Sheriff’s Office: Who Actually Has Authority?
Most people know that police officers and sheriff’s deputies both wear badges and answer calls, but the agencies behind them are built very differently…
The Redemption Project PodcastLarge narcotics investigations
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Large narcotics investigations often begin long before they look large. In many smaller communities, one officer…
The Redemption Project PodcastFood Bank vs. Food Pantry: What Most People Get Wrong
Most people use the terms food bank and food pantry like they mean the same thing. They do not. In this first episode of Systems Explained, Brandon Burley…
The Redemption Project PodcastCyberbullying and Law Enforcement
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Cyberbullying cases often become difficult because schools, parents, and law enforcement do not always operate…
The Redemption Project PodcastShould SNAP include sugary food and drinks?
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project SNAP debates usually sound like product debates on the surface. But underneath them sits a larger policy question…
The Redemption Project PodcastArizona’s fentanyl response often gets discussed through enforcement numbers.
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Arizona’s fentanyl response often gets discussed through enforcement numbers. But forensic systems carry another…
The Redemption Project PodcastWhy New Opioids Stay Hidden
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project A newly emerging synthetic opioid identified in Tennessee, Canada, and parts of Europe is highlighting a larger…
The Redemption Project PodcastDewey Burton
Dewey Burton’s past isn’t easy to talk about — and it shouldn’t be. Before coming to Men of Valor, Dewey had already been convicted of robbery. After serving…
The Redemption Project PodcastAddiction pressure is not limited to large cities.
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Addiction pressure is not limited to large cities. But access to treatment often is. In many smaller communities…
The Redemption Project PodcastNew synthetic opioid
19 deaths tied to a newer synthetic #opioid One thing the public rarely sees: forensic labs often encounter new chemistry long before public warning systems…
The Redemption Project PodcastDustin Morgan
Dustin Morgan’s story carries a weight that never fully goes away — and he doesn’t pretend that it should. Dustin was convicted of second-degree murder. He…
The Redemption Project Podcast“Reentry Starts on Day One” — Jesse Crosson
Jesse Crosson was arrested just after his 18th birthday and sentenced to 32 years in prison for a robbery and non-fatal shooting. For nearly two decades…
The Redemption Project PodcastTK
In this episode of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley sits down with TK, a licensed therapist and recovery professional whose life was nearly ended by…
The Redemption Project PodcastSean Luttrell
Sean Luttrell’s first arrest came in 2023. By his own words, he wasn’t confused about how he got there. He was living an evil life — one bad decision stacked…
The Redemption Project PodcastWhen Ink Becomes Evidence: How Tattoo Studios Can Help Fight Human Trafficking
Human trafficking often hides in plain sight. In this narrated journalism episode of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley examines a new Tennessee law that…