Podcast watch; some states have reduced prison populations

Podcasts to follow On my podcast, One Mother's Voice:In the Name of Justice (on hiatus until January 2019), my message is: to bring about meaningful reforms in our criminal justice system, those of us affected--either directly or indirectly--should understand how its laws, policies, and practices impact our families and communities.Two podcasts with differing approaches to educating their audiences are Serial and Pearl329's Start the Conversation.Serial According to Huffington Post, "The new season returns to the show’s criminal justice roots by chronicling the criminal court system in Cleveland, with new episodes launching each Thursday."In its first season, the award-winning team, headed by Sarah Koenig, examined whether Baltimore teenager, Adnan Syed, was wrongfully convicted for the murder of  his girlfriend. Earlier this year, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that Syed has the right to a new trial based on his claim of "ineffective assistance of counsel."The third season, which begins September 30, "will track several storylines over multiple episodes, following criminal cases from the courtroom to defendants’ and witnesses’ homes."Start the ConversationStart the Conversation is the brainchild of Eve Pollard, who describes herself as "wife and mother," "soldier," and "athlete."The podcast is dedicated to the memory of her brother, Eric "Maze" Moyler, who died suddenly in March, at age 30; he had served time in two New York State prisons.Her podcast focuses on airing the experiences of those affected by the incarceration of a family member.She believes that "it is important for families of inmates....(to have) conversations about the toll that prison takes on families."The show's intimate feel derives from Pollard sharing her personal observations and experiences and speaking with the parents, siblings, and children of inmates.The podcast is part of her overall mission, which includes sponsoring an event, "Run to Reform."Through sharing resources on wealth-building, goal-setting, healthy living, and personal growth, she hopes to empower individuals and communities to make positive changes.Slow, but steady, progressReductions in some states' prison populations is cause for measured optimism.The Sentencing Project reports: "Since 2016, most states have modestly reduced their prison populations. These prison population reductions have come about through a mix of changes in policy and practice designed to reduce admissions to prison and term lengths. Changes in New Jersey led to a prison population reduction of 37% in 2016 from its peak in 1999.New York’s prison population also peaked in 1999, and through a combination of policy and practice changes that largely affected drug enforcement and sentencing in New York City, declined by 31% by 2016.Connecticut’s 28% decline in prison population since its 2007 peak has been attributed to policy shifts such as reducing prison admissions for technical parole and probation violations as part of the Second Chance Society Initiative and reclassifying drug possession offenses to misdemeanors."For a more detailed look at other states that have reduced their prison populations visit The Sentencing Project website.