Coverage desk
Reentry & Recidivism
TRP reporting and conversations on returning from incarceration, reducing recidivism, and what actually helps people stay free.
18 articles · 17 episodes, newest first
Personal Reflections ·
The Same Police Car Can Mean Safety to One Person and Fear to Another
We often assume that if two people experience the same institution differently, one of them must be wrong. Policing offers a harder possibility: Sometimes both are telling the truth.
Tennessee Good Work ·
More Than a Halfway House: How FOCUS Helps Women Rebuild After Incarceration
Savannah Ford turned 30 years old in jail.
Podcast · Stories of Good Work ·
More 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 to show for those years were addiction and felony drug charge…
Listen to episodeRedemption Stories ·
Men of Valor Mash-Up: From Prison to Purpose
Watch now | Men of Valor is not just a prison ministry.
Podcast · Redemption Stories ·
Men 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 special mash-up episode of The Redemption Project , Brandon B…
Listen to episodeRedemption Stories ·
Mark David Grasso: Addiction, Prison and the Recovery Work That Finally Broke the Cycle
A Redemption Project story about opioid addiction, incarceration, gang life, reentry, recovery coaching and learning how to meet people where they are.
Podcast · Redemption Stories ·
Mark 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 single-parent home. His mother struggled with mental health issues and p…
Listen to episodeRedemption Stories ·
Sentenced to 80 years in prison, he is now a CEO
Watch now | Tremaine Smith: 31 Years in Prison, a Second Chance and the Rise of True Phoenix
Podcast · Systems Explained ·
You 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 incentives for positive behavior, accountability systems often fai…
Listen to episodePodcast · Stories of Good Work ·
Reentry & Redemption in Our Community
Knoxville is quietly building a reentry ecosystem that many communities wish they had—connecting mentorship, recovery programs, stable housing, and community support in ways that improve public safety and reduce repeat a…
Listen to episodeRedemption Stories ·
From Addiction and Prison to Recovery, Reentry and Purpose: The Redemption Story of Samantha Acy
June 19, 2026
Podcast · The Redemption Project Podcast ·
The 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 after release, even though that is often where public safety…
Listen to episodeSeason 4: Civic Conversations ·
Why Cities Keep Paying for Recidivism They Could Prevent
Stories editors passed on
Podcast · Civic Conversations ·
“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, prison was the only adult life he knew. When Jesse was granted a c…
Listen to episodeSeason 1 & 2 Redemption Stories ·
What Actually Helps People Rebuild Their Lives After Prison
This was my first article with Knox TN Today, and although I had written for other publications like Police1, this article was special to me.
Season 1 & 2 Redemption Stories ·
Reentry Starts on Day One (Whether the System Helps or Not)
Jesse Crosson was arrested just after his 18th birthday.
Season 1 & 2 Redemption Stories ·
What Actually Changes Men After Prison
I’ve spent the last few months sitting across from men society usually only knows by their worst moment.
Podcast · Systems Explained ·
Redemption, Research, and What Actually Works in Prison Reform A Conversation with Dr. Robin LaBarbera
What actually changes lives inside prison—and what only sounds good on paper? In this extended conversation, Brandon Burley sits down with Dr. Robin LaBarbera , a leading researcher on prison-based theological education,…
Listen to episodeSeason 3: Systems Explained ·
What Actually Reduces Recidivism—At Scale
January 31, 2026
Podcast · Systems Explained ·
Why Chattanooga’s New Reentry Program Matters for Public Safety
n this Season 4 episode of The Redemption Project , Brandon Burley narrates and comments on a letter to the editor he wrote for the Chattanooga Times Free Press about a reentry support program coming to the city—one with…
Listen to episodePodcast · Systems Explained ·
Public Safety Isn’t Just Policing — It’s Second Chance Hiring
In this narrated episode, Brandon Burley reads and reflects on an opinion piece originally published in The Daily Memphian examining why second chance hiring is a public safety issue—not just an employment one. While the…
Listen to episodePodcast · Systems Explained ·
“What People Don’t See About Life After Jail in Knoxville” | Article Read + Commentary
In this episode of The Redemption Project podcast (Season 4, Episode 3), I read and comment on my article originally published in Knox TN Today: “What People Don’t See About Life After Jail in Knoxville.” This piece shed…
Listen to episodePodcast · Redemption Stories ·
I Stayed Because I Needed the Structure — Kris
Kris shares his story of coming to Men of Valor Knoxville after being released from Bledsoe Prison and choosing to stay—not because he had to, but because he knew he needed structure, accountability, and community. In th…
Listen to episodeTennessee Good Work ·
“Mission of Hope at Christmas and Every Other Day” | Article Read + Commentary
In this episode of The Redemption Project podcast, I read and comment on my article originally published in Knox TN Today: “Mission of Hope, at Christmas and Every Other Day of the Year.”
Podcast · Stories of Good Work ·
“Mission of Hope at Christmas and Every Other Day” | Article Read + Commentary
In this episode of The Redemption Project podcast, I read and comment on my article originally published in Knox TN Today: “Mission of Hope, at Christmas and Every Other Day of the Year.” This piece reflects on how minis…
Listen to episodeTennessee Good Work ·
What Redemption Looks Like in Knoxville | Read & Commentary
In this episode of The Redemption Project, I read and comment on my article “What Redemption Looks Like in Knoxville: A Day Inside Men of Valor,” originally published in Knox TN Today.
Podcast · Stories of Good Work ·
What Redemption Looks Like in Knoxville | Read & Commentary
In this episode of The Redemption Project , I read and comment on my article “What Redemption Looks Like in Knoxville: A Day Inside Men of Valor,” originally published in Knox TN Today . The piece offers a firsthand look…
Listen to episodePersonal Reflections ·
Second-Chance Hiring Isn’t a Slogan. It’s a Public Safety Decision.
I published a guest column in The Daily Memphian this week arguing that second-chance hiring is not a feel-good reform idea—it’s one of the most practical public safety strategies we have.
Tennessee Good Work ·
Reentry & Redemption in Our Community
Knoxville is quietly building a reentry ecosystem that many communities wish they had—connecting mentorship, recovery programs, stable housing, and community support in ways that improve public safety and reduce repeat a…
Podcast · Redemption Stories ·
S1: E2 John from Men of Valor
This week’s Redemption Story comes from Knoxville, Tennessee. John Duck graduates from the Men of Valor residential program on December 26, 2025—the day after Christmas, and his daughter’s birthday. Hard to imagine a bet…
Listen to episodeStart Here ·
What Is The Redemption Project?
This segment from "The Weekly Law Round-Up" originally airing on Praise 96.3 FM in Knoxville explains what The Redemption Project is and why it exists.The Redemption Project shares real stories of accountability, transfo…
Podcast · The Redemption Project Podcast ·
What Is The Redemption Project?
This segment from "The Weekly Law Round-Up" originally airing on Praise 96.3 FM in Knoxville explains what The Redemption Project is and why it exists.The Redemption Project shares real stories of accountability, transfo…
Listen to episodePodcast · Redemption Stories ·
S1:E1 Redemption, Recovery, and Reentry | Full 60-Minute Radio Interview
This is the full, unedited 60-minute radio interview from The Weekly Law Round-up, where The Redemption Project is introduced; discussing redemption, recovery, reentry, and public safety.The conversation explores what li…
Listen to episodeSeason 1 & 2 Redemption Stories ·
Redemption and Recidivism Interview
I would encourage any of you who are interested, to listen to my interview with local attorney T.
Start Here ·
The Redemption Project
I created The Redemption Project because I believe redemption is one of the most powerful things we can witness in life.