Our Stories Matter

Our Stories Matter Season 4 Finale Bonus Episode! Father Greg Boyle is the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Detailing the origins of Homeboy Industries, he reflects on powerful moments and stories that shaped his journey. He discusses the importance of unwavering compassion, the intentional act of loving, and dares to ask us – what would happen if we believed that people are unshakably good and we belong to each other?Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Damon Cooke is the co-founder and CEO of the Uncuffed Project, a non-profit organization that aims to change the narrative inside the prison system and reduce recidivism. Damon is a vivid example of resilience and determination, and what is like to bring change within the carceral system that is set up to oppress BIPOC communities. In this episode, Damon along with Susan Hess, who is a  Associate Professor at USC School of Social Work and extensive experience in the field of domestic violence, James Debbaco who currently serves as the Chair of the Unchained Scholars student caucus and is an MSW student at USC Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work, and Martin Leyva, program coordinator for Project Bound at California State University, San Marcos and a doctoral student UC San Diego in education share their lived experiences and explore how the intersectionality in their struggles has brought healing in their journeys.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Dr. Daniel Siegel is a Clinical Professor in the Psychiatrist at the UCLA School of Medicine and the author of the book IntraConnected where he explains the concept of MWe (Me + We) as the integration of the Self, Identity, and Belonging. He describes how culture, especifically in the United States, has taught society that identity is an individual and separate concept unrelated to the collective whole. This creates a lot of mental distress as individuals begin to feel like they don't fit in or don't belong. Drawing from wisdom of Indigenous and contemplative traditions, Dr. Siegel shares how the self (Me) is connected with others and is within all the human world and nature (We), creating an intraconnection that helps us realize that we are a Me as much as we are a We - a MWe - to create a better world that would also be inclusive of formerly incarcerated folks.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Stephanie Lane is an example of resilience and determination. She recounts how every struggle and trauma she experienced allowed her to grow into the woman she is today: fierce, independent and full of purpose. Stephanie also indicates the powerful impact that Homeboy Industries had in her life by providing employment and professional opportunities. She now leads a women's focus group where she gives back to women by guiding, counseling, and providing resources to help them find their place in the free world after incarceration.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Gonzalo Alvarado discusses his relationship with violence, how that shaped him and isolated him as a young man, and how that eventually influenced him to join a men's group in prison dedicated to finding solutions for the senseless violence inside. He discusses the power of the written word and how sharing his words with other people incarcerated created an unspoken bond that transcended racial lines. Now navigating the reentry community after spending over 20 years in prison, Gonzalo recounts his experiences with Homeboy Industries and how they've supported him on his healing journey.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Tyler Lord shares his journey as he transitions from a 32 years to life sentence to becoming a firefighter for FFRP. He discusses his battle with addiction and now, over 16 years clean and sober, he expresses a newfound love for life. As he talks about the lessons he's learned and the support he's received post-incarceration, Tyler hopes to be a beacon of light for others as they start their own healing journey.  Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Benjamin Fowler embodies what it means to be resilient. Detailing the hardships he faced transitioning from incarceration to the reentry community, Benjamin describes how the Fire Camps and the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program gave him a second chance at a new life. Benjamin recounts the struggles and rewards of what it means to be an inmate firefighter, and how the love for his children and his community empowered him to never give up.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

From living in anguish thinking that a lifetime in prison is all that was left, to getting another chance at life with freedom through SB 1437, Ivy shares about the role that Homeboy Industries played in her life to overcome challenges that came after being released. Ivy faced obstacles with employment, housing, and navigation of different patriarcal systems that oppress women and limit their ability to succeed as free individuals.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Brandon Smith is the co-founder and CEO of The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program. Brandon exempifies what is like to be relentless, innovative and passionate to bring opportunities to become a firefighter not only for himself, but to formerly incarcerated folks who complete fire camp and are in search of a similar career. Brandon recounts the different challenges that he experienced after his release with different social institutions, the stigma that comes of being in prison and how this inspired him to create a path to help others achieve the same success through mentorship and support post release through FFRP.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Fabian Debora has always placed art at the center of his healing. As Founder and Executive Director of Homeboy Art Academy, Fabian describes in detail how his upbringing influenced his relationship with art and healing. Using the knowledge he knows now, Fabian is using his cultural influence to highlight the facilitation of art and its healing powers. Through art, Fabian is changing the paradigm of how to connect with another human being.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

In partnership with Homeboy Industries and Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, Our Stories Matter Season Four  shares the stories of folx reentering the free world through radical resistance and activism.Prisons and many organizations in the free world complement each other as two sides of the same coin, as they continue to oppress and shackle folx coming home. Our Stories Matter engages in dialogue with two organizations that are dismantling the 46,000 collateral consequences around employment and education within a punishing system that has been created for recidivism. Storytelling is political. Storytelling is liberating. Storytelling is community healing. Our Stories Matter.Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Public defenders have often gotten a less-than-honorable wrap when it comes to providing services for those who need it the most. In this week's episode, Brendon Woods, Alameda County's first Black Chief Public Defender, challenges that bad reputation as he shares his passion and advocacy for the liberation of victims of mass incarceration. Brendon talks about how he is leveraging his position to fight against systemic injustice in the legal system. Tune in to hear the changes he is making in the community.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Naima Ramos-Chapman is an activist and filmmaker. Her powerful story highlights ways she has used filmmaking to promote her own healing and the healing of others from complex and systemic trauma. She discusses how she leveraged film to give light to perspectives and experiences that are often dismissed and overlooked. Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

While law in the US has a history of perpetuating systematic racism, Summer Lacey has utilized it to advocate for the most marginalized amongst us. Summer’s life embodies the transformational mission of using the law to resist and dismantle systems of oppression. Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Romarilyn is a black feminist prison abolitionist scholar working to interrupt criminalization at the intersections of race, gender, and education. Her fierce advocacy as the Program Director of Project Rebound at Cal State Fullerton has helped establish the John Irwin Memorial House, the first collegiate housing initiative in the nation that provides a residence, holistic support and academic care for formerly incarcerated and system impacted students.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

Claudia Peña and Bryonn Bain are trailblazers in their work with UCLA's Prison education Program. The two are using their background in everything from the arts and literature to working in the legal system to invest in the education and healing of those who are incarcerated. In this episode, Claudia and Bryonn share their efforts to promote transformative justice and healing through collaboration and trauma-informed practices.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

 “We’re just human beings trying to live our lives in a system that is oppressing us.” This episode’s storyteller speaks on the challenges that come with not only being an undocumented immigrant in the United States, but also being a Black man in America. Tune in to this week’s episode to learn how Aly Wane is using his experiences to advocate for the humanization of Black and immigrant communities in the political and justice systems. Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

“We are the ones that can best support each other coming home. Because we know what that feels like. We know how much we want to give back and how sorry we are for what happened in our lives”. Instead of systems of oppression being erected to stifle our reconnection to the community, women survivors of the American criminal punishment system can be empowered to be the healers our communities need.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

ACTIVATION WARNING: This entire episode discusses multiple forms of trauma, including graphic descriptions of intergenerational trauma, sexual trauma, physical trauma, emotional trauma and carceral trauma.If activated, TILA recommends to incorporate healing practices such as move, walk, journal, run, push against a wall, connect with people who are supportive empathetic and remember to breathe...If at anytime you need to take a break, take a break and you can always return later...Countless women’s voices are smothered under the brutal reality of incarceration in America. Yet, Rianne has mustered the courage to speak truth to power. Incarcerated going on 12 years, Rianne clings to honesty, hope and resilience in her healing journey. Listen to her bare her soul live from the belly of the beast.  Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” Fearlessly from the Inside, Keyon shares how music and his promotion of literacy have been his tools for advocating for social justice in Black and Brown communities. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear Keyon’s story of personal reform as he overcomes systemic and physical barriers.Visit the Our Stories Matter homepage to learn more about the podcast. Follow @TraumaInformedLA on Instagram and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates.