In what is (potentially*) the start of an ongoing series, this month we're joined by our own Rebecca Shaeffer for a discussion of what people with disabilities experience in the carceral system, how they disproportionately end up there, and what we can do to support returning citizens.



 



*This is contingent on us being organized enough to do that.



 



Full transcript available at https://www.ndrn.org/resource/ndr-april24/



 

Jack Rosen:

All right. Michelle, you want to kick us off?

Michelle Bishop:

I'm sorry. Did we decide who was going to intro the topic and read the bio before we started recording? Or...

Stephanie Flynt:

No, we just clicked record.

Michelle Bishop:

Just started recording when we have no idea what we're doing?

Stephanie Flynt:

♫ Be prepared ♫ Okay.

Michelle Bishop:

Was that The Lion King?

Stephanie Flynt:

Yes. Well, Nala's here, I have to sing The Lion King.

Michelle Bishop:

Jack, use all of this.



♫ Intro Music Plays ♫



Michelle Bishop:

Hi, everyone, and welcome back to National Disability Radio. Woo. We don't have a cheer sound, do we? I keep telling Jack to put a cheer sound in there, but I don't think we have one.

Stephanie Flynt:

I think I said a cowbell.

Michelle Bishop:

Well, everything needs more cowbell.

Stephanie Flynt:

Yes.

Michelle Bishop:

But, everyone, applaud while you're listening at home. Woo. All right. Good enough. I'm Michelle Bishop. I'm the voter access and engagement manager at NDRN and one third of your podcast hosting team.

Stephanie Flynt:

And I'm Stephanie Flynt, public policy analyst here at the National Disability Rights Network. And I am the two thirds. Can't do fractions.

Michelle Bishop:

Look at us doing math.

Stephanie Flynt:

Yeah. I know.

Raquel Rosa:

I also don't do math. This is Raquel Rosa. I am your community relations specialist here at NDRN, but if we're going to do thirds, I do like pie and pizza, so we can pretend that I'm the final slice.

Michelle Bishop:

Also, it is April and none of us are doing your taxes, for a reason. We went into civil rights because math ain't our thing.

Welcome, everyone. We have an exciting episode for you this month. Before we jump into it, do we have any news or exciting or, of course, hilarious things to talk about? And, of course, our producer should introduce himself as well.

Jack Rosen:

Oh, I don't know, you introduced the three thirds of the podcast team.

Stephanie Flynt:

Oh, no.

Michelle Bishop:

The most bitter thing every episode.

Stephanie Flynt:

Okay, a four. Jack is now a producer host.

Michelle Bishop:

No. That's not the vibe we discussed. This has been discussed. People all know it's been discussed behind the scene that Jack is our Gelman. Okay. He's our producer who's featured on air. It's a very specific important thing. I mean, Regis and Kathie Lee were nothing without Gelman.

Raquel Rosa:

That's a reference for those of us who are over 40.

Michelle Bishop:

Wow. I feel personally targeted, but-

Raquel Rosa:

So, I'm right there. I'm right there.

Michelle Bishop:

Yes. So, we have a really interesting complex topic to bring to you all this month. We're going to be looking at the intersection of the disability community and the criminal justice system. And this is a topic that it runs so deep in so much of the civil rights work we do in the disability community, and is so complex and so broad that actually if all goes well with this episode,