“Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.” But how long after serving their prison sentence should we punish people? And in an economy fueled in large part by the prison industrial complex, what kind of crimes should warrant keeping a person unemployed, unhoused, and in a cycle of poverty? This week, host Sarah Jones talks to Sheena Meade, the director of the Clean Slate Initiative, about the barriers Americans face when they’re no longer behind bars.

You can follow Sarah Jones, see pod updates, and respond to AWHY prompts @yesimsarahjones on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. This podcast was produced in collaboration with The Meteor.