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In the first episode of Season 2, we sit down with Avon Curtis, Executive Director of Arms Around You. When single mother Avon Curtis founded Arms Around You (AAY), establishing a reentry resource program for individuals facing an array of personal obstacles post-incarceration was a personal undertaking. A long-time advocate of the rights of incarcerated individuals, Avon founded AAY to assist people re-entering into society from corrections and homelessness. With many years experience in the fields of project and case management, the Seattle native has firsthand knowledge of the obstacles individuals with criminal records face with reintegration into society, including issues related to employment, education, housing, family reunification, and eligibility for social service benefits. Listen in on this conversation HERE.

Hamdiya reflects on the 20 years she spent in prison; the women she fought for behind bars and the milestones she missed with her family.

A nonprofit is signing people up for clinics throughout the year to help with a streamlined process to seek relief from Pierce County court debt. “One thing we have noticed with LFO work, we have started doing weekly outreach directly into homeless camps, and what we’re seeing is that so many people, so many unhoused individuals that we meet on the street, have legal financial obligations ...,” said Carly Roberts, executive director of Tacoma ProBono Community Lawyers. Read the full article here.

We’re thrilled to have the support of @AllInWA2020 and our donors as we continue to help impacted WA workers & families within the formerly incarcerated community. This grant will help us address their urgent needs through flexible financial assistance. If you’d like to contribute, please visit allinwa.org Details from AllinWA.org: "All In WA is announcing $7.8M in grant awards from the All In WA COVID-19 Relief Fund. Across the state, we’re seeing record-breaking unemployment, housing and food insecurity, growing mental health challenges, loss of access to childcare, and a growing digital divide. Historic, systemic inequities make these challenges even harder for our Black, Indigenous, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Asian, and Latinx communities, as well as rural and remote residents. While this year has brought unprecedented loss and hardship, we’ve also seen Washingtonians support each other in incredible ways. The grants have been awarded to community-based organizations working hard to support disproportionately impacted WA workers and families. These organizations – the vast majority of which are led by and serve Black, Indigenous, and people of color – will use grants to provide flexible, emergency financial assistance for urgent needs such as rental assistance, food, utilities, and more. The awards span the state in terms of regional distribution, with 17% of funding to Central WA, 11% to Eastern WA, 20% to NW/West and Peninsula counties, 43% to Puget Sound (King/Pierce/Snohomish), and 8% to Southwest WA. Our grant recipients understand the urgent needs of their communities better than anyone. These organizations have deep relationships with the communities they serve and have been instrumental in providing critically needed services to individuals and families who are struggling with basic needs as a result of the pandemic." View Full List HERE. Thank you again, All In WA!

Jessica is someone who was handpicked by our Executive Director, Avon, as someone to highlight because of her tremendous impact in the reentry community. Jessica also is a formerly justice involved individual who has used her journey to allow her to make positive change in the reentry community. She wears many hats in the reentry community. Listen to this conversation HERE! Remember to share, comment and give us feedback on these conversations.

We had the opportunity to catch up with Gerald Bradford and not only hear about the amazing work he is doing, but also his journey that led to the reentry work he does at Renton Technical College and his non-profit, Fresh Start PS.  Listen to this conversation HERE!

Check out Mrs. Nicquelle Jones' story of recovery and transformation. It was such a pleasure to hear her journey and how it played out in career, but also her emphasis on mental health support was tremendous. She is an amazing change agent and advocate! Listen to this conversation today on Spotify - HERE. #AAY206#rehabilitation#reunification#resilience#determination#success#StrongerTogether#support#reentry#returningcitizen#recovery#12steps#success#resources#advocacy#advocate #transformation #journey

This much anticipated conversation is so juicy, we had to split it into 2 parts. Part 1 and 2 are available of the conversation with Mr. Franklyn Smith and is a great conversation about his reentry journey, mentorship and what lead to his current work with the Department of Corrections. Check out both episodes HERE, give us feedback, subscribe and share!

In this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Marcus White and taking a dive into his life leading up to his 17 year sentence, his transformation and what he has been up to since his release as he approaches his 5 years milestone. Tune in HERE! #AAY206 #success #determination #support #resources #accountability #reentry #reducerecidivism #reunification#resilience #maintenance #program #fatherhood #loss #grief #pivot #flexibility

In this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Terrance Turner and really breaking down his life since release from a juvenile institution at the age of 21. He shares his learning opportunities, his victories and what it takes for him to remain free. (Please note that profanity is used in this conversation). Tune in HERE! #AAY206 #success #determination #support #resources #accountability #reentry #reducerecidivism #reunification#resilience

Check out this amazing conversation with Derek Gamble of Clean Slate Reentry Program. This was a great conversation that highlighted the great work happening in Sumter, SC in the area of reentry. Clean Slate Reentry Program uses a combination of peer to peer support, transitional housing and navigational services to help men navigate life, post-incarceration, as they re-integrate into the community from state institutions in South Carolina. Take a listen here!

This podcast is brought to you by Arms Aroun This podcast is brought to you by Arms Around You a not for profit entity in Washington State, focused on reducing recidivism from Seattle to Tacoma and beyond. Each episode will highlight reentry stories, community resources, partner organizations and share raw conversations around reentry. Join the conversation! Do not miss an episode and subscribe today here! Want to be featured? Send us an email to communications@armsaroundyou.org .