Amplified Voices

Mar 04 2025 49 ep. 53 mins 20
Amplified Voices Podcast artwork

Amplified Voices is a podcast that lifts the voices of people and families impacted by the criminal legal system. Hosts Jason and Amber speak with real people in real communities to help them step into the power of their lived experience. Together, they explore shared humanity and real solutions for positive change. 

  Society & Culture
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Joe: Finding a Better Path - Season 5- Episode 6

Mar 04 2025 46 mins  
Send us a text Discover the story of Joe, a former high school football star, whose life took a dramatic turn, as a young man looking for purpose in unhealthy ways, Amber and Jason speak with Joe about his early influences, the choices he made, his experience with incarceration and his journey to accountability and repair. From the exuberance of youth to the stark reality of prison

Justyna: Exposing Inhumane Practices at Rikers Mental Health Unit - Season 5 Episode -5

Oct 23 2024 60 mins  
Send us a text Join Amplified Voices co-hosts, Amber and Jason for a compelling conversation with Justyna, an inspiring professional dedicated to forensic psychology and social work. Justyna shares her remarkable journey from community-based treatment and social work to her time working at Rikers. From her academic experiences at John Jay College and Hunter College to her first job

Shawn: Creating Community, One Mom's Response to Crisis - Season 5 Episode 4

Sep 26 2024 75 mins  
Send us a text What if a single phone call could turn your entire world upside down? In this heartfelt episode of Amplified Voices, Amber and Jason are in conversation with Shawn Barrera-Leaf, whose family faced a seismic shift in August 2017. Just as Shawn was preparing for her eldest son's wedding, she received the shocking news that her youngest son, an aspiring doctor, had been

Joe & Amy: Building Strength and Family Despite the System - Season 5 Episode 3

May 28 2024 61 mins  
Send us a text What happens when a career in law enforcement collides with unexpected personal and legal challenges? In this episode of Amplified Voices, Amber and Jason discover Joe and Amy's extraordinary journey. Joe, a former law enforcement officer, shares his story of camaraderie and disillusionment within the justice system. He opens up about his middle-class upbringing in M

Greg Mingo: Seeing the World Through More than One Pair of Eyes - Season 5 Episode 2

Mar 31 2024 74 mins  
Send us a text Life can twist and turn in unexpected ways, as Greg Mingo, a Harlem native, profoundly understands. His story, one of resilience amidst the vibrant yet challenging streets of New York, unfolds as he shares the gravity of his choices and the socioeconomic forces that impacted his life. Our latest episode invites you into an intimate conversation with Mingo, revealing

D's Story: Mom on the List - Season 5 Episode 1

Mar 03 2024 82 mins  
Send us a text When life presents us with a labyrinth of trials, it's the voices of the resilient that guide us through the darkness. D's life story, as featured on Amplified Voices, illuminates such a path, marked by a turbulent childhood and other struggles. This episode promises an intimate exploration into the human spirit's capacity for endurance, highlighting D's poignant exp

Brittany LaMarr: A Mother's Story Part 2 of 2. Season 4 Episode 8

Dec 12 2023 65 mins  
Send us a text When we think of motherhood, the images that typically come to mind are those of joy, love, and celebration. But what happens when the journey to motherhood unfolds in a place designed for punishment, not nurturing? Our guest, Brittany, exposes the stark and heartbreaking realities of becoming a mother in prison. We journey with her through the heartache of pregnancy

Brittany LaMarr: A Recovery Story, Part 1 of 2. Season 4 Episode 7

Dec 07 2023 43 mins  
Send us a text Ever asked yourself, "What's the real cost of addiction?" In this first part of a two-episode conversation on Amplified Voices, special guest Brittany LaMarr helps us tackle this complex question head-on as she shares her compelling journey through addiction and recovery. Brittany, a Connecticut native, candidly unveils the trials and tribulations of her life, starti

Cierra Cobb: On A Mission for Justice Season 4 - Episode 6

Sep 30 2023 66 mins  
Send us a text In this episode of Amplified Voices, Amber & Jason talk with Cierra Cobb, a paralegal, activist, and advocate for incarcerated people and their families. From her heart of resilience and strength, Cierra takes us on a poignant journey of survival and action. In a world grappling with a global pandemic, Cierra reconnects and marries Jeffrey, an old friend who has

C. Dreams - What We Accept for Others, We Must Accept for Ourselves - Season 4 Episode 5

Jul 13 2023 63 mins  
Send us a text On this episode of Amplified Voices, Amber and Jason speak with C, a woman who has lived through the unimaginable - losing her mother at a young age, getting thrust into the foster system, and grappling with overdiagnosis and overmedication, displacement, and disconnection. We learn about her journey, from her challenging upbringing to her involvement in the sex trad