The Redemption Project Podcast

The Redemption Project · theredemptionproject.news

The Redemption Project tells real stories of change, accountability, and second chances.Hosted by Brandon Burley—a retired law enforcement detective, criminal justice educator, and journalist—this podcast features conversations with men and women who have lived on both sides of the justice system, along with the ministries, programs, and people helping them rebuild their lives.Each episode explores what redemption actually looks like after prison: recovery, faith, responsibility, failure, growth, and the long road back to trust and purpose. Some stories are quiet. Some are uncomfortable. newsroom.theredemptionproject.news

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Episodes 68

Kathy Simmons S2:E17
2d ago · 31:13
Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe
Understanding Lobbyists: Genevieve Turner on Influence, Advocacy and How Policy Gets Made
5d ago · 26:59
People hear the word lobbyist and often picture money changing hands, private dinners and powerful corporations attempting to buy political influence. That picture is not entirely invented. It is also far from complete. The better question is not simply whether lobbying is good or bad. It is: Who is attempting to influence public policy, whom do they represent, and what are they asking the government to do? In this Season 4 Civic Conversation, Brandon Burley speaks with Genevieve Turner, founder of Opal Advocacy, about what lobbyists actually do inside Tennessee’s legislative and government sy
ALPR and Flock Technology Explained: When License Plate Readers Become a Privacy Debate
19d ago · 2:33
What are Flock cameras, and why are so many people suddenly concerned about them? In this Season 3 Systems Explained episode, Brandon Burley talks with Nick Nugent, a University of Tennessee law professor who teaches technology law and constitutional law, about automated license plate readers, public safety, privacy and the difference between what may be legal and what kind of surveillance society we actually want. The conversation separates two questions: Is this constitutional? And even if it is lawful, is this the policy Tennessee communities want? Brandon brings his law enforcement backgro
Alliance Women’s Clinic: Breanna Houston on Faith, Pregnancy Support and a New Lenoir City Mission
19d ago · 11:53
For Breanna Houston, the debate over abortion is not theoretical. At 18 years old, away at college and frightened about what an unexpected pregnancy might mean for her future, she had an abortion. Years later, after becoming a Christian and walking through a post-abortion Bible study, she began confronting the grief, shame and questions she had carried with her. That experience now shapes the work she believes she has been called to do. In this Season 4 Civic Conversation, Brandon Burley speaks with Houston about the planned Alliance Women’s Clinic in downtown Lenoir City—a nonprofit, Christia
Grace Baron on The Sycamore Institute, Tennessee’s Budget and Impartial Policy Research
21d ago · 22:44
The Sycamore Institute exists to help Tennesseans understand the issues, data and policy choices shaping the state. In this Season 5 Good Works episode, Brandon Burley talks with Grace Baron, Director of External Relations at The Sycamore Institute, about the organization’s work as an impartial, data-driven research and policy center for Tennessee. The conversation covers Tennessee’s state budget, Sycamore’s budget primer, county-level data, housing research, workforce development, education funding, property taxes, public policy, local governance and why clear information matters for voters,
Tennessee Forward Party Chair Nick Nugent on Third Parties, Ballot Access and Breaking the Two-Party Grip
22d ago · 47:25
What is the Tennessee Forward Party? In this Season 4 Civic Conversation, Brandon Burley talks with Nick Nugent, chair of the Tennessee Forward Party, about what the Forward Party is, why it wants to challenge the two-party system, how third parties try to gain ballot access, and why the party believes Tennessee voters may be hungry for another option. The conversation covers open primaries, ranked-choice and approval voting, gerrymandering, local races, candidate endorsements, Lauren Pinkston, and the Forward Party’s long-term goal of building from the ground up. This is not a campaign ad. It
More Than a Halfway House: How FOCUS Helps Women Rebuild After Incarceration
28d ago · 19:22
Savannah Ford turned 30 years old in jail. The milestone landed harder than she expected. Looking back at her life, she felt as though the only things she had to show for those years were addiction and felony drug charges. She did not yet know what rebuilding would look like. After her release, Savannah entered the residential reentry program operated by FOCUS Women’s Ministry. She had not participated in the organization’s jail classes because FOCUS was not serving the facility where she had been incarcerated. But the ministry still gave her a place in its transitional home—and an opportunity
Men of Valor Mash-Up: From Prison to Purpose
1mo ago · 1:20
Men of Valor is not just a prison ministry. It is a place where men coming out of incarceration are being challenged, discipled, restored and rebuilt. In this special mash-up episode of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley highlights voices from Men of Valor — men coming out of jail and prison, men who found faith behind the wall, and leaders helping them return to their families and communities with purpose. This is a story about addiction, incarceration, faith, accountability, reentry and restoration. But more than anything, this is a redemption story. I am a retired detective and criminal
A Poll Is Not a Prediction: Mark Cunningham on Reading the Numbers Without Being Misled
1mo ago · 56:25
The numbers are interesting. They are also easy to overread. A poll can tell us something useful about public opinion at a particular moment. It cannot guarantee what voters will do weeks or months later, predict every change in a campaign or turn a small lead into a certain election result. In this Season 4 Civic Conversation, Brandon Burley speaks with pollster Mark Cunningham about what polls actually measure, how scientific surveys are constructed and why the public should be cautious when campaigns, media outlets and social media accounts turn numbers into narratives. Cunningham is the di
Mark David Grasso: Addiction, Prison and the Recovery Work That Finally Broke the Cycle
1mo ago · 34:08
Mark David Grasso did not describe his childhood as the worst story anyone had ever heard. That is part of what makes it important. He grew up in a single-parent home. His mother struggled with mental health issues and physical limitations after being hit by a car. His older sisters moved out when he was young, leaving Mark and his mother together in a house where he often felt like the child and the counselor at the same time. From the outside, things may have looked fine. Behind closed doors, they were more complicated. There were control issues. Criticism. Pressure. A picture the family wan
Breaking Destructive Cycles: How Blue Monarch Rebuilds Mothers, Children and Families
1mo ago · 28:20
When a mother enters recovery, her children do not simply wait outside the process. They may have witnessed addiction, instability, incarceration, violence or the removal of a parent from the home. They may also be carrying trauma of their own—sometimes without the words to explain what happened. Blue Monarch was created around the belief that lasting recovery requires helping the entire family heal. In the Season 5 premiere of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley speaks with Shakia, Blue Monarch’s officer of development and community relations—and a graduate of the program herself. After st
The Smaller the Race, the Greater Your Voice: Katie Growden on Voting, Local Power and Civic Confidence
1mo ago · 44:49
Voting can feel complicated long before anyone reaches the polling place. People register, but then struggle to find reliable information about the candidates. They may not understand what will appear on their ballot, where to research a local race or whether it is acceptable to admit that they have questions. For some voters, that uncertainty becomes embarrassment. Eventually, embarrassment becomes disengagement. In this Season 4 Civic Conversation, Brandon Burley speaks with Katie Growden, Tennessee state manager for Save the Children Action Network, about helping people move from uncertaint
Sentenced to 80 years in prison, he is now a CEO
1mo ago · 28:14
Tremaine Smith was 15 years old when one decision changed the rest of his life. He had been a straight-A student. He played football and basketball. He had never been in trouble before. Then he went out one night with the wrong people, refused a plea deal and received two 40-year sentences. He went into prison as a teenager. He came home in 2023 after serving 31 years. In this episode of The Redemption Project, Tremaine talks with Brandon Burley about growing up, juvenile sentencing, prison survival, violence behind the wall, becoming a certified law clerk, writing an 11-book series, building
From prison to redemption
1mo ago · 28:12
Derrick Westfield did not begin life with the story many people might expect. He was not raised in a home without both parents. He did not describe his childhood as a broken home. His mother and father worked. His family was together. He had a nice childhood. Then, when Derrick was 12 years old, his father died on his birthday. That loss changed the shape of the family. The structure began to loosen. The brothers began moving in different directions. Derrick found himself drawn more and more toward the neighborhood, toward the streets, toward the people and patterns that would eventually help
Redemption Isn’t Always Rescue—Sometimes It’s Faithfulness
1mo ago · 21:46
If you’re wondering, why are these stories being re-uploaded this week . . . well, I was integrating my server from an old one to a new one when POOF, several redemption stories vanished. That said, these stories DESERVE to be told. So I am sharing them again! Most redemption stories begin with collapse. This one begins with calling. When I sat down with Matt Mihelic, there was no dramatic confession. No public fall from grace. No moment that required headlines. And yet—his story is a reminder of something we don’t talk about enough: Redemption isn’t only about being saved from destruction.Som
From Abortion Pain to Healing, Hope and Purpose: The Redemption Story of Breanna Houston
1mo ago · 30:48
Breanna Houston remembers being 18 years old, living in a college dorm and realizing she was pregnant. She was scared. She was the first in her family to attend college. She had plans. She wanted a future in television. She wanted to be a producer. And in that moment, the story she had absorbed from the world around her seemed simple: A pregnancy would ruin everything. So she did what many young women do when fear becomes louder than everything else. She kept it quiet. She did not tell her parents. She went to Planned Parenthood. Her story is Season 1, Episode 16 of The Redemption Project. It
You Can’t Remove Incentives and Expect Compliance
2mo ago · 0:18
This segment explores why incentives matter in criminal justice and reentry systems.Compliance does not happen in a vacuum. When individuals are given no incentives for positive behavior, accountability systems often fail.We discuss how structured incentives encourage responsibility, reduce violations, and support long-term success while still maintaining supervision and consequences.The Redemption Project focuses on realistic approaches to accountability and behavior change. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe
Criminal Justice Is Tested After Release
3mo ago · 0:52
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Sentencing may dominate debate, but many of the most important public safety outcomes begin after someone returns to the community. We still measure criminal justice at the wrong moment. Most public debate focuses on sentencing, incarceration levels, and whether punishment sounds tough enough. But the most important question usually begins after someone leaves prison or jail. That is because most people who are incarcerated will eventually return to their communities, and the first year after release is often the most unstable part of the entire pro
Tennessee Gubernatorial Roundtable 2026
3mo ago · 45:59
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject
Federal marijuana classification changes
3mo ago · 0:44
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project When federal marijuana classification changes, many people assume practical rules shift immediately. In reality, state law, workplace standards, and enforcement decisions often continue operating under separate timelines for much longer than headlines suggest. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also
New Opioids Move Unevenly
3mo ago · 1:04
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Federal detections of a new synthetic opioid show why drug markets do not spread state by state the way most people assume. Federal laboratory detections of a new synthetic opioid known as N-propionitrile chlorphine are raising broader questions about how emerging drug compounds move through U.S. supply networks. The compound was first confirmed by a DEA laboratory in 2024, with later detections reported in states including Texas, California, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee. New Mexico reports no confirmed identifications to date. State officials
Police Officers carry the weight of a call, long after it ends
4mo ago · 0:44
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project A call may close operationally and still remain mentally active much longer than people realize. That is part of why officer wellness is often misunderstood: many burdens do not appear when the report is written. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Time
Human trafficking and tattoo studios?
4mo ago · 0:49
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Human trafficking indicators do not always surface first where people expect. Sometimes they appear where trust forms naturally and people spend enough time for unusual patterns to become visible. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida
Alabama Watching: What Jefferson County Says About an Emerging Synthetic Opioid
4mo ago · 1:15
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Jefferson County officials say cychlorphine has not been detected locally, but the larger issue is how forensic laboratories decide what they are prepared to see. Jefferson County forensic officials say a newly engineered synthetic opioid known as cychlorphine has not been detected in local postmortem toxicology casework. Officials say the compound is not currently part of routine toxicology panels, although internal communications have already been issued to maintain awareness of the drug. Cychlorphine was first confirmed in a U.S. seizure by a DEA
Social media as an investigative tool
4mo ago · 0:38
by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Investigative value online usually appears through patterns, not single posts. Repeated names, reaction behavior, deleted material, and timing often matter more than people realize. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel,

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The Redemption Project Podcast

Episodes 68

Kathy Simmons S2:E17

Understanding Lobbyists: Genevieve Turner on Influence, Advocacy and How Policy Gets Made

ALPR and Flock Technology Explained: When License Plate Readers Become a Privacy Debate

Alliance Women’s Clinic: Breanna Houston on Faith, Pregnancy Support and a New Lenoir City Mission

Grace Baron on The Sycamore Institute, Tennessee’s Budget and Impartial Policy Research

Tennessee Forward Party Chair Nick Nugent on Third Parties, Ballot Access and Breaking the Two-Party Grip

More Than a Halfway House: How FOCUS Helps Women Rebuild After Incarceration

Men of Valor Mash-Up: From Prison to Purpose

A Poll Is Not a Prediction: Mark Cunningham on Reading the Numbers Without Being Misled

Mark David Grasso: Addiction, Prison and the Recovery Work That Finally Broke the Cycle

Breaking Destructive Cycles: How Blue Monarch Rebuilds Mothers, Children and Families

The Smaller the Race, the Greater Your Voice: Katie Growden on Voting, Local Power and Civic Confidence

Sentenced to 80 years in prison, he is now a CEO

From prison to redemption

Redemption Isn’t Always Rescue—Sometimes It’s Faithfulness

From Abortion Pain to Healing, Hope and Purpose: The Redemption Story of Breanna Houston

You Can’t Remove Incentives and Expect Compliance

Criminal Justice Is Tested After Release

Tennessee Gubernatorial Roundtable 2026

Federal marijuana classification changes

New Opioids Move Unevenly

Police Officers carry the weight of a call, long after it ends

Human trafficking and tattoo studios?

Alabama Watching: What Jefferson County Says About an Emerging Synthetic Opioid

Social media as an investigative tool

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Episodes 68

Kathy Simmons S2:E17

Understanding Lobbyists: Genevieve Turner on Influence, Advocacy and How Policy Gets Made

ALPR and Flock Technology Explained: When License Plate Readers Become a Privacy Debate

Alliance Women’s Clinic: Breanna Houston on Faith, Pregnancy Support and a New Lenoir City Mission

Grace Baron on The Sycamore Institute, Tennessee’s Budget and Impartial Policy Research

Tennessee Forward Party Chair Nick Nugent on Third Parties, Ballot Access and Breaking the Two-Party Grip

More Than a Halfway House: How FOCUS Helps Women Rebuild After Incarceration

Men of Valor Mash-Up: From Prison to Purpose

A Poll Is Not a Prediction: Mark Cunningham on Reading the Numbers Without Being Misled

Mark David Grasso: Addiction, Prison and the Recovery Work That Finally Broke the Cycle

Breaking Destructive Cycles: How Blue Monarch Rebuilds Mothers, Children and Families

The Smaller the Race, the Greater Your Voice: Katie Growden on Voting, Local Power and Civic Confidence

Sentenced to 80 years in prison, he is now a CEO

From prison to redemption

Redemption Isn’t Always Rescue—Sometimes It’s Faithfulness

From Abortion Pain to Healing, Hope and Purpose: The Redemption Story of Breanna Houston

You Can’t Remove Incentives and Expect Compliance

Criminal Justice Is Tested After Release

Tennessee Gubernatorial Roundtable 2026

Federal marijuana classification changes

New Opioids Move Unevenly

Police Officers carry the weight of a call, long after it ends

Human trafficking and tattoo studios?

Alabama Watching: What Jefferson County Says About an Emerging Synthetic Opioid

Social media as an investigative tool