Charlie Rosario spent 19 years in prison. While incarcerated, he was fortunate to be admitted to the Emerson Prison Initiative. This program earned him a bachelor's degree, and with that education he began to see new possibilities for his life. Now released from prison, he works for the same program, at Emerson, helping other students and returning citizens navigate education and reentry. Charlie also talks about growing up in Worcester, his experience in the youth and adult prison systems, and the persistence it took to reach college, gain parole, and why helping others recognize their own worth has become his purpose.

What changes when someone in prison is given the chance to become a college student? Dr. Mneesha Gellman, Founder and Director of the Emerson Prison Initiative, (EPI), in Boston, Massachusetts, believed a rigorous college degree program could help create that change. It didn't take much with her background in education in prison, human rights, immigration, and the politics of violence to convince her that college behind bars was a necessity. In 2017 she launched EPI, sharing that she was also inspired by the Bard College Prison Initiative which was launched in 2001. Currently MCI - Norfolk is where her students behind the wall pursue an Emerson College Bachelor of Arts in Media, Literature, and Culture and are taught by Emerson professors and guest faculty. Mneesha shares the incarcerated students' passion for education and the ripple effect beyond the carceral classroom as many students who start their degree path behind the wall not only continue their education, after release, but also are helping others navigate reentry, and inspiring family members to pursue their own goals. Mneesha also created RECOUP which supports formerly incarcerated students with continuing education, employment, housing, healthcare, and other reentry needs.

Texas bail attorney Ken W. Good breaks down the often-confusing differences between bail, bond and pretrial release, and examines what happens when the safeguards designed to protect the public fail. This conversation centers on the case of Lee Gilley, a Houston man charged with capital murder in the death of his pregnant wife, Christa Bauer Gilley. After being released on a $1 million bond with GPS monitoring, Gilley removed his ankle monitor and fled through Canada to Italy using a fraudulent passport. How did he get such a significant head start? Ken explains how electronic monitoring alerts are handled, why GPS technology cannot replace human supervision, what happens when a defendant skips bond, and who may ultimately be responsible for the $1 million bond. This episode also explores Texas bail policy, judicial discretion, public safety and Gilley's continuing fight against extradition.