Eric Smith knows the system from the inside. He's lived it, survived it, and spent years working to change it. The final episode of Minds on Trial returns to Eric's story — this time looking forward. Smith argues that the mental health and criminal justice conversation has been too cautious for too long, and that the evidence for what works is too strong to keep presenting politely. The researchers, judges, and advocates who've spent decades in this space agree: it's time to stop treating this like a quiet policy debate.

Eric Smith was living out of his car, certain he was a federal asset standing between the world and a World War III assassination plot. That was a decade ago. Today, he's an international consultant and a mental health commissioner. Episode four of Minds on Trial — the most personal of the five — tells Eric's story from the inside out: through Eric's own words, through his parents, and through the judge who refused to let the system write him off.

Twenty-five years ago, Judge Steve Leifman wasn't trying to start a massive reform. He was just trying to solve what was right in front of him. What followed became one of the most studied criminal justice experiments in America: arrests cut by more than half, police shootings down over 85 percent, an entire jail closed. Episode three of Minds on Trial travels to Miami-Dade County to find out what happens when a community decides to treat mental illness as a medical problem instead of a criminal one.

What if a judge, a psychiatrist, a social worker, and an attorney all showed up for one person in crisis - before things got worse? That's Assisted Outpatient Treatment, and in Texas, it's now the law. Episode two of Minds on Trial goes inside the courtrooms of Bexar and Tarrant Counties to hear from the judges using it. It also sits down with the architect of the Texas legislation that made it possible.

Originally aired on KACU 89.5 - Abilene, Texas' NPR station.

For sixty years, America made a choice: when someone with serious mental illness fell into crisis, the response was a patrol car, not an ambulance. The first episode of Minds on Trial traces how the nation's jails became its de facto psychiatric wards, and what that decision has cost in dollars, in lives, and in human dignity. Researchers from Texas Tech, Miami-Dade County, and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute explain how we got here, and why the system kept producing the same results.

Originally aired on KACU 89.5, Abilene, Texas's NPR Station.

Neck pain, headaches, tight shoulders, and “tech neck” have become normal for a generation constantly looking down at phones and laptops. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jacob Stutz, the team chiropractor for FC Dallas, about the biggest posture mistakes college students make, what good posture actually looks like, and the daily habits that can improve the way you feel. We also dive into what professional athletes do differently to keep their bodies healthy and how students interested in sports chiropractic can get into the field.

What is technology really doing to our generation? In this episode, we sit down with Emily Cherkin to talk about social media, screen time, focus, anxiety, and the hidden ways technology is shaping college students. From “tech addiction” to why it feels impossible to focus, this conversation breaks down what’s actually happening—and what students can do to build a healthier relationship with their phones, social media, and technology.

What’s it like to cover the Olympics AND dominate NFL Sundays? 🏈🏅

In this episode, Scott Hanson—the iconic host of NFL RedZone and NBC’s Gold Zone—joins Josiah Wonnell for an in-depth conversation you won’t want to miss.Scott breaks down his experience at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, shares behind-the-scenes insights from hosting one of the most intense shows in sports broadcasting, and reveals what could be next for RedZone. But this isn’t just about sports…

They also dive into the mindset that drives success—why asking “the big questions” matters, how to stay curious in a fast-moving world, and what fuels Scott’s passion year after year.

In this episode:

- Inside the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics

- The future of NFL RedZone

- Behind-the-scenes stories from live sports broadcasting

- Why curiosity and big questions change everything