Transforming our nation‘s safety and justice systems. At a time of increased consensus that American criminal justice needs reform, this show is about who victims of crime are, the safety solutions survivors want, and the model programs survivors support, programs that can get our country out of mass incarceration and into real safety -- a safety that is truly for all.
Episodes
Friday Jan 05, 2024
Creating a New Legacy
Friday Jan 05, 2024
Friday Jan 05, 2024
In this special episode of the Crime Survivors Speak Podcast, we take a moment to turn the microphone towards our own producer, Annie Nichol, whose personal journey is rooted in the very foundation of survivor advocacy and storytelling. As a survivor of a high-profile crime that reshaped the national conversation on justice, Annie brings a unique perspective to the sensationalism often found in media narratives around crime and victims. Reflecting on the personal tragedy of losing her sister, Polly Klaas, Annie shares the complex journey of navigating a highly publicized case and the subsequent legislative changes that led to the widespread implementation of Three Strikes laws. She speaks candidly about the pain of witnessing her sister's story being used to propagate systems of harm and describes her deep commitment to advocating for a justice system driven by healing rather than retribution. This conversation emphasizes the importance of compassionate storytelling that amplifies survivors' leadership and power, proposing a vision of advocacy wherein survivors can collectively harness their creativity as a powerful tool for implementing change and building community.
Friday Dec 08, 2023
Rebounding from Adversity
Friday Dec 08, 2023
Friday Dec 08, 2023
This week’s episode focuses on the incredible story of Kojo Mensah, a former professional basketball player who turned a personal tragedy into his inspiration to help revitalize an entire community.
Born in Ghana and raised in the United States, Kojo's promising basketball career was tragically cut short by gun violence at his college campus, an event that not only left him and his teammates physically wounded but also subjected them to baseless blame and stigma—an experience all too common in Black communities across the US. In spite of this trauma, Kojo channeled his experiences into a force for positive change, founding the Kosah Foundation to support his home community of Canarsie, Brooklyn. Through the Kosah Foundation, Kojo works to foster a love for basketball among the Canarsie youth and provide them with opportunities for growth and development. His work goes beyond sports; it's about nurturing a sense of belonging, purpose, and hope in a community often overlooked.
In this inspirational conversation, Kojo shares his insights on the importance of shifting out of limiting perspectives, the power of community healing, and the importance of acknowledging and supporting Black victims in the aftermath of violence.
Friday Oct 27, 2023
Surviving the Insurmountable: Recovering From Domestic Violence
Friday Oct 27, 2023
Friday Oct 27, 2023
In a profoundly moving episode, we sit down with Vanessa Martinez, an Arizonian survivor leader who turned tragedy into advocacy. Vanessa opens up about the harrowing day she suffered a gunshot wound to the head in a domestic violence incident that was tragically witnessed by one of her children. As she grappled with the physical and emotional aftermath, an already dire situation was made worse by a system that denied her victim compensation due to an old unpaid fine. Despite these insurmountable challenges, Vanessa's story is also one of resilience, community support, and recovery. Through the rallying of her community, she reclaimed her life, her children, and her home. This episode is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the imperative need for a justice system that truly supports survivors.
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Advocacy in Action
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Friday Oct 06, 2023
Bertha Purnell is a tireless advocate, founder of Mothers On A Mission 28, and the Chicago Chapter Coordinator for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. Driven by the tragic loss of her son Maurice to gun violence, Bertha has dedicated herself to creating a network of support and services for survivors and their families in Illinois. In this episode, Bertha opens up about the motivation behind starting Mothers On A Mission 28—a grassroots organization designed to bridge the gap where existing services fall short in adequately supporting survivors. Listen to discover how Bertha’s relentless advocacy led to groundbreaking legislative changes in Illinois last year, making victim services more available and accessible than ever before. We also delve into the critical need for more Trauma Recovery Centers and how collective efforts can create a more compassionate and effective system for survivors. Please join us as we explore the vision of a leader who turned personal tragedy into a lifelong mission for justice and healing.
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
The Aswad Interview
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Aswad Thomas is a familiar voice in advocating for survivors–and a familiar voice on this podcast. But not everyone knows the profound journey that brought Aswad to be the National Director for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. In this episode, guest interviewer Jonathon Lewis flips the script to ask Aswad about his survivor story and path to leadership. From growing up in communities marked by crime and poverty, Aswad defied the odds as a straight-A student and the first in his family to graduate college. But shortly before he was to begin a professional international basketball career, Aswad’s life changed overnight when he became a victim of gun violence. While on the operating table, he learned the surgeon removing his bullets had previously operated on one of his teenage assailants, who had once been a victim as well. This realization catalyzed Aswad’s drive to disrupt the cycle of harm that left too many victims like himself without compensation or support of any kind after life-altering trauma. Aswad's story is one of resilience and reimagining justice, revealing how healing can become the impetus for sweeping change.
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
Healing and Safety After Domestic Violence
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
Yolanda Jennings is an organizer from Philadelphia, where she works to support survivors recovering from domestic violence. Having lost multiple family members to domestic violence and being a survivor of DV herself, Yolanda has seen where the system fails to help people trying to escape intimate partner abuse and is co-creating the solutions that allow people to rebuild their lives after violence. Yolanda talks about her experience at Survivors Speak, where she witnessed the profound connection of survivors sharing their stories on the bus ride back from the Capitol. She also offers up innovative solutions like the Purple House Project (PA), which works to address the needs of DV survivors by connecting women with the resources they need to find housing, healing, and safety.
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Centering the Voices of Survivors
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Alex Abboud is a licensed social worker and victims advocate who has spent her professional life finding new ways to provide services and support for victims and survivors recovering from harm.
From developing the first social work response model for the city of Detroit to becoming CSSJ's Statewide Manager of Pennsylvania, Alex has extensive experience both providing direct services to survivors in the immediate aftermath of trauma as well as advocating to center the voices of survivors in policy making.
In this episode, Alex discusses her own survivor story and the journey of keeping her sexual assault secret for many years to the transformative experience of speaking out about it on her own terms at last year's Survivors Speak in Harrisburg, PA.
This episode of the Crime Survivors Speak Podcast illuminates the power of taking that brave first step toward using our voices to advocate for ourselves and our communities.
Friday Jan 27, 2023
A New Movement of Survivor Leaders
Friday Jan 27, 2023
Friday Jan 27, 2023
Jonathon Lewis has spent his career organizing folks from marginalized communities to demand a greater voice in policy making. From working on the Obama campaign in Ohio to advocating for teachers and educational equality in his home state of Texas, Jonathon is now the National Training Director for CSSJ, where he works to provide survivors leaders with the tools to build a new movement of safety, justice, and healing. In this conversation, Jonathon talks about the lessons he's learned in his career as an organizer, what it's like to bring survivors to the capitol to speak with legislators for the first time, and the launch of CSSJ's brand new Leadership Academy, which will provide formal training for survivors who want to take their stories to legislators and the media, and help train other survivors back in their local chapters and communities. For anyone who wants to learn how to build healing through action, this episode is not to be missed.
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Breaking the Cycle with Our Stories
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Friday Oct 28, 2022
Priscilla Bordayo is a survivor of sexual abuse and incest who has turned her story of healing into a transformative tool for change. Priscilla was born into a large family that had been shaped by generations of abuse. After becoming a victim of that cycle of harm, Priscilla became the change that broke the cycle. She learned to heal, to forgive, to sit with victims in their darkest moments, and to inspire countless people with her story. Today, Priscilla is a powerful activist and a sought-after motivational speaker whose voice catalyzes change both in her community in Lansing, Michigan and nationwide. As the Michigan CSSJ Statewide Manager, she has been instrumental in creating major policy change with the goal of giving everyone who has experienced harm the chance for redemption and healing.
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Service and Support for Crime Survivors
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Tricia Forbes has been working in the movement for economic, social and racial justice for over 25 years. She has held many leadership positions at policy advocacy organizations across Texas to promote healing over retribution. Tricia is also one of many people who attended her first Survivors Speak event and immediately immersed herself in the movement to lift up survivors. Today Tricia leads CSSJ's Member Support Program, which offers a wide array of resources for healing and wellness, from free virtual therapy to interactive self-care and connections to local community-based resources. These services have the potential to make an enormous difference in the lives of survivors, so if you are a member or thinking about becoming a member, this is a great place to learn about some amazing resources that CSSJ has to offer.