Mike Kimelman is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday even Whittemoreings. We will celebrate our 250th weekly meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT; all Fellow Travelers are invited.
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Whether struggling with the most difficult crucible many of us will ever face before going inside, or coming home and facing the intense personal and financial difficulties of re-entry, Jeff has been a staunch ally and informational godsend for hundreds if not thousands of men and women over the past decade. He has created a caring, open fellowship to help serve others going through the same trials and tribulations that many like myself had to face alone and afraid many years ago when Jeff’s mission hadn’t yet come into existence.
Congratulations on 250 and here’s to another decade of hope, love, optimism and support! – Michael Kimelman, New York
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White Collar Week Podcast: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. The support group meeting on this podcast is different than most, because all of the 16 group members appearing have agreed to share their names, faces and very personal stories in an effort to reach out to individuals and families suffering in silence. All on the podcast are post-sentencing or back from prison. Watch on YouTube, Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud,link here.
It’s the Isolation that Destroys Us. The Solution is in Community.
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Podcast Ep. 29, Guests: David Israel & Spencer Oberg
Today on the podcast we have David Israel and Spencer Oberg, two successful entrepreneurs who both served time in prison. You might know them by their international vegan cheese company, GOOD PLANeT FOODS, or by their justice-centric media company, Unincarcerated.
In this episode we certainly go into David and Spencer’s incredible backstories. But more, we learn the nuts and bolts of how to be entrepreneurial and succeed after prison, the hard work it takes, how to analyze your strengths and weaknesses, and how to get past your shame to find your passion and authenticity.
So, coming up, The Entrepreneurs. David Israel and Spencer Oberg. On White Collar Week. I hope you will join us. – Jeff
Listen on Apple Podcasts:
Listen on Spotify:
Listen on SoundCloud:
Watch on YouTube:
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If you have a friend, family member, colleague or client with a white collar justice issue, please forward this post; they can reach us anytime – day or night! Our contact info:http://prisonist.org/contact-us.
Spencer is the Founder & CEO of Unincarcerated Productions and EVP at GOOD PLANeT Foods. A successful entrepreneur and passionate impact leader, Spencer stays active in both business and non-profit communities. He is an accomplished public speaker with a TED Talk under his belt, an educator who has created and hosted entrepreneurship seminars and events, and a passionate podcast host. Spencer also spent a total of 8 years in prison. His experience with the criminal justice system taught him that we have much to learn about how to successfully deal with crime and other social issues and from this he developed a passion for informing public opinion on criminal justice reform. Today
David is the Founder & CEO of GOOD PLANeT Foods, the fastest growing Plant-Based cheese company in the US. He’s a serial entrepreneur who started his journey into the business world at the age of 19, and since then has started, run, and sold many successful enterprises. One of these was Pawn X-Change. David took a tired industry and introduced an innovative business model that grew this company to a large and successful chain of 45 stores in a relatively short period of time. Due to unfortunate actions taken by others, and after a 7 year legal battle, David ultimately decided to spend 4 years in prison so that he and his family could find closure. During this time, he wrote a business plan that was launched after his return home and became a very successful international business. Most importantly, through this experience his perspective on incarcerated individuals and the re-entry process was forever changed. Since then he has worked to provide opportunities for success for men and women transitioning out of prison.
You can find all episodes of our podcast “White Collar Week with Jeff Grant” on our websiteprisonist.org,our Facebook page, Podbean, YouTube (video), SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
Entrepreneur’s #4 Most Viewed Article of 2020: I Went to Prison for SBA Loan Fraud – 7 Things to Know When Taking COVID-19 Relief Money: by Jeff Grant, J.D., M.Div.. Link to article here.
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Steal Money from the Feds? First, Meet Jeff Grant, an Ex-Con who Committed Loan Fraud, by Erin Arvedlund: Link to article here.
Clara CFO Smolinski YouTube: Thinking About PPP Fraud?: Hannah Smolinski Interviews Jeff Grant About Going to Prison for SBA Loan Fraud. Sponsored by Upside Financial. Link to article and YouTube video here.
CFO Dive: After Serving Time, Fraudster Cautions Against PPP, Other Emergency Loans, by Robert Freedman. Link to article here.
Fraud Stories Podcast with Mark Lurie: SBA/PPP Loan Fraud with Guest: Jeff Grant. Link to podcast here.
Forbes: As Law Enforcement Pursues SBA Loan Fraud, Jeff Grant Talks Redemption, by Kelly Phillips Erb. Link to article here.
Taxgirl Podcast: Jeff Grant talks Desperation and Loans in a Time of Crisis with Kelly Phillips Erb on Her Podcast. Link to article and podcast here.
Business Talk with Jim Campbell: Jeff Grant Talks with Jim About Going to Prison for SBA Loan Fraud and What to Know When Taking Coronavirus Relief Money, Biz Talk Radio Network, Broadcast from 1490 AM WGCH Greenwich, CT. Listen on YouTube here.
Babz Rawls Ivy Show: Babz Rawls Ivy & Jeff Grant Talk SBA / PPP Loan Fraud and 7 Things to Know Before You Take Coronavirus Relief Money, WNHH 103.5 FM New Haven. Watch on YouTube here.
White Collar Week with Jeff Grant, Podcast Ep. 21: All Things SBA, PPP & EIDL, with Guest: Hannah Smolinski, CPA, Virtual CFO: Link here.
White Collar Week with Jeff Grant, Podcast Episode 09: Small Business Edition, with Guest Kelly Phillips Erb. Link here.
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Louis Reed/Babz Rawls Ivy PSA:
Some very kind words from my dear friends Louis L. Reed and Babz Rawls Ivy in this brief PSA. Thank you Louis and Babz! – Jeff
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All Episodes:
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 29, Guests: The Entrepreneurs, David Israel & Spencer Oberg
Link here to Podcast Ep. 28, Guests: The Investigators, Kelly Paxton & Brian Willingham
Link here to Podcast Ep. 27, The Addicted Lawyer, Guest: Brian Cuban
Link here to Podcast Ep. 26, Oppression & Identity, Guests: Jaco & Leslie Theron
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 25, Ex-Philadelphia D.A., Seth Williams, Part Two
Link here to Podcast Ep. 24, Ex-Philadelphia D.A., Seth Williams, Part One
Link here to Podcast Ep. 23, The Vanishing Trial, Robert Katzberg
Link here to Podcast Ep. 22: The Goddess, with Guest: Babz Rawls Ivy
Link here to Podcast Ep. 21: All Things SBA, PPP & EIDL, with Guest: Hannah Smolinski, CPA, Virtual CFO
Link here to Podcast Ep. 20: Reinventing Yourself After Prison, with Guests: Glenn E. Martin & Richard Bronson
Link here to Podcast Ep. 19: Insider Trading Charges Dismissed, with Guest: Richard Lee
Link here to Podcast Ep. 18: Is Your Life a Movie? The Producers, with Guests: Lydia B. Smith, Bethany Jones & Will Nix
Link here to Podcast Ep. 17: #TruthHeals, Systemic Abuse & Institutional Reform with Guest: Vanessa Osage, feat. Guest Co-Host Chloe Coppola
Link here to Podcast Ep. 16: Politicians, Prison & Penitence, with Guest: Bridgeport, CT Mayor Joseph Ganim
Link here to Podcast Ep. 15: A Brave Talk About Suicide, with Guests Bob Flanagan, Elizabeth Kelley, & Meredith Atwood
Link here to Podcast Ep. 14: Recovery & Neighborhood, with Guest: TNP’s Tom Scott
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 13: Everything but Bridgegate, with Guest: Bill Baroni
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 12: The Truth Tellers, with Guests: Holli Coulman & Larry Levine
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 11: Blank Canvas, with Guest: Craig Stanland
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 10: The Ministers, with Guests: Father Joe Ciccone & Father Rix Thorsell
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 09: Small Business Edition, with Guest: Taxgirl Kelly Phillips Erb
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 08: The Academics, with Guests: Cathryn Lavery, Jessica Henry, Jay Kennedy & Erin Harbinson
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 07: White Collar Wives. with Guests: Lynn Springer, Cassie Monaco & Julie Bennett. Special Guest: Skylar Cluett
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 06: Madoff Talks, with Guest: Jim Campbell
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 05: Trauma and Healing when Mom goes to Prison, with Guests: Jacqueline Polverari and Her Daughters, Alexa & Maria
Link here to Podcast Ep. 04: One-on-One with Tipper X, with Guest: Tom Hardin
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 03: Compassionate Lawyering, with Guests: Chris Poulos, Corey Brinson, Bob Herbst & George Hritz
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 02: Substance Abuse & Recovery During COVID-19, with Guests: Trevor Shevin & Joshua Cagney
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 01: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group, with Guests: 16 Members of Our White Collar Support Group
Linkhereto Podcast Ep. 00: White Collar Week with Jeff Grant: What is White Collar Week?
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Jeff Grant
What is the White Collar Justice Community?
Welcome to White Collar Week with Jeff Grant, a podcast serving the white collar justice community. It’s the isolation that destroys us. The solution is in community.
If you are interested in this podcast, then you are probably already a member of the white collar justice community – even if you don’t quite know it yet. Our community is certainly made up of people being prosecuted, or who have already been prosecuted, for white collar crimes. But it is also made up of the spouses, children and families of those prosecuted for white collar crimes – these are the first victims of white collar crime. And the community also consists of the other victims, both direct and indirect, and those in the wider white collar ecosystem like friends, colleagues, prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, law enforcement, academics, researchers. Investigators, mitigation experts, corrections officers, parole & probation officers, reentry professionals, mental health care professionals, drug and alcohol counselors – and ministers, chaplains and advocates for criminal and social justice reform. The list goes on and on…
Our mission is to introduce you to other members of the white collar justice community, to hear their very personal stories, and hopefully gain a broader perspective of what this is really all about. Maybe this will inspire some deeper thoughts and introspection? Maybe it will inspire some empathy and compassion for people you might otherwise resent or dismiss? And maybe it will help lift us all out of our own isolation and into community, so we can learn to live again in the sunshine of the spirit.
Along the way, I’ll share with you some of the things I’ve learned in my own journey from successful lawyer, to prescription opioid addict, white collar crime, suicide attempt, disbarment, destruction of my marriage, and the almost 14 months I served in a Federal prison. And also my recovery, love story I share with my wife Lynn Springer, after prison earning a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in NYC, pastoring in an inner city church in Bridgeport CT, and then co-founding with Lynn in Greenwich CT, Progressive Prison Ministries, the world’s first ministry serving the white collar justice community. It’s been quite a ride, but I firmly believe that the best is yet to come.
So I invite you to come along with me as we experience something new, and bold, and different – a podcast that serves the entire white collar justice community. I hope you will join me.
It’s the Isolation that Destroys Us. The Solution is in Community.
Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is the world’s first ministry supporting the white collar justice community. Founded by husband and wife,Jeff Grantand Lynn Springerin Greenwich CT in 2012, we incorporated as a nonprofit in Connecticut in 2014, and received 501(c)(3) status in 2015. Jeff has over three decades of experience in crisis management, business, law (former), reentry, recovery (clean & sober 17+ years), and executive and religious leadership. As Jeff was incarcerated for a white-collar crime he committed in 2001, he and Lynn have a first-hand perspective on the trials and tribulations that white-collar families have to endure as they navigate the criminal justice system and life beyond.
Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc. is nonsectarian, serving those of all faiths, or no faith whatsoever. To date we have helped over three hundred fifty (350) individuals, and their families, to accept responsibility for their actions and to acknowledge the pain they have caused to others. In accordance with our commitment to restorative justice, we counsel our members to make amends as a first step in changing their lives and moving towards a new spiritual way of living centered on hope, care, compassion, tolerance, empathy and service to others. Our team has grown to over ten people, most with advanced degrees, all of whom are currently volunteering their time and resources.
Progressive Prison Ministries’ goal is to provide spiritual solutions and emotional support to those who are feeling alone, isolated, and hopeless. We have found that these individuals are suffering from a void but are stuck, and don’t know what to do about it. Our objective is to help them find a path to a healthy, spirit-filled place on the other side of what may seem like insurmountable problems. Many of those we counsel are in a place where their previous lives have come to an end due to their transgressions. In many cases their legal problems have led to divorce, estrangement from their children, families, friends and support communities, and loss of a career. The toll this takes on individuals and families is emotionally devastating. White-collar crimes are often precipitated by other issues in the offenders’ lives such as alcohol or drug abuse, and/or a physical or mental illness that lead to financial issues that overwhelms their ability to be present for themselves and their families and cause poor decision making. We recognize that life often presents us with such circumstances, sometimes which lead us to make mistakes in violation of the law.
All conversations and communications between our ordained ministry, and licensed clinical relationships, and those we serve fall under state privilege laws. This is one reason that attorneys often allow and encourage their clients to maintain relationships with us while in active prosecution or litigation situations.
If you, a friend, family member, colleague or client are suffering from a white collar criminal justice issue or are experiencing some other traumatic or life-altering event, and would like to find a path to a healthy, spirit-filled place on the other side of what seems like insurmountable problems, please contact us to schedule an initial call or appointment.
Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved, Progressive Prison Ministries, Inc.,
Jamie Whittemore is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday even Whittemoreings. We will celebrate our 250th weekly meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT; all Fellow Travelers are invited.
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In 2018 I was a practicing attorney, and was indicted under state law for taking money from my clients’ trust account, for my own use. My practice was closed down abruptly. It took several months for my lawyer to reach a settlement with the Attorney General’s office, during which time I became aware of Jeff Grant and the group that he has brought together. I joined the zoom conferences on Monday evenings, meeting a knowledgeable band of white collar professionals either facing incarceration or else released from it after serving time. I found myself welcomed, immediately and unconditionally, with an understanding obviously based on a sense of shared experience and also with optimism about what lay ahead for me. I learned much about the prison experience, information about practical details as well as about the attitudes and mind-sets that would help me adapt to prison conditions when the time came to enter the system.
I went into incarceration in April of 2019. By that time the regular weekly meetings with people I had come to see as friends, had primed me to make a positive experience out of prison. There were radical changes ahead of course, but there was nothing I could not manage, and in fact nothing I could not turn to advantage, as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth.
Upon release after fourteen months, into a closely supervised sort of house arrest, I was able to return to the weekly meetings via zoom. Old friends were there, glad to see me back on the outside. New members were there, apprehensive about the road ahead as they faced prosecution and sentencing. There is a sense of community that is simply unmatched by any other group I’m aware of. We have in common a faith in each other nurtured by the freedom to reveal our own anxieties, and to express what other friends or family might not care to hear, or might simply be unable to hear. This group has been such a source of strength for me, I hope it will continue for another 250 meetings and long beyond that!
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White Collar Week Podcast: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. The support group meeting on this podcast is different than most, because all of the 16 group members appearing have agreed to share their names, faces and very personal stories in an effort to reach out to individuals and families suffering in silence. All on the podcast are post-sentencing or back from prison. Watch on YouTube, Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud,link here.
Bill Baroni is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. We will celebrate our 250th weekly meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT; all Fellow Travelers are invited.
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Going into prison is one of the most challenging and difficult things to do in life. I don’t recommend it to anyone. But equally difficult, is coming home. The challenge of returning to life “on the outside” is daunting. From finding a place to live, or a job, or getting a bank account, or finding a new community after years away – life after incarceration can be lonely and dark.
Day after day, people who have served time in prison are isolated, lonely, feel forgotten, or without hope. Maybe their families have forgotten them; or their friends abandoned them; or their old co-workers have long forgotten them. And while the physical fences, razor wire, and guards may be gone, the mental walls of prison can remain. And the punishment handed down by a judge can pale in comparison to a lifetime of seeming isolation.
Which is why Jeff Grant and his ministry are so important. For years, Jeff has made it his mission to make sure that no one feels the isolation that can come from being a former inmate. He has brought people together from across the country to talk, listen, and be a new community. He has given hope to people to know that they are not alone, not isolated, and not without hope.
The White Collar Support Group, week after week, provides a forum for fellow former inmates to build a new network of people that have walked the same journey from prison to the next chapter in life.
For me, Jeff and the Progressive Prison Ministry is a place to meet Fellow Travelers on this road. We are so blessed to have this place to meet, talk, and know that we are not alone. Congratulations on 250!
BILL BARONI Former New Jersey State Senator Former Co-head of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Former Federal Prisoner 67325-050
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Link here to White Collar Week Podcast Ep. 13: Everything but Bridgegate, with Guest: Bill Baroni
White Collar Week Podcast: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. The support group meeting on this podcast is different than most, because all of the 16 group members appearing have agreed to share their names, faces and very personal stories in an effort to reach out to individuals and families suffering in silence. All on the podcast are post-sentencing or back from prison. Watch on YouTube, Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud,link here.
When you’re scaling your business, how do you bring other people in while keeping what makes your community special?
As founders, we’re often building the plane while we fly it. Staying true to your values while you scale can be tricky, but it’s not impossible.
On Thurs., Apr. 1, 2021 at 1:10 pm ET, I joined Scott Case, CEO and Co-Founder of Upside Business Travel & Upside Financial, and Founding CTO of priceline.com, on /Founders Focus to talk about the challenges of growing a business without losing your soul and and how to overcome the obstacles that founders face when scaling their business.
/Founders Focus is a twice-weekly virtual meetup where founders and entrepreneurs can come together to connect and learn from each other.
Also, Clara CFO YouTube Channel: Thinking About PPP Fraud?: Hannah Interviews Jeff Grant About Going to Prison for SBA Loan Fraud. Sponsored by Upside Financial. Link to article and YouTube video here.
Also, Entrepreneur’s #4 Most Viewed Article: I Went to Prison for SBA Loan Fraud, by Jeff Grant. Link here.
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A Curated Conversation for Founders by Founders
Participate in Season 2 live sessions every Tuesday and Thursday
Join Scott and a special co-host every Tuesday and Thursday from 1:10PM – 1:50PM EDT to hash out shared pain points, experiences, and action steps.
An entrepreneur’s journey is full of ups and downs – sometimes hour to hour. As a founder who’s survived (and failed) chaos before, Scott Case is all in on engaging founders, leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to play offense. Join our Founders Focus community if you’d like to ride the rides with people who will get you, learn from you and share with you.
Bill Livolsi is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. We will celebrate our 250th weekly meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT; all Fellow Travelers are invited.
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Many reading this know the fear of seeing their name on a federal indictment. Many also know the fear and anxiety of standing before a US magistrate judge having to answer the question “How do you plead?” I crossed these thresholds in Dec 2013 and Jan 2014. It was then that I began to understand that the world as I knew it would be forever changed. Thankfully I found Jeff Grant and his ministry soon after.
Many have shared their gratitude for Jeff and the community he has created for men and women like us. I’ve written previously, here and here, about meeting Jeff and how he has helped me countless times to navigate this journey.
The first White Collar Support Group meeting I attended was in May, 2016 (the WCSG’s 2nd meeting!). Having previously been sentenced to 24 months incarceration in April 2015, I was on deferred reporting status while my co-defendant was serving their time. I don’t remember much of the details of what we discussed that night, but I do remember feeling relieved at the openness of those in attendance and their willingness to welcome me to the community. And as I reflect back on the weeks, months and years since that first meeting I have become more at ease, more willing to share my experiences, made some wonderful friendships, and I have learned the skills to be of help those who need it.
This time last year, I was 12 months into my sentence. One morning I received an email (Federal prison camps have email systems called Corrlinks) from Jeff letting me know that in a few weeks our group would be celebrating its 200th meeting. And while we both knew that I wouldn’t be able to attend, I wasn’t sad, quite the opposite. Jeff’s email was a wonderful reminder that our community was still there for me.
I look forward to celebrating our 250th meeting with everyone on March 29, 2021. Congratulations all!
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White Collar Week Podcast: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. The support group meeting on this podcast is different than most, because all of the 16 group members appearing have agreed to share their names, faces and very personal stories in an effort to reach out to individuals and families suffering in silence. All on the podcast are post-sentencing or back from prison. Watch on YouTube, Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud,link here.
Jeff Krantz is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. We will celebrate our 250th weekly meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT; all Fellow Travelers are invited.
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I met Jeff 5 years after I had pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and two years after I cleared probation. I reached out to him as a result of having found myself heavily burdened by the implications that my conviction had placed upon me and my family. There was no aspect of my life which hadn’t been touched by my experience of being prosecuted by the government. At a point when I thought I would have put the ordeal of my conviction behind me, I found myself more confused, isolated and lost than ever.
In my initial conversation with Jeff I recounted the events leading to my conviction and described the details surrounding my present circumstances. Jeff was an astute and thoughtful listener who left space for me to get through the story in my own time. His personal experience informed our conversation with compassion, empathy and understanding.It was, perhaps, the first time I had been able to recount the events without being asked to explain my thinking or justify my actions. I breathed a little more freely knowing that the person I was speaking to had first hand knowledge of what I had been through.
Jeff suggested that I participate in the Monday night White Collar support group where I could engage with others who had become similarly embroiled in the criminal justice system and who were at various stages of processing their experiences.
The weekly meeting is populated by a diverse group whose reliable wisdom, respite and thoughtful help, informs each session. Through their listening and the open sharing of their experiences an alchemy of healing is evinced.
Though I am still early to the group, I have found it to be a supportive, welcoming environment from which I can begin to rebuild.
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White Collar Week Podcast: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. The support group meeting on this podcast is different than most, because all of the 16 group members appearing have agreed to share their names, faces and very personal stories in an effort to reach out to individuals and families suffering in silence. All on the podcast are post-sentencing or back from prison. Watch on YouTube, Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud,link here.
Nom de Plume is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. We will celebrate our 250th weekly meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT; all Fellow Travelers are invited.
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If I had to share one value about Progressive Prison Ministries (PPM) my immediate thought goes to breaking barriers. The words prison, criminal, convict, fraud, trauma, isolation, dehumanization and I’m sure there are so many more words we can add to the list, is what the average person would come to believe when reading about a person making wrong choices and decisions that result in criminal behavior and or activity. We are all guilty of reading headlines and feeding into gossip and news about people that are hurting and who have made wrong choices and or perhaps been misunderstood. Do we stand behind the monarchy or do we stand behind Harry and Meghan? Are you Republican or a Democrat? Is it possible to be friends despite having different schools of thought?
We tend to judge and perpetuate a story and an ideal of what a perfect person should be and act. We feed into a culture of perfection and overdrive. If that person doesn’t fit the picture, they are ultimately placed in the isolation box. As humans, we fear what we don’t know and come up with theories, stories and ideas to combat that fear or gap of differentiation to make ourselves feel better. Covid is a perfect example. Racism is a perfect example. Homelessness is a perfect example. Being incarcerated and failure is right up there.
I know I was that average person before I walked in the shoes and clothes of a person that was incarcerated and removed from my family and community. I wanted to be perfect. I wanted to be accepted. I did it the wrong way. I know I was that average person that was judgmental and seeking approval because I didn’t have all the facts and I certainly didn’t know what I know now. I didn’t have the lived experience to understand what it feels like to go through an extremely traumatic journey of life on lockdown. I was privileged and I had all the resources and networks that allowed me to be successful. I made choices and judgements based on limited information and knowledge. As Adam Grant wrote in a recent Harvard Business Review, “In a turbulent world, success depends not just on cognitive horsepower but also on cognitive flexibility.”
I’ll take it one step further. Success means being humble and open to new ideas and thought. Success means to pause. Criminal justice issues are extremely controversial and support a narrative that currently allow barriers to exist. Barriers exist for a reason. Barriers can be removed. We see it in the headlines daily. We are starting to see some light in this sector as more people have a loved one that has been justice impacted. More than 6.7 million people are incarcerated in the United States. If that seems high, that’s because it is. Currently, mass incarceration in the United States is unique both historically and internationally. In the past thirty-five years, the incarceration rate has increased fivefold. While the U.S. has 5% of the world’s population, it has 25% of its prisoners. For an imprisoned parent, one of the greatest punishments incarceration carries with it is separation from their children and the trauma their family carries from the experience. Communication and connection are stifled. You have 300 minutes allocated per month to call home and make sure your children, family and friends are okay. With Covid, luckily it increased to 500 minutes per month. That translates to 8.3 hours per month.
Nearly 3.6 million parents are under some form of correctional supervision, including parole. Of these parents, almost 1.1 million are incarcerated in federal, state, or local jails. These parents have an estimated 2.3 million children. Alarmingly, the rate of parental incarceration has gone up sharply in the last decade. Incarceration doesn’t stop with the individual, it certainly bleeds into the family, community and people affected.
PPM was created based on a growing need of people going through similar experiences. People who are wanting to heal versus hurt. People who are parents seeking resources to help their family know how to navigate when they are removed from their life. People who need their bubble burst and face reality and accountability. People who have been placed in a box and often misunderstood. People who want to make amends and take responsibility, but still are held to a lifelong judgement. People who want to learn from their mistakes and live forward and are capable of change. People who want to prevent others from making the same mistakes they made.
So how do you stand up from a tremendous fall? Mark Sanborn, a noted business leader says “everybody does ordinary work. It’s how they do it that makes it extraordinary.”
I wanted to be extraordinary, but the process was not right. When two concurrent waves of thought are present in today’s world, there can be major disaster. History has shown this repeatedly. We see it in politics daily and can apply this statement to many areas in life. It’s difficult to navigate those tides because the culture and language to recognize a human’s behavior based on their environmental factors does not connect. There is no communication. This is a barrier. Each party has their own narrative to support the ideas, emotions, thoughts and culture they live and believe in. Life blows up and where do you go from there? When we travel outside of our culture, we are then capable and able to think, experience and accept different ideas and thought. Perhaps we can see more clearly when we are removed from our comfort zones. We may actually learn a new language and find a path to become better. We may actually change and become stronger. I know I did.
Pain hurts. Pain can numb and when it’s not managed appropriately, ignored or understood, it cannot be healed. With the appropriate care team and tools provided, it can be managed, healed and transferred into stronger and more successful outcomes. Having PMM as a triage network, provides success stories of overcoming intrinsic pain and weakness. We certainly know what it feels like to be at the top and how it feels to hit rock bottom. I have to say that I’ve become a better and stronger person from the failures I’ve experienced after bursting my own bubble. Unfortunately, while being in the bubble, I hurt many dear and loved ones along the way. This has been the most difficult part of the journey. Knowing this hurts tremendously. I am extremely thankful and grateful to my family and friends who were beside me through the most difficult times that were not easy on them for sure.
The wrong choices I made in life allow me to see things more clearly. I also learned more about myself and knowing that being perfect doesn’t mean going into overdrive and being a chronic pleaser. It’s certainly an uphill climb, but having a team that can help you see through this process is what allows an individual to grow and walk on a safer, authentic, sustainable and clearer path.
When pain isn’t managed, it can be exacerbated into so many outlets in unconscious and subconscious ways. With pain, communication stops. This is part of the transformation and acknowledgement that life was not healthy and as a result, behaviors supported a lifestyle that fed into a pain that was not managed effectively. Unfortunately, punitive measures are taken without consideration of behavioral health and restorative applications.
When a human goes through this journey, finding a healthy network, support system, hope and guidance to become transformative and stronger is essential. I am blessed to be working as a workforce development case manager at St. Patrick Center. The clients I work with could very well be me. If I didn’t have the support and network through this process, I would be homeless and most likely finding outlets to continue managing pain in very unhealthy ways. I would become another statistic with a revolving door back into incarceration.
Not having the necessary tools and skillsets in any situation ultimately set-up a person to fail regardless of a conviction. PPM provides an outlet to let people know they are able to change and that we have the option to humanize vs dehumanize. We have the ability to choose vulnerability over isolation as we continue to learn more about culture and our human behavior. Words are important. Communication is important. Words are important.
Culture: The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.
Humanize: To make (something) more humane or civilized.
Dehumanize: To deprive of positive human qualities.
Isolation: The complete separation from others of a person suffering from contagious or infectious disease; quarantine.
Vulnerability: Willingness to show emotion or to allow one’s weakness to be seen or known; willingness to risk being hurt or attacked.
Studies show that the United States has the highest prison rate population in the world with 743 per 100,000 of the national population, followed by Rwanda with 595, and Russia with 568. Some scholars pin this rise in the prison population to the changing focus from rehabilitation to punishment which has happened since the 1970’s. Other scholars explain this recent focus on punitiveness as resulting from the interconnections between the media, public opinion, political trends, and legislative changes. Once dehumanized offenders are typically expelled from the moral community, their negative treatment is seen as justified.
When we don’t speak the same language or experience the same type of environments, it’s difficult to understand the other person’s perspective. We don’t know what we don’t know. As a result, it’s important to challenge oneself to be open and to understand where another person may be coming from.
Bringing visibility to the experiences and stories we share through incarceration and breaking down stereotypes are essential.
I am extremely thankful to be a part of PMM as we are a network that provides opportunities and hope to people who share lived experiences in trauma and stigma. Our goal is not to perpetuate the stigma, but rather eliminate it through healthy outlets. Shame, guilt, judgement, and the feeling of not belonging are all emotions and barriers when one takes a detour in life. Without adequate support, understanding and a foundation for mental health, it’s very easy for someone to completely crash and feel abandoned. This organization is founded on the belief that each human is deserving of life and dignity. Dehumanization is not the solution. PMM breaks barriers through empowerment.
Leo Tolstoy, an incarcerated individual himself, wrote these beautiful words in his lifetime:
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. If you want to be happy, be. There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth. The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.”
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White Collar Week Podcast: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. The support group meeting on this podcast is different than most, because all of the 16 group members appearing have agreed to share their names, faces and very personal stories in an effort to reach out to individuals and families suffering in silence. All on the podcast are post-sentencing or back from prison. Watch on YouTube, Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud,link here.
Joseph Ciccone is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. We will celebrate our 250th weekly meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT; all Fellow Travelers are invited.
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What a Journey Indeed by Fr. Joe Ciccone, Saint Joseph Mission Church
Time and numbers are such a powerful thing. Think about this, 250 meetings, 5 years of coming together in community. A shared story, most often a painful one, for most of us. Tremendous regret, sorry, and unimaginable loss. For many of us that story is transformed into one of new beginnings, second chances, and the opportunity to make a difference in the world. That is what the Rev. Jeff Grant has giving to us, his fellow travelers in this Prison Ministry and White Collar Support group. I love the fact that I get to wear a “white” roman Collar now, after my journey. However, I love even more these fellow travelers who continue to show their support, their kindness, and the need to make a difference in the world. If we have learned anything from this terrible pandemic, it is the challenges of isolation, of lose, and and despair. This group come together sharing what those feelings are like for a lifetime after making a mistake in the hope of criminal justice reform. Of the need to have personal and community growth, but most of all in the chance to shed a stigma of deep regret, shame and suffering and how to become a beacon of hope, compassion and tolerance!
I would once again like to share my personal growth and story. This past January will mark 20 years of an indelible mistake where I lost the trust and power given to me by the people who elected me to office. This occurred in the midst of a politically charged time and place that has forever stop me from pursuing jobs that would allow me to reach and help others due to the stigma of the label of white collar or political felon. These ties to my past have prevented me from being able to fully provide for my family, my local community and even the church congregation who I have done my best to serve over these past two decades.
I have lost many opportunities both in education and in ministry due to the label placed upon me, which has damaged the ability to move from an emerging ministry and towards a thriving ministry that can allow others to engage with me without fear of the burden of my past. It was an event that halted even volunteer ministry and service for me after years of service and goodwill. These hardships can be alleviated by a shared embrace of a community such as the one I have be privileges to be a part of with Progressive Prison Ministries, the Rev. Jeff Grant and all of those who seek to do good and recognize that every human person has value and worth.
I was the Sheriff of Bergen County, an elected position that I held from January of 1999 until my resignation on Jan. 11, 2001. I take full responsibility for my actions, and I wanted to share this part of my life. There was nothing I loved more than being a police officer and helping others. I followed in my Dad’s footsteps into Law Enforcement and I have had to find a new path in the midst of the trauma of that departure. I left office after a political scandal, which unfortunately was tied to my status as a gay man elected to my position, contributing to the fervor for my resignation and prosecution. At the conclusion of a 20 year career as a police officer, public official and community leader, I personally accepted responsibility for allowing politics as usual within my office, which I was a part of. I permitted my staff to continue past practices of that office. I acknowledged full responsibility for several mistakes that occurred and left in disgrace. I still continue to make those amends to this day, and will continue to until my last days.
First and foremost, the result of all of these experiences were a tremendous lesson in humility. One of the major reasons is to honor my father and mother who both dedicated their lives to public service in the New Jersey. I followed in both of their examples, first as a public servant, and now I am trying to be a servant to God’s people, that this stigma has prevented me from doing fully. My experience, from the political to the human tragedies in the stories I have come to hear over the past 5 years, has led me to fight even harder for social justice, criminal justice and political reform. This indeed has been a blessing from this dark and sad event.
I would like to congratulate the Rev. Jeff Grant for leading the way of self-reform, change, forgiveness, as well as how the impact of a criminal record and the need for some reform for non-violent offenders, and especially political crimes and the impact it has on our inability to labor and service ever again, especially in not being able to help others in a call to God’s service. I loved working with this amazing fellow travelers making the world a better place in the midst of loss and grief together we hope that everyone can learn to temper justice with mercy and offer love and forgiveness.
Link here to White Collar Week Podcast Ep. 10: The Ministers, with Guests: Father Joe Ciccone & Father Rix Thorsell
White Collar Week Podcast: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. The support group meeting on this podcast is different than most, because all of the 16 group members appearing have agreed to share their names, faces and very personal stories in an effort to reach out to individuals and families suffering in silence. All on the podcast are post-sentencing or back from prison. Watch on YouTube, Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud,link here.
Jacquie Polverari is a member of our White Collar Support Group that meets online on Zoom on Monday evenings. We will celebrate our 250th weekly meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021, 7 pm ET, 4 pm PT; all Fellow Travelers are invited.
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I never thought of myself needing a support group of any kind, after all I am the one who gives the support and does not receive it or even seek it. But upon reflection for the upcoming 250th meeting of Progressive Prison Ministries support group in which I have been a part of since September 2016, I cannot imagine not having the support that has been given to me by this amazing group of individuals.
After living all my adult life as a people-pleaser, caregiver, “fixer” of problems for all my family, loved ones and friends I self-destructed hard in 2009. I was a business owner, wife, mother, daughter, and friend to everyone, except to myself as I lost my sense of self in all the expectations that I thought was expected of me wearing all those hats. I sold my morals and ethics to be a savior of a failing business because that is what I thought my worth was. No one told me that but that is what I believed and told myself when I took a mortgage out on my home and overstated my income. I told myself this is how I can fix my business, the company that employed all the people that were important to me as failure was not an option, so I used the funds to make payroll and operating expenses and self-destructed going down a rabbit hole into the darkest moments of my life.
For the next five years, after pleading guilty to mortgage fraud and while awaiting sentencing I isolated myself. I was embarrassed, ashamed and most of all I felt guilty of what I brought upon my family in making such poor choices. I thought there was no one else in the world who made such poor choices, I was all alone in my thoughts. I just wanted to go and do my 7 months in Danbury Prison and come home so I could never think if it again…I was wrong!
I self-surrendered to Danbury Federal Prison January 5, 2015 and when I walked out of there to “freedom” on July 22, 2015 I felt more chained and isolated that I ever have. When I was in Danbury, I was forced time…time to reflect upon the poor choices I made, time to look at myself for who I was and especially time to decide who I wanted to become. I met the most incredible women who also were forced that time, we had a bond and we felt part of a community of women working on themselves to seek out change, see evolution within ourselves. I was excited to start a new chapter of my life with a renewed sense of worth of myself. But what I found when I came home was a non-forgiving society with much judgement and was quite unwelcoming. I questioned the work I had done on myself because maybe I was not worth given a second chance. I again isolated myself and became flooded with guilt and shame, how dare I think that these poor choices I made would not define me because my neighborhood and community certainly thought that. Although I had an immense support system within my family, I could not face the world because I did not feel I was deserving.
The feeling of loneliness and isolation grew until I came across Rev. Jeff Grant’s website, prisonist.org. on an internet quest to find people that were going through something similar as me. The first Monday night meeting I joined I found that I needed support and I found a community where I was allowed a forum to be open and vulnerable without judgement. Reaching out to Jeff was one of the best choices I made because this group gave me community and the feeling of acceptance that I was so in need of.
I thank Jeff Grant and every individual who I crossed paths within our support group over the past five years because if not for them I am not quite sure I would not have had the courage or strength to pick myself up, dust myself off and take a breath. A breath to realize that people are not defined by their pasts and we could change our behaviors and thoughts.
Fast forward to today, almost 250 meetings later, this group helped me find my way again. It has been such an essential piece of my healing. I am so grateful for every individual in the group, especially Fr. Joe and Rev. Jeff for hosting this weekly and giving so much of yourselves to make others feel whole again.
Link here to Podcast Ep. 05: Trauma and Healing when Mom goes to Prison, with Guests: Jacqueline Polverari and Her Daughters, Alexa & Maria
White Collar Week Podcast: An Evening with Our White Collar Support Group. The support group meeting on this podcast is different than most, because all of the 16 group members appearing have agreed to share their names, faces and very personal stories in an effort to reach out to individuals and families suffering in silence. All on the podcast are post-sentencing or back from prison. Watch on YouTube, Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and SoundCloud,link here.
