Pieces from Prison: Recent Episodes
Ariel Bassard
Have you ever wondered what caused incarcerated people to commit crimes? We will be reading letters from individuals who are incarcerated all throughout the United States. We are hoping to get a closer look at who they were before incarceration and what situations in their life may have played a role in the decisions that they made. The prisoners that we will be featuring will remain anonymous. This podcast is hosted by Ariel and Adrianna Bassard. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
Broderick entered prison in 2008. He left prison in 2022. In this episode he discusses what life is like using new technology.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prison-pieces/support
Today, Adrianna and Broderick discuss the role dehumanization plays in prison.
TW: This episode contains discussion of physical assault, sexual assault, rape, and suicide.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prison-pieces/support
In this episode, Broderick talks all things prison tattoos. This includes how they're made, what designs are used, and how they are applied.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prison-pieces/support
TW: This episode contains discussion of depression, anxiety, self harm, suicide, and death.
In this episode, Broderick discusses how prison affected his mental health and difficult situations he has experienced and seen. He also shares with us his journey toward healing and where he is today.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prison-pieces/support
Have you ever wondered what a day was like in prison? Here we discuss a typical day in prison including working jobs, buying and selling goods, and ways to find enjoyment while incarcerated.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prison-pieces/support
Here, Broderick shares his inspiring story of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic in prison.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prison-pieces/support
Ever wondered what dating after prison was like? In this episode we discuss life, dating, and how pen pals become wives.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prison-pieces/support
We are BACK!
In this season, host, Adrianna, is joined by co-host, Broderick Hollins. Broderick is a Justice Fellow, Cook County Fellow, holds an associates degree, and much more. Before accomplishing these goals, he served 13 years in prison. Tune in to hear his story and adventures since his release from incarceration.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/prison-pieces/support
This episode features a man, James Dean Rosales, who is incarcerated for Murder, Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, and Burglary of a Habitation. He gives us a timeline of his life before incarceration and how he has changed since.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
In this episode, we talk about Larry Griffin who was executed in 1995. Griffin maintained his innocence until he was executed. About 10 years after he was put to death, his case was reviewed again, and investigators now believe he could have been innocent.
Sources:
https://missourideathrow.com/2008/12/state-of-missouri-v-larry-griffin/
https://murderpedia.org/male.G/g1/griffin-larry.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/19/us/executed-man-may-be-cleared-in-new-inquiry.html
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
This episode is about a man who is incarcerated for 2nd Degree Murder and 1st Degree Child Abuse. He talks about how he feels like he had everything in life before being incarcerated, how his life has been during incarceration, and what he believes it will be like after.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
In this episode I read the last statement from death row prisoner John Hummel. Hummel killed his pregnant wife, daughter, and father-in-law in 2009.
Sources:
https://law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2013/ap-76-596.html
https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/death_row/dr_info/hummeljohn.html
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
Welcome to season 2!! We are so excited about this season! We wanted to redo our episode one and reshare it for people who have not heard it yet.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
Last episode of season 1!
In this episode we hear from a woman who was wrongly convicted and spent two years in prison. She is now out of prison and tells of her experience upon being released and the challenges she has faced.
We are taking a two week break and will be coming back strong with season 2 on October 11th. Stay tuned!
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
In this episode, we get to speak with the viral TikToker Keiko Kopp, AKA @kay_livenews. She does broadcasts from inside prison in hopes to inform people about the prison conditions she has experienced. She is incarcerated for drug trafficking in Lowell Corrections Florida. If you would like to get in contact with her, her JPay information is Keiko Kopp #P44044.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
TW: self harm, suicide, drug addiction
This episode is about a man who is incarcerated for murder. However, he insists he is innocent and is sure he can prove that. He also talks about his ongoing struggle with his mental health and the family members he has lost while being wrongfully convicted in prison.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
This episode features a man who is incarcerated for assault on a police officer, home invasion, and larceny. He tells about the sacrifices he was willing to make for a family member, and how he realized family doesn't always equal loyalty.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
This letter features a man who is incarcerated for murder. We get to take a look into his life and see how one decision in his home life could possibly be responsible for where he is today.
One of our listeners sent in questions for the man in Episode 6: Sentenced to Life at 18 Years Old. Stay tuned to hear the answers to those questions at the end.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
In this very special episode, we talk to Michael Lacey. Michael did 21 years in prison for felony murder. He talks about his crime, what helped get him through prison, and challenges he came across as he became free. He also has a big TikTok and Instagram following, so to hear more about his life and see more content, follow him at @comrade_sinque.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
This letter is about a man who is incarcerated for first degree robbery and possession of a firearm. He talks about his experience growing up in the inner city and how he got involved in a gang. He also talks about how he was pressured into taking a plea deal instead of going to trial to fight his case.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
This episode is about a man who is serving a life sentence for capital murder. He talks about how peer pressure and other circumstances led him to commit crime. He also contemplates where he would be had he not been incarcerated for the past 24 years. We also receive a response from the man in the episode who was given meth at the age of 13.
Sources:
https://www.themarshallproject.org/records/764-prison-labor
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
This letter is about a man who received a life sentence at the age of 18 for murder. He talks about how his parents were incarcerated all throughout his childhood and how this led him to be introduced to gang life at a young age.
Sources:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/10/juvenile-criminal-justice-children-gangs.html
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
TW: This episode contains details about child abuse.
This episode tells the story of a man who is incarcerated for aggravated robbery. He also tells the story of how he and his siblings were treated throughout his childhood, and how he was forced to grow up at a very young age. At the end of the episode, we also read a response from the man in "A Downward Spiral."
Sources: https://www.sentencingproject.org/publications/un-report-on-racial-disparities/
https://www.thepavlovictoday.com/analysis-racial-segregation-in-the-us-prisons/
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
TW: sexual exploitation of underage children, suicide
This episode is unlike one we have done before. In this episode, we hear from a person charged with child pornography. This may be triggering and difficult to hear but we feel that it is important to explore many different circumstances that have led to incarceration.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
This episode is about a man who was introduced to drugs at an unbelievably young age. He was forced to take care of himself growing up, which could have played a role in the choices he made when he got to adulthood.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support
This episode features a man who is incarcerated for murder and was sentenced to 90 years in prison. But, there’s a twist: he believes he is wrongly incarcerated. We will read his side of the story and show some facts of the case while still protecting his identity. The rest you can decide on your own; do you believe this man was wrongly convicted?
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ariel-bassard/support