Host Trevor White sits down with Founder, President, and CEO Jason Whyte of the National Reentry Workforce Collaborative (NRWC) to talk about the overlap between reentry and workforce development. NRWC is the only national organization founded by workforce practitioners committed to advancing socio-economic mobility for people impacted by the justice system. You can find out more about them by visiting their website here: https://thenrwc.org/.

Host Trevor White talks with Joe Stead, a Government Partnerships Advisor from Coursera, an open online course provider that brings flexible, affordable, job-relevant online learning to individuals and organizations worldwide. This episode discusses the partnership and collaborative efforts between Coursera both the Tennessee Office of Reentry and the wider Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. You can visit Coursera here: https://www.coursera.org.

Host Trevor White sits down with Senior Policy Specialist Abigail Strait from the Crime and Justice Institute, a division of the non-profit Community Resources for Justice, which helps bridge the gap between research and practice with data-driven solutions and improvements related to adult and youth justice systems. This episode’s discussion goes over how CJI does its work, its partnership and work done in Tennessee, and more! You can learn more about CJI here: https://www.cjinstitute.org/about/ and you can read their article on the Tennessee Office of Reentry here: https://www.cjinstitute.org/publication/tennessee-office-of-reentry-creating-pathways-to-successful-reentry-through-employment/

This episode, host Trevor White talks with Caitlin Dawkins, Principal TA Consultant with the American Institutes for Research (AIR), a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research. This month’s conversation centers around the National Reentry Resource Center, a website created through a partnership between AIR and the U.S. Department of Justice which serves as a fundamental online resource for guidance and information on reentry. https://nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/about-national-reentry-resource-center

Host Trevor White talks with William Robert "RK" Kane who is the Operations Manager with the Tennessee Corrections Institute (TCI). RK and Trevor discuss TCI and its founding, their unique approach to working with Tennessee’s jails, and their new accreditation program which seeks to provide a foundational roadmap and standards for increased rehabilitation and reentry services at the county jail level.

Host Trevor White talks with Jeremy White about his journey as a returning citizen after serving more than two decades in prison. Jeremy now works for the Tennessee Office of Reentry. The story and experiences he brings to the office provide valuable insight into what it is like to reenter society after completing your sentence. They also talk about how second chances work and why the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development felt it was critical to include justice-involved individuals on the Office of Reentry staff.

During this episode, host Trevor White talks with Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Deniece Thomas. They discuss the mission behind the Tennessee Office of Reentry, the difference it can make across the state, and the importance of employers who are willing to offer second chances.

Host Trevor White talks with Adam Henderson from ADPS. He represents the company the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development partnered with to provide specialized tablets in each county jail across the state. Inmates can use the tablets to work towards earning their high school equivalency diploma, take training courses, and do other workforce development activities while incarcerated. This program, called Project REAP, is the first of its kind in the nation.

Host Trevor White talks with Sammy Perez from Prison Fellowship, the organization that started Second Chance Month. They discuss the mission of Prison Fellowship and the origins of National Second Chance Month.

Host Trevor White talks with LaToya Newson from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development's Adult Education Division. They discuss the role adult education plays in the state's county jails, including details about the Department's innovative new tablet initiative, Project REAP.