Background Check Podcast

EP 52 ”A Chance for Change” Jay Dan Gumm and Karen Lee, CEO-Pioneer Human Services

Show Summary: As Chief Executive Officer of Pioneer Human Services, Karen Lee leads one of the nation’s largest nonprofit social enterprise organizations in the United States. Under Karen’s leadership, Pioneer successfully operates several revenuegenerating businesses that provide living wage jobs to mission-related employees and help fund its mission of empowering people who have been involved in the legal system to build healthy, productive lives. Headquartered in Seattle, Pioneer serves over 10,000 people a year through its diversion, treatment, housing and job training programs. Karen is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Jay Dan talks with Karen about how Pioneer Services was founded, what they do now, and where they are headed. They dive into what it will take to make some changes in our criminal justice system. We talk about mass incarceration and how it has caused more trouble than it’s actually helped us. They have a mass incarceration quiz you can take to test your knowledge about the subject. Think you know about mass incarceration? I thought I did too. I only got one answer right out of 5.  To take the quiz and learn more about Pioneer Human Services please visit our show page: forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 51 ”Happy Mothers Day” Jay Dan Gumm and Jane ”Mama” Davidson

Please visit the show page at  https://www.forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 50 ”What is Your Dream” Jay Dan Gumm

Show Summary: Do you have a dream? I did. I had one as a child and I have had some in prison and in my life since prison. In prison I began writing my dreams down and have seen more fulfillment of those dreams. Our family has a vision/dream board as well as Forgiven Felons. What is your dream? While in prison, the book The Dream Giver helped me out so much in my finding out what my dream was and how to pursue it. It also helped me understand that not everyone in my life wants me to pursue my dream. Some want me to stay in my comfort zone because if I leave mine, then their comfort zone is shook up a little. In this episode I talk about some things you can do to foster and facilitate an atmosphere in which dreams can be fulfilled better. For more information about Forgiven Felons, or to listen to from the show page, visit: forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 49 ”Anybody but Shelley” Shelley Goad LCDC

Show Summary: In this episode of Background Check, with talk with Shelley Goad, LCDC. Her story begins with her parents being divorced while she was still young and her mom working her butt off to make it.  Then she was introduced to Crown Royal in junior high and then later in life, meth. Her life began to spin out of control because of her addiction. When she drank, she drank to get drunk, and she wanted to be anywhere but where she was, and she wanted to be anybody but Shelley.  While going to see her dad who was dying of cancer, she was arrested in 2007. The car she drove was stolen. She says the best thing her family did was NOT bail her out of jail.  We talk about her going back to school and just doing anything that was put in front of her so that she could help as many people as possible. Now, she's an LCDC in Taos, NM.  For all Shelley's social links, pics, and suggested movies and books, visit the show page: forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 48 ”April 18th” Jay Dan Gumm

Show Summary: Dates are important.  April 18th is very important to me, Jay Dan. In 2006 that's the day I got out of prison. In 2008 that's the day I married the most awesome women in the world.  In this episode I talk a little about these dates and what they mean to me. I also encourage you to celebrate your dates. What dates are important to you? April 9, 2003 is my sobriety date. 18 years now.  For more info about Forgiven Felons, please visit our show page. And pics of our wedding.  forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 47 ”Family of Choice” with Kenneth Prewitt, Jessa, and Jemma Gumm

Show Summary: In this episode, Jay Dan sit downs with one of his best friends, Kenneth Prewitt. Kenneth went from being kicked out of his home because of drugs, to prison, to getting help from a couple in Texas, to the man that he is today. We start the podcast off with Jessa and Jemma, my daughters, telling some jokes and making Kenneth laugh.  He will be 13 years clean this September and we are so happy for him. As he states in the interview, he's never going back.  We call him our family of choice and Uncle Kenneth. Our girls love him and so do we. He's an avid Cowboys fan and I'm a die hard Steeler fan. So when he comes to town I make it uncomfortable for him. lol For Kenneth's social media links and more pics of me making him dress and be around Steeler stuff, visit our show page: forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 46 ”Life After Addiction and Indictment” Steve Cloward

Show Summary: Jay Dan talks with Steve about his journey from opiate addiction, to prison, to where he is now. Read more about Steve below and check out his links to purchase his course programs. After getting sober from 14-year battle with opiate addiction, Steve found himself facing a federal indictment that sent him to prison. After he lost his freedom and was released, he realized he had also lost his identity, confidence and purpose and he wasn’t sure if he’d end up losing his 20-year marriage. Steve spent most of the past decade and over $100,000 on coaches, courses, events and masterminds searching to find out why his past kept popping up poisoning his future that held him back from reclaiming his life. Steve is a "serial entrepreneur” and has grown several businesses to seven figures over the past 20 years. Steve has a huge heart and is extremely loyal. Steve is a people person, great networker who loves to bring people together. Steve has top ranked podcast, Life After Addiction and Indictment to help those who continue to scream at their past and keep tripping over their future reclaim their life through entrepreneurship. Steve knows what It’s like to lose your confidence, have doors slammed in your face or lack the knowledge to chase your entrepreneurial dreams. Steve has the experience, knowledge and relationships to help you take control of your life and secure your future. After 24 years of "co-existing" in his marriage, Steve knows what it takes to create a happy and fulfilling relationship. Steve celebrates his 31-year anniversary later this year to his beautiful wife Ann. Together they have four boys and one girl, ages 16-28.  When he's not working, Steve loves to spend time with his family in Lake Powell, Sunday night game night, golfing, traveling, riding motorcycles with his four boys and creating memories. For Steve's website and other links please visit our show page: forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 45 ”Volunteering in Prison” Mark and Tina Wage

Show Summary: Mark and Tina met by chance in a hallway and it was love at first sight. Then, Tina got invited to go to a closing for Kairos prison ministry and that led to a new love for both of them. It’s now been 16 years and they are more in love with prison ministry and each other, now more than ever. Today we do a background check on prison ministry volunteers, Mark and Tina Wage. Mark and Tina live in Gun Barrell City, TX by Cedar Creek Lake. Tina teaches a class at the Beto unit, Battlefield of the Mind, while Mark mentors and writes as many inmates as possible.  Mark and Tina share how they met, how they got started in prison ministry, and why they still do it. We talk about challenges along the way, how covid has affected their efforts, and how long they plan on serving.  For pics of Mark and Tina and info on how to become of prison volunteer, visit the show page: forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 44 ”Second Look Bill Means A Second Chance” Deanna Luprete-Founder of Epicenter Ministries

Show Summary: In this episode, Jay Dan sits down with Deanna Luprete to talk about her work at Epicenter and the Second Look Bill. Deanna Luprete is the Founding Executive Director of The Epicenter Initiative and runs the Aftershock Reentry program for Second Lookers. A native Californian, Deanna relocated to Houston and most recently settled in Austin to have easier access to the Capitol and Second Look advocacy efforts. Deanna grew up in a household that was centered on restorative justice, as her father was a Los Angeles parole officer turned pastor.  She has been involved in Texas prison ministry since 2005. Little did she know that eight years later her son would become incarcerated in California. It was during his incarceration that Deanna began to understand how broken the criminal justice system is both in California and Texas.  Soon thereafter, she fully devoted herself to rehabilitative programs within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. While facilitating a program in 2016, Deanna met Chon Dimas, Jeremy Gartrell, and Jorge Vasquez. All three of them were given extreme sentences in adult prisons as children (now known as “Second Lookers”). Through these three Second Lookers, she became aware of 1,300 other individuals serving sentences they were given as children during the “Texas Tough” era. With a renewed sense of hope, she established The Epicenter Initiative with a small social media presence that quickly grew. In 2017, TEI had 100 members during the 85th legislative session for the introduction of SB 556/HB 1274. At that time, Deanna partnered with Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and Lone Star Justice Alliance to compile Second Looker stories for The Second Look Book. This publication was then introduced at The Second Look Summit in Austin in November of 2017. In 2019, TEI had 1,000 members for the introduction of SB 155/HB 256. Today, The Epicenter Initiative has 2,000 active members in the free world and 1,300 TDCJ residents that are diligently working to advocate for a “Second Look” be given to youth who are serving extreme sentences in adult prisons. Deanna is dedicated to educating and encouraging residents of TDCJ, as well as equipping and empowering those returning to society. For more information, links, and pics, please visit the show page: forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck

EP 43 ”New Name Ministries” Jon Cordeiro

Show Summary: Jon is a dear friend and we plow in the same space of reentry. He's the Executive Director of New Name Ministries and has transitional, or transformational, homes in Fort Worth and Psalm 40 Ranch in Boyd, TX.  In these home and on the ranch, live are changed, recidivism is reduced to almost zero.  Pastor Jon is a graduate of Victory Bible Training School and former Graduate Peer Consultant for Supervised Community Treatment of Portland, Maine. His former volunteer activities have included being a volunteer chaplain at the Maine Correctional Center through Gideon's and long term involvement with the Sexual Violence Collaborative of Southern Maine.   Jon is ordained in the State of Texas through Apostolic Servant Ministries and provides education and consultations with churches and national organizations on issues of residential re-entry for offenders, policies and procedures for offenders in the church and public education presentations on " Offender Sense." Jon is currently on the Board of Directors of Texas Voices for Reason and Justice, and also on the National Admin Team of Reform Offenders Laws Inc. He has given testimony twice for civil commitment trials as an expert on offender reentry for the state of California. He is co-author of Unprecedented - How Offender Laws Are Impacting Our Nation. For the website information and more about Jon and New Name Ministries, and to see pics of Psalm 40 Ranch, visit our show page: forgivenfelons.org/backgroundcheck   Address for New Name Ministries New Name Ministries PO Box 11694 Fort Worth, TX 76110