Background Check Podcast

After five DWI’s landed me prison, something had to change. One day I got into a fight and I spent eight days in solitaire confinement thinking about my life and the decisions I had made that led me to that dark place, literally. I came out of the hole a different man with a different heart, mind, soul, direction, and outlook on life. I got mentored by a couple of inmates who eventually made parole but within a year they were both back in. This confused me and ticked me off. I wondered how I was going to make it out there. Since my release in 2006 we’ve opened up a transitional house for men, with another ”ranch” coming, launched a documentary, been on the Mike Huckabee Show, launched this podcast, and it goes into prisons all over the nation.

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Episodes

Friday Jun 13, 2025

In this episode, Jay Dan and Jessa take their time with announcements and have some fun. They do shout outs, show baptisms pictures, talk about breakfast Bible study, the ranch, the new truck, the new grill, and we show a video of Shannon Marshall, who was released in November of 2024, skydiving.
 
We address the recent “call out” from Real Vida podcast and their challenge in the corn hole tournament coming up.
 
Jessa tells some dad jokes and Jay Dan share a small devotion “The Screw in the Shoe”
 
Then we sit down with the current Chaplain of Babe’s Chicken Dinner House.
 
In 1977, at only 17 years old, Gene McGuire’s time living in freedom came to an end. He was one of three people that took part in a late-night bar robbery. His cousin, one of the men, fatally stabbed the bar owner. On the basis of a second-degree murder charge, Gene received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Nearly ten years later, Gene had a Christ-transformation after becoming influential in the prison culture.
 
Then after serving almost 35 years, a shocking miracle happened. On April, 3, 2012, at Wyoming County Courtroom in Pennsylvania, Judge Russell D. Shurtleff had made the decision that Gene was wrongfully convicted. With his life sentence reversed, he was released a free man – no parole.
His inspiring journey from being imprisoned for life to being set free by the power of God’s love, forgiveness, and freedom gives everyone hope. He is an advocate for the community, a speaker, and the author of Unshackled: From Ruins to Redemption.
 
Gene serves as Chaplain for Babe’s Chicken and other restaurants owned by Paul Vinyard. He shares with his testimony and the gospel of Jesus, with all the staff for the Vinyard family, as well as the other two restaurants they own, Bubba’s Cook Country, and Sweetie Pie’s Ribeyes.
 
Check out Gene on Facebook for all his latest speaking engagements.
 
Visit his website:
https://genemcguire.org/
 
Order his book:
https://a.co/d/golLUUk
 
Order Forgiven Felons or Background Check Merch:
https://www.forgivenfelons.org/shop
 
To learn more FORGIVEN RANCH we are developing now:
https://youtu.be/za53kDdhQlY?si=8UelY6l3_ykLwf0I

Tuesday Jun 03, 2025

In this episode we sit down with the Erick Wilsons, One and Two.
We talk about fatherhood, sports, and so many other things.
Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.  
First Option Mortgage Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597 jgumm@myfirstoption.com 972-897-5476  
From On High Roofing and Construction Reginald Reed 469-922-0047 info@fromonhighroofing.comhttps://fromonhighllc.com
 
To partner with us please click here: https://www.forgivenfelons.org/support   Forgiven Felons and Background Check Merchandise   https://www.forgivenfelons.org/shop
 

Thursday May 29, 2025

On this episode, Jay Dan and Jessa tell some jokes, do a small devotion, play a shout out from Angelo, talk about sports, and Forgiven Ranch. 
Ben's story intertwines with the previous week's guest, Kimberli Lemon. So many people's stories intersect in our broader Forgiven Felons family. 
We talk yoga pants, peanut butter, satanic tattoos, and Jesus. We laugh so much and we get serious too. Watch the whole episode to hear how we navigate all these topics.
Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.
First Option Mortgage Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597 jgumm@myfirstoption.com 972-897-5476
From On High Roofing and Construction Reginald Reed 469-922-0047 info@fromonhighroofing.com https://fromonhighllc.com/
To partner with us please click here: https://www.forgivenfelons.org/support Forgiven Felons and Background Check Merchandise https://www.forgivenfelons.org/shop

Friday May 09, 2025

In this episode, we air some Mother's Day shout outs from Alabama, we do a little devotional about having the keys, and we sit down with a mother. 
Kimberli Lemon, a sister of an incarcerated man in Texas, shares her story of incarceration from a family's perspective. She shares how things were done in her family growing up, how she studied Buddhism for a very long time, and how she could feel God working on her through the incarceration of her brother Patrick, and the death of her father. 
She shares her journey of motherhood, navigating life's trials and parenting at the same time. Kim talks about a time where she checked herself into a hospital to have people watch over her. 
We laugh, we cry, we point people to Jesus this Mother's Day. 
 
Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.
 
First Option Mortgage
Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597
jgumm@myfirstoption.com
972-897-5476
From On High Roofing and Construction
Reginal Reed
469-922-0047
info@fromonhighroofing.comhttps://fromonhighllc.com/
 
To partner with us please click here: https://www.forgivenfelons.org/support
 
Forgiven Felons and Background Check Merchandise
 
https://www.forgivenfelons.org/shop

Tuesday Apr 29, 2025

We hung out at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, TX with Deanna Luprete and the crew from Epicenter Ministries, in support for House Bill 200, aka the Second Look Bill.
 
We interviewed a couple of second lookers and the father of a second looker.
Thank you to everyone at Epicenter Ministries for taking the time to speak about the bill.
Visit the website: https://secondlooktexas.org/

Wednesday Apr 16, 2025

During announcements Jay Dan and Jessa talk about Easter, shout outs, sports, 2nd Chance Month, and upcoming prison trips. 
 
Round Two with Dr. Letitia Scott Jackson from Keeping Families Connected. 
Speaker, author, playwriter, and so much more, Dr Jackson sits down with Jay Dan again and talks about all she's been doing since the last interview. 
From toy drives, school backpack drives, to writing a movie, and of course writing more books, she's been busy. 
Visit her on the web at:Keepingfamilyconnected.org
Check her out on all social media platforms under Letitia Scott Jackson or Keeping Families Connected. 
Check out her latest book on Amazon:
Queen: Come On With Your Money Making Self
Grace and Favor: From Prison to Paid
Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.
 
First Option Mortgage
Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597
jgumm@myfirstoption.com
972-897-5476
 
From On High Roofing and Construction
Reginal Reed
469-922-0047
info@fromonhighroofing.com
To partner with us please click here: https://www.forgivenfelons.org/support
Forgiven Felons and Background Check Merchandise
https://www.forgivenfelons.org/shop

Friday Apr 04, 2025

At 13 years of age, Fresh and his friend stole a pair of clippers from Minyards. The reason they stole them is because their families couldn’t afford a hair cut at the time.
Fresh and his friend cut each other’s hair, but then started cutting all the kids hair in the neighborhood.
Coming from a broken home, Fresh did his best along the way to avoid getting into gangs but couldn’t altogether avoid them. He ended up in juvenile detention for a few months and eventually ended up in prison, after being on the run for two years.
When they saw his clipper’s tattoo he was encouraged to apply for intake barber. From there, he turned his skill into life. His skill gave him protection, finances, and confidence. He cut inmates and correctional staff’s hair.
When he got out of prison he hustled to try to regain all the business he started with. Now, he’s in many dealerships across the Dallas area.
One of the quotes that kept him going on the road to forever change is “What’s so wrong with change, if where you are and what you are, has got you where you’re at?”
One of my favorite lines from our interview is “When I had to choose between God and a women, I chose to lean into God over a woman.”
Fresh has truly shown what it means to not let his background hold him back, but make it pay him back.
 
Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.
First Option Mortgage
Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597
jgumm@myfirstoption.com
972-897-5476
 
From On High Roofing and Construction
Reginal Reed
469-922-0047
info@fromonhighroofing.com
 
Forgiven Felons and Background Check Merchandise
https://www.forgivenfelons.org/shop
 
Song "The Club" by ASAP used with permission.

Friday Mar 28, 2025

PRODUCTION NOTE: This podcast is friends with Background Check Podcast and we will air their episodes from time to time. While the mission and vision of both podcasts are the same, the methods and people may be different. As on our show, BCP, if you have any questions about the topics, please feel free to message Jay Dan at jaydangumm@forgivenfelons.org
We love SAR and think you will too. Tre9 and the team also serve at Eyes On Me and DTS, Disciple the Streets, and are impacting the Kingdom of God in a mighty way. Visit their website at: https://www.eyesonmeinc.com/
Tre9 is challenged by his co-hosts for not having his wife with him hardly ever, leaving his family behind for ministry purposes and bowing down to the Black Community due to White Guilt. Somethin' Ain't Right and we are going to get to the bottom it!

Wednesday Mar 26, 2025

PRODUCTION NOTE: This podcast is friends with Background Check Podcast and we will air their episodes from time to time. While the mission and vision of both podcasts are the same, the methods and people may be different. As on our show, BCP, if you have any questions about the topics, please feel free to message Jay Dan at jaydangumm@forgivenfelons.org
We love SAR and think you will too. Tre9 and the team also serve at Eyes On Me and DTS, Disciple the Streets, and are impacting the Kingdom of God in a mighty way. Visit their website at: https://www.eyesonmeinc.com/
 
Something Ain't Right
Our first episode takes a personal dive to challenge Co-Hosts Witeout & Jessica.  From working in a strip club to dressing provocatively as a Christian woman, Jessica gets challenged by Tre9 (host).  In addition, Witeout has to answer for walking away from a booming podcast that he once co-hosted called "Lets Chop It Up!"  Was the shows fall a direct result of Wipeout's fall as a leader? When Somethin' Ain't Right, you can rest assure we are going to get the full story.
 

Thursday Mar 20, 2025

This is the second time we've had John on the show and there are some life updates. 
On December 31, 2024, John started having a heart attack while walking his dog in his neighborhood. He called his wife and his so came to get him. When he was on the operating table, it was found he had 100% blockage in his widowmaker. 
Life, family, prison ministry, diet, and exercise has all been different since that day. He's fully recovered and back in the prison dorms each month. 
We talk about sports, family, ministry, his church (Gateway), and so many other things. He gives some shout outs to some Texas prisons. 
Jessa and I make quick work of the announcements and we play Jessa's short sermon. 
 
Visit Think Twice's website:
https://www.thinktwiceministries.org/
Follow John on Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/john.earle.775
Sponsors: Mention Forgiven Felons, Background Check, Jay Dan or Jessa when you contact them. They all donate to Forgiven Felons when you do.
First Option Mortgage Jessamy Gumm Loan Originator- NMLS #2252597 jgumm@myfirstoption.com 972-897-5476
From On High Roofing and Construction Reginal Reed 469-922-0047 info@fromonhighroofing.com
Forgiven Felons and Background Check Merchandise https://www.forgivenfelons.org/shop
Song “Help” used with permission from ASAP Preach

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