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PODCAST

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

true crime documentary

All Episodes

96:43

EP 214 "The Gamble That Didn't Pay Off, or Did It?...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/10/20

In this episode, we sit down with Stevin "Hedake" Smith, a former college and professional basketball player known for his promising career that was derailed by a point-shaving scandal.He was a two-time All-Pac-10 selection at Arizona State, but in 1994, he was involved in a scandal where he bet on his own games, ultimately leading to a prison sentence and ending his NBA prospects. Today, Smith works to educate young athletes about the dangers of gambling by speaking in universities across the

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9:25

The Buddy and Russ Story: Our Why

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/10/20

Short video of one of our former residents and his boss. Buddy is one of the reasons why we do this. To help us continue helping others like Buddy, please consider partnering with us. forgivenfelons.orghttps://www.forgivenfelons.org/

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44:31

(For those on the inside) Replay of 2024 Tour of Lights

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/10/20

Due to technical difficulties on the tablets inside prison, we are replaying this special Christmas Lights episode for the men and women on the inside.

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102:24

EP 213 "Know Your Own Truth" A family separated by...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/10/02

EP 213 “Know Your Own Truth” Separated by Wrongful Conviction, Restored by ExonerationIn 1987, just a few months after they were married, shortly before they had their son, the Spencer family was devastated and separated by our broken legal system which led to a wrongful conviction, for 34 years. We sit down with Ben and Deborah Spencer to hear their love story, and their wrongful conviction of Ben journey. Throughout their journey, their faith was up and down, including a time where Ben was

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140:43

EP 212 "Skydiving, Advocacy, Overdosing, and Narcan"...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/09/24

Jessa and Jay Dan discuss everything from sports, to the ranch, to comedian Michael Jr, and North Dakota.Then we dive into a devotional about our vacuum cleaner. You gotta hear this. Oh yeah, we finally respond to Real Vida's last video about the Corn Hole tournament. Then we get to sit down with Shannon Marshall and Ashleen Gaddy, from HeartCheck Prison Strategies Group and Texas Prison Transparency Project. We get to hear both Shannon's and Ashleen's story of addiction and what brought them

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3:54

Music Video Forgiven Felons: Our Why! Guard Towers in...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/09/18

OUR WHYPlease watch this short music video. The lyrics to this song were written by a Sgt. at a correctional center. It's a song about reentry and they have a pretty good reentry program there. I asked him if we could use the song to show what we do at Forgiven Felons. So, whether it's inside, outside, t-shirts, podcasts, or Breakfast Bible Study, everything we do takes time, energy, money, and so much more. Thank you for partnering with us. Some of you have been giving for

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102:45

EP 211 "Driven" with Scott and Tabitha from Driven...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/09/08

EP 211 “Driven” This episode is jammed packed with fun. We start off with announcements and we talk football and baseball. And yes, it’s fun because I’m a Steeler fan. I fixed some things Jessa messed up in the studio. We show the recap video from the Arts of Oppression art show, put on by Miles of Freedom. Some great art. Then show the shout out video zoom call. There’s some special guests on there too. I share a quick devotional on staying close enough to God to hear His reminders

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01:47:08

EP 210 "Chainz 2 Changed" with Zach Schmidkunz and...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/08/30

SPECIAL EPISODEWe start with a long version of announcements and fun with Jay Dan and Jessa, including some questionable jokes from Jessa. We do some shout outs from men who have gotten out recently that watched the show from the inside. We share about our back to school drive and shout out to a married couple. Then, we end the announcement segment with a devotional on Kleenex, Toilet Paper, and Paper Towels, Now, to the good stuff. We traveled to North Dakota from August 18-22 and visited all the

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01:30:18

EP 209 "Cornhole Cut-n-Run, July 4th Celebration,...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/07/20

In this episode, we respond, light-heartedly, to Real Vida’s corn hole challenge and subsequent no show. Jay Dan appears on a fake podcast called Tell the Truth Shame the Devil in episode one titled, “Cornhole Cut-n-run” talking with host Emcy from Hog Mob. We relive the call outs from Real Vida and share our response and call out of our own.Then we share Forgiven Felons July 4th celebration as well as some of the fireworks from our own family celebration. After that, we share some preaching clips,

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01:49:02

EP 208 "Habit Stacking and The Kindness Project" with...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/07/09

In this episode, Jessa and Jay Dan talk about the Guadalupe River crisis and pray for everyone involved. We shout out all the books that have been sent to us by inmates as well as books authored by our guests on the show. We talk about our upcoming trips to Florida and North Dakota. We air some shout outs from Breakfast Fellowship and share an important update on our current house in Dallas. We practice some no look corn hole shots in preparation for the tournament at the Real Vida Memorial

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02:30:01

EP 158 February Love Stories "He's Crazy, But Dang...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/06/20

PRODUCTION NOTE:This is a re-airing of this episode, but with video this time. Jimmy and Beth have informed us that they are opening three more houses so they have more room. In this episode we do announcements with Jessa including talking about the weekend we had at Breakfast Bible Study and church. We had two ladies drive from a Weatherford transitional house to go to ‪@SocialDallas‬ with us. Two men from another transitional house in Dallas came. David was celebrating his 44th birthday for

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01:56:25

EP 207 "From Bars to Babe's" Gene McGuire, Chaplain...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/06/13

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

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02:07:43

EP 172 "The Power of a Father: Spiritual and...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/06/03

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.com https://fromonhighllc.com To

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01:29:34

EP 206 "Yoga Pants, Peanut Butter, Odinist, Salesman...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/05/29

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,

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01:38:56

EP 205 "Are You Ready?" with Kimberli Lemon. Mother's...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/05/09

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

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56:20

Special Episode: Day at the Capitol with Epicenter...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/04/29

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/

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01:34:48

EP 204 "From Prison to Paid" Dr. Letitia Scott...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/04/17

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

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01:44:09

EP 203 "Stolen Clippers from Minyards" with FresH the...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/04/04

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

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38:45

Something Ain't Right EP 2 "Faith, Feuds, and Family"...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/03/28

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.orgWe 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

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28:03

Bonus Episode: Something Ain't Right with Tre9,...

Background Check Podcast ·

2025/03/26

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.orgWe 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

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259 results

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