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PODCAST

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast

The Redemption Project

The Redemption Project tells real stories of change, accountability, and second chances. Hosted by Brandon Burley—a retired law enforcement detective, criminal justice educator, and journalist—this podcast features conversations with men and women who have lived on both sides of the justice system, along with the ministries, programs, and people helping them rebuild their lives. Each episode explores what redemption actually looks like after prison: recovery, faith, responsibility, failure,

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

22:59

From Addiction and Prison to Recovery, Reentry and...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/10/05

Samantha Acy knows what it feels like to be labeled.Addict.Inmate.Felon.Criminal.For many people, those labels become permanent. They follow someone long after the jail sentence ends, long after the drug use stops, long after the person begins trying to build a different life.But Samantha does not accept that.“I paid my price,” she said. “Society doesn’t get to keep judging me.”Her story is Season 1, Episode 15 of The Redemption Project.It is a story about opioid addiction, prison, accountability,

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34:54

Simon White

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/09/18

Simon White’s story does not begin in prison.It begins in Dillon, South Carolina.From there, his life moved to Harlem, then Philadelphia, then Florida, then back to Philadelphia. Along the way, there were early warnings, bad decisions, addiction, pressure, family responsibilities, job loss and a world that started pulling him deeper than he realized.In this episode of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley talks with Simon about a troubled past and why that past does not have to dictate the

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00:05:41

TRP S3E07: Systems Explained — How to Think About...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/06/16

How should citizens think about criminal justice before reacting to the latest headline?In this Season 3 Systems Explained episode of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley introduces a clearer way to understand criminal justice: not as one agency, one courtroom, one sentence or one viral case, but as a long chain of decisions made by different people, under different rules, with different incentives.The episode explains why public conversations about criminal justice often collapse the entire

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00:33:11

TRP S2E14: Redemption Story — Jay Martinez: From...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/06/12

Jay Martinez joins The Redemption Project for a Season 2 Redemption Story about gang life, cartel involvement, federal prison, faith, transformation and what it means to use a painful past to point others toward Christ.Jay grew up in El Paso, Texas, in a home marked by violence, fear and instability. As the oldest child, he describes trying to protect his younger siblings while his family unraveled. By his early teens, he had joined a gang, believing it would protect his family and give him the

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00:08:47

TRP S3E06: Systems Explained — Understanding the...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/06/09

What does a state legislature actually do?In this Season 3 Systems Explained episode of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley explains how state legislatures work, why they matter and how they shape daily life far more than many citizens realize.Using Tennessee as the main example, this episode breaks down the role of the legislative branch inside state government. Governors may propose priorities and sign or veto bills, but legislatures write bills, debate policy, amend proposals, pass budgets,

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00:31:11

TRP S2E13: Redemption Story — Alan Roberts: From...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/06/05

Alan Roberts joins The Redemption Project for a Season 2 Redemption Story about addiction, shame, recovery, pardon, second chances and what it means to help others find the way out.Alan grew up with a stable family and a strong moral foundation, but drinking, marijuana and later cocaine opened the door to a much deeper addiction. After a medical procedure introduced him to pain pills, opioids became the drug that grabbed hold of his life. What began with hydrocodone eventually escalated into

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00:10:38

TRP S3E05: Systems Explained — What the Governor Can...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/06/02

What can a governor actually control?In this Season 3 Systems Explained episode of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley breaks down the real powers and limits of a governor, using Tennessee as the main example.The short version: governors are powerful, but they are not all-powerful. They can propose budgets, appoint executive branch leaders, sign or veto legislation, issue certain executive orders, declare emergencies, direct state agencies and command the state National Guard unless it is

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00:53:05

TRP S2E12: Redemption Story — Chad Roberts: From...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/05/29

Chad Roberts joins The Redemption Project for a Season 2 Redemption Story about childhood brokenness, addiction, crime, incarceration, faith, treatment and what it means to become the kind of man he once needed.Chad grew up in a home where drugs, violence and spiritual darkness were part of his early life. He says his father introduced him to marijuana and alcohol when he was young, and by his teenage years, Chad was selling drugs, using meth and eventually manufacturing it. His life moved through

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00:44:48

TRP S5E01: Tennessee Good Work — Katie Growden on...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/05/24

Katie Growden joins The Redemption Project for the first episode of Season 5: Tennessee Good Work.Katie serves as the Tennessee state manager for Save the Children Action Network, an advocacy organization working at the grassroots level to connect people with the systems and policies that affect young children and families. In this conversation, she explains why voter participation matters, why many registered voters still do not make it to the polls, and how ordinary citizens can begin asking

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00:39:10

TRP S4E13: Civic Conversations — Civil...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/05/22

Civil Miller-Watkins joins The Redemption Project for a Season 4 Civic Conversations episode about her campaign for the U.S. Senate, her background as an eighth grade math teacher, and the issues she believes Tennessee families are carrying to the kitchen table.Miller-Watkins lives in Fayette County in rural West Tennessee and describes her campaign through the lens of education, family, health care access, jobs, rural hospitals, student safety and the future facing Tennessee’s children and

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01:11:39

TRP S4E12: Civic Conversations — Tennessee...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/05/21

What happens when Tennessee gubernatorial candidates from different political lanes are asked the same voter-submitted questions, under the same rules, in the same room?That was the purpose of this live roundtable from The Redemption Project: give voters a structured, fair conversation instead of another campaign soundbite.Most of the questions were submitted and voted on by viewers. The candidates discussed Tennessee’s future, public policy, leadership, government responsibility, and where they

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0:44

Federal marijuana classification changes

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/05/14

by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project When federal marijuana classification changes, many people assume practical rules shift immediately.In reality, state law, workplace standards, and enforcement decisions often continue operating under separate timelines for much longer than headlines suggest.I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines

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00:24:45

“Going to Jail Saved My Life”: Kendra & Amanda on...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/05/10

In this long-form episode of The Redemption Project, Brandon Burley sits down with Kendra and Amanda, two women in early recovery whose lives were shaped by addiction, incarceration, and the long road back to stability.Both women share candidly about heroin, meth, fentanyl, jail time, overdoses, and the moments that forced them to confront lives that were no longer sustainable. For Kendra, going to jail became the interruption that saved her life. For Amanda, recovery came through repeated loss,

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1:04

New Opioids Move Unevenly

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/05/05

by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Federal detections of a new synthetic opioid show why drug markets do not spread state by state the way most people assume.Federal laboratory detections of a new synthetic opioid known as N-propionitrile chlorphine are raising broader questions about how emerging drug compounds move through U.S. supply networks.The compound was first confirmed by a DEA laboratory in 2024, with later detections reported in states including Texas, California, Illinois,

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00:17:28

“I Got Tired of Being Sick and Tired”: Lyon’s Second...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/05/03

After leaving recovery too early, falling back into addiction, and eventually ending up on the run again, Lyon reached a point he describes simply: sick and tired of being sick and tired.In this episode of The Redemption Project, he explains how fentanyl, cocaine, repeated arrests, and years of instability kept pulling him backward until he finally returned to Men of Valor, this time ready to stay.He talks openly about losing multiple family members within weeks of each other, resisting the urge to

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0:44

Police Officers carry the weight of a call, long...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/04/30

by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project A call may close operationally and still remain mentally active much longer than people realize.That is part of why officer wellness is often misunderstood: many burdens do not appear when the report is written.I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic

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0:49

Human trafficking and tattoo studios?

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/04/30

by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Human trafficking indicators do not always surface first where people expect.Sometimes they appear where trust forms naturally and people spend enough time for unusual patterns to become visible.I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My

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1:15

Alabama Watching: What Jefferson County Says About an...

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/04/28

by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Jefferson County officials say cychlorphine has not been detected locally, but the larger issue is how forensic laboratories decide what they are prepared to see.Jefferson County forensic officials say a newly engineered synthetic opioid known as cychlorphine has not been detected in local postmortem toxicology casework.Officials say the compound is not currently part of routine toxicology panels, although internal communications have already been issued

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0:38

Social media as an investigative tool

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/04/28

by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Investigative value online usually appears through patterns, not single posts.Repeated names, reaction behavior, deleted material, and timing often matter more than people realize.I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and

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00:31:13

After Being Robbed at Gunpoint, She Chose Jail Ministry

The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast ·

2026/04/26

Years after being robbed at gunpoint, Susan Stoner found herself drawn toward a place many people would never choose to enter voluntarily: a county jail.In this episode of The Redemption Project, she explains why that traumatic experience did not harden her, but instead deepened her desire to serve women behind bars through Jesus Is the Way Ministries, where she now helps lead weekly Bible teaching, prayer, worship, and encouragement inside the jail.Susan talks about what she has witnessed over the

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