This Is A Collect Call from Sing Sing

Sing Sing is going on hiatus. John updates us on where he's been transferred and what he has in store for the future.

Author / Journalist / Professor TED CONOVER talks about his 2000 award winning book Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing and recounts his experience with the New York State correctional system by becoming a correctional officer for nearly a year.

John chats with award-winning poet / memoirist / teacher Reginald Dwayne Betts about their shared familiarity with the worlds of journalism and incarceration - as well as their thoughts on restorative justic and a reading from Reginald Dwayne Betts.

Executive director of the Sentencing Project - MARC MAUER - discusses racial disparities in the US criminal-justice system - the high rate of American incarceration - and the 20 year sentence cap proposed in his book, RACE TO INCARCERATE.

Author / lecturer / former inmate SHAKA SENGHOR shares his journey from an abusive home in Detroit to spending seven years in solitary confinement to having his book listed on Oprah's Super Soul 100.

PVO. Burgeoning musical artist JACK MORRIS talks about having a father inside Sings Sing prison and how it has impacted his songwriting.

John J Lennon shares his mixed feelings about winning an Ellie award from the American Society of Magazein Editors for his part in the Washington Post 2019 prison issue The Apology Letter https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2019/10/28/ive-built-career-prolific-prison-journalist-so-why-did-it-take-me-so-long-write-letter-family-man-i-killed THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGAZINE EDITORS ANNOUNCES WINNERS FOR 2020 NATIONAL MAGAZINE AWARDS https://www.asme.media/the-american-society-of-magazine-editors-announces-winners-for-2020-national-magazine-awards

Criminal justice reform advocate ALICE MARIE JOHNSON talks about her time in prison for a non-violent drug crime - the viral video that caught the attention of KIM KARDASHIAN - being pardoned by PRESIDENT TRUMP - and her book After Life: My Journey From Incarceration To Freedom.

Today we dive into the story of John's life in Hell's kitchen and how the consequences of his actions affected those closest to him - including his childhood friend Kenny Gonzalez and his mother Laura O'Connell.

Comedian / podcast juggernaut Adam Carolla chops it up with John J Lennon about criminal justice reform - the role of government - and life during Corona.

John shares an intimate discussion with rapper / actor/ entrepreneur Tip "TI" Harris about criminal justice reform - the role of storytelling on the path to redemption - and a personal story from TI about a close friend who passed away in prison.

Marshall Project staff writer KERI BLAKINGER joins John to talk about how prisons across the US are managing the COVID outbreak - as well as Keri's own story of serving time in federal prison. Follow Keri on Twiter @keribla Read her work at https://www.themarshallproject.org/staff/keri-blakinger

John shares how the COVID outbreak is affecting behavior in Sing Sing and the contrasting perspectives between older and younger inmates. READ JOHN'S LATEST ARTICLE HERE: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/covid-breached-wall-and-killed-man-yesterday/609952/

John shares a quick update on his condition inside and how its affecting his fellow inmates.

John J Lennon interviews A Better Life Recovery Chief Clinical Psychologist - DR. MEGHAN MARCUM ... when he receives word that Sing Sing is going on lockdown. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse or need to speak with someone about mental health services, you can go to www.abetterliferecovery.com and be sure to follow A Better Life at @abetterrecovery

Human rights attorney / REFORM Alliance Chief Advocacy Officer JESSICA JACKSON chats with John J Lennon about prison conditions during the COVID outbreak - her work with KIM KARDASHIAN - and her dedication to reducing America’s incarceration rate.

John J Lennon shares unfortunate news from inside Sing Sing and calls upon Governor Andrew Cuomo to take further action. Learn more about the RAPP Campaign: http://rappcampaign.com/

John J Lennons shares how inmates and staff are currently handling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic inside Sing Sing. READ MORE HERE: https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a31785266/coronavirus-prison-sing-sing-covid-19/

Marvel Cinematic Universe star SIMONE MISSICK goes in depth on her role as Judge Lola Bryant on the CBS legal drama ALL RISE - how the show addresses deep-seated issues affecting marginalized people -and the complicated issues within our judicial system.

John J Lennon chats with DANIEL WEBBER about embodying anti-Apartheid political prisoner, Stephen Lee, in the new film, ESCAPE FROM PRETORIA. John also interviews real life Pretoria escapee TIM JENKIN about life during Apartheid and how the film's message resonates in 2020.

John J Lennon chats with Esquire Style Director Jonathan Evans about clothing allowances within the New York state prison system. John also chops it up with his producers Jeff and Steve about his latest Esquire article "You Haven't Given Up: How Prisoners Are Finding a Place for Personal Style on the Inside."

John J Lennon chats with his producers Jeff and Steve about the fine line he had to walk writing his recent Sports Illustrated article depicting the culture of sports gambling inside Sing Sing Correctional facility.READ THE STORY HERE!

John interviews director and known collaborator with Ken Burns, Lynn Novick about the PBS four part documentary series," College Behind Bars." They talk about the making of the film, the pertinent themes of rehabilitation and criminal justice, and John's personal experience with the prison education system. They are also joined by Giovanni Hernandez who is one of the subjects in the film. He has been out of prison for three years and now works at the Brooklyn Community Bail Fun.

John interviews David Graham, appointed staff writer at the Atlantic on all things politics. David also happens to be the first person who ever published one of John's journalistic pieces. Since then, the two have remained in close contact as friends and colleagues. David spends everyday covering politics for the Atlantic so the two talk about what it's like to write about Trump in an objective style. More specifically, they compare the public conceptions of Trump and the impeachment that they've witnessed in their separate worlds: inside and outside of prison.