With(in)

Our visionary leader Mr. Dean Williams announced his departure from Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections on November 9, 2022, after four years of impassioned service to thousands of incarcerated people, CDOC staff and our larger Colorado community. The following day, after his announcement, he joined the With(in) team in-person, and virtually, at the new Beacon at Skyline: A Correctional Community for a final, closing interview with our team. In Episode 23 of WIth(in), "Through the Fire", we reflect with Mr. Williams on his four years of leadership and service to CDOC, and on his profound impact on us, and on so many others. Mr. Williams, "thank you" will never do it justice. Your commitment to the good, hard work over the past four years, and the years before that that led you to us, has opened new realities and altered so many lives for the better -- all because you answered your calling. From our very first episode of With(in) -- "The Shift" in Summer 2019 -- to this episode -- "Through the Fire" in Winter 2022 (3 1/2 years later) -- know that you have shifted the ground. You have shifted lives. You have shifted the paradigm. You have shifted what is possible. We are forever grateful and forever honored to have served with you, and to continue our work onward. You can find Episode 23 of With(in) "Through the Fire - A Parting Conversation with Dean Williams" on thisiswithin.com, Apple podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud.

In Eps 22 of With(in), Co-hosts Denise Presson and Andrew Draper ponder the question of sentencing laws, how do we give justice to the victims and also hold space for the humanity of the perpetrators of those crimes with the same hands? Their discussion lands on the fact that cookie-cutter laws only take into account the crime, and not the reason behind the crime, or even the will of those who have been harmed. With(in) Producer Terry W. Mosley Jr. gets to spend some time with John Sherman, a formerly incarcerated man who spent 34 years in prison for murder, and who tells us that he will spend the rest of his life building a legacy for the man who lost his life at his hands. Finally, Dr. Ashley Hamilton, Executive Producer for With(in) and Executive Director of the University of Denver Prison Arts Initiative speaks with Kristin Nelson, Director of The Powell project, and a Harvard Law School graduate. Kristin speaks with conviction about current sentencing laws, some of the history of sentencing laws in our country and specifically about life without parole.

In episode 21 of With(in) -- Pattycake to Prison -- we explore what we are calling the pipeline to prison, specifically unpacking the correlation between juvenile detention and adult imprisonment. Ashley Ratliff, a public defense attorney specializing in children at risk of adult prosecution, speaks with Co-host Andrew Draper about the traumatic effects of the juvenile system and the need to intervene by creating holistic criminal and juvenile defense processes. Andrew continues by sitting down with Tenaro Banks, a 33 year old incarcerated man who was imprisoned at the age of 15. He talks about the realization that he never got a chance to know who he was, who he wanted to be before coming to prison and that while he is removed from society, life is all connected and he is a part of that life form. Denise Presson, Co-host of With(in) spends time with Andrew pushing forward the question if children can make complex and “forever” choices about their identity , or even understand the impact of those choices without the time to properly develop and mature.

In the 20th episode of With(in) -- Still a Citizen -- co-hosts Denise Presson and Andrew Draper explore what it means to be both a felon and an American citizen. First, Denise interviews Denver Women's Correctional Facility resident Tiffany McCoy about her inspiration for creating better policy within the Colorado Department of Corrections and using your power as a citizen to make change, no matter where you're at. Next up, Denise and With(in) music producer Travis Barnes discuss the relationship between community and our government, what it means to be a citizen as an incarcerated person and his journey trying to propose legislation to affect societal change from prison. Andrew also speaks with Colorado State Senator Pete Lee about his intended change to the felony murder law, his views on redemption and the voting rights of convicted felons and people who are released from prison. Denise and Andrew exchange perspectives, acknowledging the civic responsibility we all have as U.S. citizens to heal the harm that has been caused.

Episode 19 of With(in) -- The Stone Catcher -- is a very special episode! In The Stone Catcher we witness a conversation between social justice advocate, lawyer, and author Bryan Stevenson and our incarcerated With(in) and DU Prison Arts Initiative team. Our team is thrilled to have been able to speak to Mr. Stevenson, the author of the best selling "Just Mercy" and founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative. This very moving, complex and special episode is a conversation with Denise Presson (With(in) Co-Host, incarcerated at Denver Womens), Trevor Jones (DU PAI Group Leader and member of the Juveniles Convicted as Adults Program, incarcerated at Four Mile) and Mr. Stevenson. This powerful conversation delves into how we as a country invest in imprisonment creating a crisis of injustice and inequality, and how there is no path to progress that avoids uncomfortable or inconvenient conversations and actions. Mr. Stevenson describes his journey advocating for basic decency and justice, and proclaims that affirming the humanity and dignity of those that have lost their way is the conduit to overcome our nations ills. Additionally, co-hosts Andrew Draper and Denise Presson discuss the complex ideas revealed in the interview with Mr. Stevenson and how no one should be thrown away, calling for a further conversation to be held about the impact of mass incarceration on our society as a whole.

Episode 18 of With(in) -- Vital Diagnosis -- dives into the intricacies of recognizing and treating mental health issues inside of prison. Associate Producer Sarah Berry and With(in) Co-Host Denise Presson interview Mental Health Supervisor for Denver Women's Correctional facility Ms. Abeyta. They discuss the disparity between the percentage of women versus men seeking help, correctional fatigue and the importance of “filling your cup.” William Davenport, incarcerated in Sterling Correctional Facility, speaks with segment host Brett Phillips about growing up experiencing his mother's mental health issues, and his passion for his role as a Mental Health Peer Assistant, a program created by the Colorado Department of Corrections to provide low-level interventions for incarcerated folks in their time of need. Then, With(in) Music Producer Travis Barnes and Co-Host Denise Presson have a round-table conversation with CDOC staff members; Licensed Professional Councilor Lindsay Wolf and Licensed Social Worker Courtney Sheldon. In it, they disclose the idea that everyone who enters prison, staff or incarcerated, is walking around with trauma, and yet most people don't even know what trauma actually is. Co-hosts Andrew Draper and Denise Presson explore the thought that the stigma of mental health struggles creates complicated spaces in which we tend to judge rather than to offer care. We love engaging with our listeners! Leave your comments or reviews. Tell us what you think about what you heard. Your opinions are important to us.

In Episode 17 of With(in) -- Same Planet, Different Worlds -- we delve into the ways people look at the world and how our own preconceived paradigms shape that perception, especially when it comes to race, privilege and economic disparity. With(in) Music Producer Travis Barnes (incarcerated at Denver Reception Diagnostic Center) explains why, in the effort to transform yourself, what you have seen is not always as important as what you discover. Next, we interview people from all races, genders and walks of life, asking them what shaped their world, a hard question with hard answers. They share about family, faith and violence, health, humanity and the stigmas of race, the power of hate versus the value of choice. Co-hosts Andrew Draper (incarcerated at Sterling Correctional Facility) and Denise Presson (incarcerated at Denver Women's Correctional Facility) discuss our one-size-fits-all society, and how our differences make us uniquely amazing, fusing us into a tapestry of culture and heritage. Finally, Executive Producer Dr. Ashley Hamilton and Travis Barnes deliberate on change, the factors involved in creating that change, and the dynamics necessary to see humanity in someone else's world in a system created to keep us separated.

"Travis-19" is the accompanying song to With(in)'s Eps 14: "The Horrific Gift of Covid". Written and performed by Travis Barnes (Creative Producer for With(in), incarcerated at DRDC).

In episode 16 of With(in) -- The Great Bridge -- we traverse the idea of bridging our differences, and what it will take to make real change in our country. Associate Producer Sean Marshall (incarcerated at Denver Regional Diagnostic Center) and Segment Host Brett Phillips (incarcerated at Sterling Correctional Facility) delve into what it means to have empathy for people with a disparate point of view, and the roadblocks to creating understanding. Sean continues by speaking with Kevin James (incarcerated at Buena Vista Correctional Facility) on his life's journey, and how he has been affected by his surprising revelation that he is a Blue Lives Matter proponent. Dr. Ashley Hamilton, Executive Producer, talks with Executive Director, CDOC Dean Williams who laments the fact that race has never been reconciled in this country and his efforts to resolve that fact. Then Co-Host Andrew Draper (incarcerated in Sterling Correctional Facility) has a fascinating conversation with Colorado Department of Corrections Deputy Director Andre Stancil about the difficulties of being a black man in law enforcement, and his drive to make real and lasting change within the Department of Corrections through the G.R.A.A.C.E. Alliance. Co-Host Denise Presson (incarcerated in Denver Woman's Correctional Facility) reminds us that now that we know, we can not ever unknown it, and exhorts us to do something to create change, to not just “sit there.”

"Here With(in)" is the accompanying song to Eps 13: "The Way Back" of With(in). Written and performed by Travis Barnes (Creative Producer for With(in), incarcerated at DRDC).

Episode 15 of With(in) journeys into today's social climate, as Associate Producer Sean Marshall (incarcerated at Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center) opens by laying down a framework describing the facts about the origination of two seemingly polarizing organizations: Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter. Sean then interviews Cyrus Clarkson, a captain in the Colorado Department of Corrections. In it, we discover that our differences are outweighed by our shared humanity, and the power of treating people not in the way we want to be treated, but in the way they want to be treated. Next, Segment Host Brett Phillips (incarcerated at Sterling Correctional Facility) talks with Leandra Bumpass (incarcerated at Denver Womens), where she depicts her childhood as preparing her to be a strong black woman, and her deep desire to see the world as a place where we can exhale. Co-Hosts Andrew Draper and Denise Presson explain the blurring of the mythos in America of who are villains and who are heroes. They extol the virtues of curiosity and conversation as a way forward for our country, during this moment of deep divide.

In episode 14 of With(in) segment host Matthew LaBonte (incarcerated at Sterling Correctional Facility) chats with Professor Wayne Gilbert about coping with the painful dance between solitude and engagement in the claustrophobic new world of "lockdown" that the pandemic has created. Then, Denver Women's Correctional Facility Sergeant Dejoire Cooper speaks with Associate Producer Sarah Berry about the unique opportunities that arise out of the added stressors of Covid-19 lockdowns, and the realization that she missed the daily personal interactions with her incarcerated workers. Co-host Andrew Draper sits with Nurse Susan who describes the epiphany she experienced around the social and professional barriers of nursing in prison, and her discovery of the rich humanity in those she serves. Finally, our co-hosts, Denise Presson and Andrew Draper, have an intimate conversation about the concept of legacy in prison, stemming from their thoughts while Denise was sick with Covid and Andrew was isolated due to an outbreak

In the first episode of Season 2 of With(in), "The Way Back", we begin by sharing a bit about our team's journey over the past two years, creating Season 2 of With(in)-- virtually -- during the Covid19 pandemic, across three prisons in the Colorado Department of Corrections. We then share glimpses of the Season to come in a trailer of the upcoming episodes, introducing an incredible lineup of interviews to come. Then, incarcerated co-hosts Denise Presson and Andrew Draper delve into their personal lives over the last two years. Andrew speaks about grappling with the hard subjects from Season One, his illness and subsequent diagnosis. Denise describes the weight of her responsibility as a voice for incarcerated women, and maintaining the incredible trust that has been placed upon her as a co-host of With(in). Finally, With(in) Producer Terry W. Mosley Jr. gets a chance to sit down with Colorado Department of Corrections' Executive Director Dean Williams. Mr. Williams talks about his anticipation of entering Season One as well as his takeaways from it. He continues with his excitement about the direction for Season Two, and his continued hope to humanize prisons. In an exciting shift, all recording, producing and mastery of Season 2 of With(in) was done inside of prison. For more on With(in) and the team -- including art, poetry and music from inside -- visit thisiswithin.com

In our final episode of the season, we complete our story on dying in prison by speaking with Nick Jones, an incarcerated man in his 60s, dying from cancer in the infirmary at DRDC. A woodworker, Mr. Jones shares with us the legacy he’d like to leave behind – a wooden toy chest filled with toys for children in hospitals. Mr. Jones sadly passed away this fall before he was able to make his dream a reality. Draper, Ashley, and other members of our team have come together with Bags of Fun (https://www.bagsoffun.org) to make Mr. Jones’ wish come true for the holidays. To learn how you can donate, stay tuned until the end of the episode. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

This week, we begin our two-part story on dying in prison. With so many of our team members serving long or life sentences, this subject was a particularly difficult one for us. Today, we sit down with Damon Davis, an offender care aide (OCA) serving a life plus 480-year sentence. He explains the offender care vocational program, why he chose to get involved with it, and how the work affects the way he sees himself and his sentence. Davis speaks honestly about challenging society’s view of him and the importance of being there for other incarcerated men during end-of-life. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com

In today’s episode, we continue our mission to shift the conversation on who is in prison, by speaking to the Warden of the Denver Complex. Warden Ryan Long has spent a significant amount of his professional career in Colorado’s prisons, working his way from correctional officer, to case manager, to warden. Currently, Warden Long oversees the multiple facilities in the Denver Complex, including DRDC, where we record this podcast. Warden Long discusses the importance of seeing the humanity in the residents of his facilities, and the role that staff and incarcerated folks play in shaping a facility’s environment. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

You’ve heard his work all season, and today you finally get to hear from the man himself. This week on With(in), Denise, Draper, and Ashley speak with our resident poet, William S. Graham, about the role art has had in his life. Unlike the story you heard from our Reverberations Newsletter Liaison, Terry Mosley Jr., a couple weeks ago, Graham’s relationship with art started way before he came to prison. Now a published author of five books (and counting), Graham explains how writing has always been a place of refuge for him and has served as a way for him to stay connected to the world outside the prison walls. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

On this week’s episode, we explore the extremely difficult subject of domestic violence. Denise, Draper, and Ashley first speak with Jamiylah Nelson, a resident of Denver Women’s Correctional facility serving a life without parole sentence. Jamiylah shares her story of being in an abusive relationship and how she’s come to recognize the type of love she deserves. Later, we speak with Robert Hill, who is serving a life plus 48-years sentence at the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center. Robert reflects on the violence he inflicted on his partner as a young father struggling with identity issues. He explains that by doing the difficult work of exploring and learning to articulate his emotions, he has found healthier ways to communicate how he feels to others. Domestic Violence resources can be found on our website. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

This week, we hear from our very own Terry Mosley Jr. on his experiences with arts practices in prison and how his work with the DU Prison Arts Initiative has changed his perspective on what it means to be an artist and to live in prison. Terry is our Reverberations from With(in) liaison and a DU PAI group leader at Sterling Correctional Facility. He is an integral part of this podcast and numerous other DU PAI programs, including the recent touring production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, in which he played the character Martini. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

In the second part of Rory and Otis’ story into and out of violence, we hear how their plan to escape Centennial Correctional Facility failed, and the consequences they both faced as a result of their attempt. This week, they tell us about their experiences in solitary confinement, where they spent a combined total of nearly 40 years. Rory and Otis discuss their breaking points, and what convinced them to change their ways and become who they are today, pillars of the community who use their experience to positively influence others and help younger guys coming into the system. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

This week, we introduce you to two infamous men inside Colorado’s Department of Corrections. Rory Atkins, resident of the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center (DRDC) and Otis Bell, resident of Limon Correctional Facility, met three decades ago, while both were residing at Centennial Correctional Facility in Canon City, Colorado. When Rory entered prison at the age of 19, he met Otis, a muscular tough-guy who had been inside for a couple years, and took a liking to him. Otis, along with a few other guys, brought Rory in on a plan to escape from Centennial Prison. In Part 1 of their story, we get to know their relationships to violence, how they both came to be inside and how their decades-long friendship formed. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

This week, Denise, Draper, and Ashley sit down with criminologist, professor and DU Prison Arts Initiative (DU PAI) faculty advisor, Dr. Jeff Lin. Dr. Lin is interested in the ways that criminal outcomes are impacted by systemic arrangements of policy and practice. Using quantitative and comparative methods, he has examined these dynamics among juvenile offenders, parolees, and sex offenders, and through analyses of media coverage of serious crime and the effects of large-scale changes to state correctional policies. Pulling from his own research and knowledge base, Jeff discusses sentencing laws and answers questions about who is in prison, and what prison is for. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

When our Associate Producer, Sarah Berry, came to prison, her crime determined how she was treated by other women in the facility. Media coverage of her case and gossip within the prison walls created a narrative about Sarah before she had even set foot inside a state prison. This week on With(in), we speak with Sarah and the woman who gave her the hardest time when she came to prison, Terrina Flora Alexander. We trace their relationship back to the beginning, looking to understand why Terrina decided to target Sarah, and how Terrina’s life experiences impacted how she viewed Sarah and her case. Denise, Draper and Ashley explore the hierarchy of crime that exists both within and beyond the prison gates, and why some crimes seem to be more “acceptable” than others. Now friends, Sarah and Terrina’s relationship shows the power of talking to someone, rather than about them, and how, as a society, we allow what’s said about someone to determine how we view them, and, subsequently, treat them. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

In this week’s episode of With(in), Draper reflects on his experiences growing up in and living life in an East Denver gang and the vicious cycle of violence that largely goes unnoticed. Sharing personal stories of what his life looked like when he ran with the Crips, Draper shows the harm perpetuated by gang culture and how his experiences have led him, along with With(in) team members, Angel Lopez and Chuck Martinez, to help young people at-risk of falling into gangs. Later, our hosts talk to Denver Reception and Diagnostic (DRDC) resident, Lou Lopez, about the Chicano gang he grew up in on the West Side of Denver. Lou explains his perspective on how the term “gang” is simply a label, used to police and other certain groups of people. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

On our very first episode of With(in) our hosts, Denise, Draper, and Ashley sit down with the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC), Dean Williams. Mr. Williams was appointed to lead the CDOC by Governor Jared Polis in January of 2019. In today’s episode, he outlines his plans to implement normalization efforts within the state’s prisons and discusses why now is the time to make this shift. Drawing on his experience with Alaska’s Department of Corrections and from prison system models in Norway, Mr. Williams explains his position on rehabilitation, care, and why and for whom prisons exist. For more information on With(in), including team bios and how to subscribe to our newsletter, Reverberations from With(in), please visit our website: https://www.thisiswithin.com.

With(in) is a podcast that is committed to shifting the conversation on who is in prison through meaningful, complex and enlightening conversations with incarcerated people in Colorado and other's in and around the system. With(in) is a collaboration between the DU Prison Arts Initiative (DU PAI) and the Colorado Department of Corrections. With(in) is recorded in the vault of the Denver Complex Correctional Facility and is hosted and supported by a team of incarcerated folks alongside Ashley Hamilton (Founder and Director of DU PAI and Executive Producer of With(in)) and Caroline Sheahan (Producer of With(in)). For more information, including to read With(in)'s newsletter Reverberations from With(in), please visit thisiswithin.com.