Criminal INjustice spotlights the people and organizations that fight the oppression of our “criminal INjustice system.” Casey Krizman, a criminal defense attorney, is on a mission to tip the scales for the criminally accused. He swaps war stories with his guests as they describe how the system often worsens the impact of crime. How is bail used to criminalize poverty? How do prosecutors get people to plead to crimes they didn’t do? How does the system work to keep people down? And what is being done to dismantle the system? Casey calls listeners to action and this podcast gives you ways to do so.
RJ Johnson was at life's lowest point. In the first year of a 20-year sentence for sexual assault, there were two attempts on his life. On suicide watch, he wasn't allowed a razor. His beard grew out and he was begging to be put into solitary confinement. Then he met the prison chaplain whose comfort, advice, and select readings from the Bible turned his perspective around. Now out, he has started a prison ministry, Not My Will Ministries, and written a book called God Doesn't Waste a Thing. He and host Casey Krizman talk about what it's like to go to prison, and what a healing journey looks like.
Not My Will Ministries: https://www.notmywillministries.com/ (https://www.notmywillministries.com/)
God Doesn't Waste A Thing: available at the ministry website and wherever books are sold online.
4 Jun 2026
Councilwoman Gonzales-Gutierrez's 'Justice Gene'
Denver Councilwoman Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez never lets go of her last job. Now, as an at-large councilwoman representing all Denver residents, she breaks down barriers she encountered in her previous roles: As an advocate for kids in trouble with the system, for victims of family violence, and for her own kids growing up in Denver. She is one of three councilwomen pushing a municipal court reform bill through the council. The core issue: Jailing people should not be the first and only tool we use in solving the city's problems.
14 Apr 2026
Are Parolees Ready For The Outside?
JoyBelle Phelan spent seven years incarcerated in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Today she runs Unbound Authors, a writing center active in 13 Colorado state prisons. She joins host Casey Krizman to make the case that the most important reentry skill isn't vocational training or a GED. It's communication. How to write a professional email. How to take feedback. How to work on a team. In this episode, JoyBelle breaks down why the reentry gap is structural, what it costs Colorado communities when over 6,000 people a year leave prison unprepared, and what you can do about it.
Resources:
Unbound Authors, https://unboundauthors.org/ (https://unboundauthors.org/)
Colorado Radio for Justice: https://www.radioforjustice.org/podcasts (https://www.radioforjustice.org/podcasts)
4 Mar 2026
The lawyers who battle corporations
Personal injury attorneys play an important role in fighting the INjustice system. If not for them, people injured by corporations and/or fighting an insurance company would be at the mercy of deep-pocketed corporations with armies of lawyers.
In this episode, Casey Krizman sits down with Sean Olson, whose firm helps people injured in hospitals, oil fields, and roadways get their bills paid and reimbursement for other losses. The “PI attorneys” often get a bad rap, but Sean explains how the cases he has handled reinforce his confidence that he is, indeed, balancing the scales of justice for his clients.
10 Feb 2026
UPDATE: Victory for No More Prisons Coalition
Casey Krizman discusses Colorado's Joint Budget Committee denying the Department of Corrections' request for new prison beds, highlighting the impact of advocacy and smarter solutions on criminal justice reform.
21 Oct 2025
Wrongfully Accused: How a Father Fought the System and Won
Trial lawyer Eric Faddis recounts to defense attorney Casey Krizman a shocking wrongful prosecution case in Colorado, revealing failures in medical oversight and the human cost of injustice in this interview.
3 Sept 2025
Why caging people doesn't work
Defense attorney Casey Krizman interviews lobbyist Kyle Giddings about how punitive laws lead to unnecessary incarceration and advocates for investments in community solutions.
23 May 2025
Flash Update: Muni Court fairness bill vetoed
Criminal Defense Attorney Casey Krizman discusses Governor Jared Polis' veto of HB 1147, a bill designed to ensure fair sentencing across municipal courts, arguing it enables the criminalization of poverty.
30 Apr 2025
Fighting Municipal Court INjustice
Host Casey Krizman interviews Representative Javier Mabrey about House Bill 1147, which addresses Colorado's inconsistent municipal court system. Mabrey explains how location determines sentencing severity, with poverty-related offenses receiving harsher penalties depending on jurisdiction. The bill aims to standardize sentencing guidelines and protect due process rights for all Coloradans. Mabrey, raised in poverty and now an eviction attorney, continues fighting for economic justice and criminal system reform.
Show notes:
Write to support HB 1147, the Fairness & Transparency in Municipal Courts Act, at: GovernorPolis@state.co.us (mailto:GovernorPolis@state.co.us)
Javier Mabrey's organization to fight for economic justice is the Community Economic Defense Project, https://cedproject.org/ (https://cedproject.org/)
#CriminalJusticeReform #ColoradoLaw #SentencingReform #DueProcess
4 Apr 2025
CBI evidence tampering
Veteran defense attorney Mary Claire Mulligan says the state Legislature should shut down the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and “rebuild from scratch.” The lab where crime evidence has been mishandled for more than 10 years has not responded adequately to the scandal and lawmakers have not done enough to rectify the problems it created, Mulligan said in an interview on the podcast “Criminal INjustice with Casey Krizman.”
Mulligan, who has been a defense attorney for 33 years, said the state should take these steps:
Shut down CBI completely and rebuild from scratch.
Demand complete transparency and access to all CBI data.
Appoint a special master to oversee case reviews.
Fund post-conviction attorneys to handle affected cases.
Urge state lawmakers to hold CBI accountable.
For those who believe their cases may have been affected, Mulligan recommends:
Contacting their original lawyer or another criminal defense attorney.
Filing a Form 4 (Petition for Post-Conviction Relief) (https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/Form4CR.pdf) with the court.
Contacting the public defender system (https://www.coloradodefenders.us/) and the alternate defense counsel (https://www.coloradoadc.org/), letting them know of your situation because “the squeaky wheel gets the grease here.”
3 Mar 2025
Immigrant INjustice
In this episode of Criminal INjustice, Trial Attorney Casey Krizman interviews Immigration Attorney Andrew Younkins. They cover a lot of ground, including what people concerned about getting caught in the ICE dragnet should do.
Key point: Immigrants who have attorneys are many times more likely to win their right to stay in the country and to be released from ICE prison. Unfortunately, very few people caught in the ICE dragnet have access to lawyers and often spend months in ICE prison waiting for their day in immigration court.
People concerned about the issue of immigrant rights may donate money or time to these organizations:
Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund (https://www.coloradoimmigrantjusticefund.org/), a pool of donated money used to pay for legal representation for immigrants.
Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (https://www.rmian.org/), which provides low-cost or no-cost legal representation to immigrants.
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (https://coloradoimmigrant.org/), a umbrella organization for groups working on immigrant rights across the state. They also provide training and preparedness documents (https://coloradoimmigrant.org/our-work/know-your-rights/).
People concerned about getting stopped by authorities and questioned about immigrant status should carry a “Red Card / Tarjetas Rojas,” which lists what to do and your rights in these situations. The card is available several places online, including here (https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas).
Andrew Younkins can be reached at 720-310-5162, 14261 E. Fourth Ave., Suite 6-307, aly-law.com (http://aly-law.com).
21 Jan 2025
Change the things you can
In his debut podcast, Criminal Defense Attorney Casey Krizman starts with the basics: Control that which you can control. People caught up in the criminal INjustice system feel overwhelmed and helpless. Casey advises his clients to start gaining control step-by-step -- starting with taking care of yourself physically and mentally.
In Episode 1, Casey talks with Oliver Vaughn of REVO Physiotherapy and Sports Performance (https://www.revoptdenver.com/). Oliver is a body worker – someone who uses massage and physical training to help people of all walks of life improve their breathing and conditioning, leading to overall wellbeing.
While physical wellbeing and criminal injustice may not seem entwined, the fact is when your life is turned upside down, find something you can control and that no one can take away from you. It can be a game-changer to get you through a traumatic experience.
Resources mentioned in the show:
Whealth (https://spreadwhealth.com/) -- Online resource for exercise to relieve back pain.
Kneesovertoesguy (https://www.youtube.com/c/thekneesovertoesguy)-- YouTube videos of accessible exercise routines
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