Lock and Key Podcast-Both Sides of Prison

About Lock and Key Podcast-Both Sides of Prison

A former federal prisoner and a former correctional officer forged a connection at the same prison. Their perspective is raw and unique.

Publisher

Amelia Payton, Marvin Kinnel, Anthony Payton

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

6 Mar 2025

Latest episode

2 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Sept 2026

   What Really Makes People Change? Inside RDAP with Valerie Toth

   What does it actually take for someone to change? On this episode of Lock and Key Podcast, Anthony Payton and Marv Kennell sit down with Valerie Toth, who spent nearly 25 years at FCI Danbury, including 22 years as a Drug Treatment Specialist in the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). Valerie takes us inside a program designed to do more than address substance use. She explains how RDAP challenged participants to confront criminal thinking, take responsibility for their behavior, learn from their peers, and begin preparing for life beyond prison. Anthony brings his own experience as a former RDAP participant into the conversation, while Marv offers the perspective of someone who worked inside corrections. That shared history creates a conversation that goes well beyond the typical discussion about prison and addiction. Valerie opens up about: • What it was really like walking into a federal prison for the first time • Why trust inside prison can be so difficult • How RDAP used peer accountability and "pull-ups" to challenge behavior • Why some people embrace change while others go through the motions • The impact of the First Step Act on RDAP • Addiction, recovery, shame, and the idea of addiction as enslavement • What working in prison did to her own life and identity • Why vocational training matters for people preparing to return home • The people she still thinks about years after leaving Danbury • Why she believes that even a failed treatment experience can teach someone something And in one of the most personal moments of the conversation, Anthony tells Valerie how her encouragement helped him find his voice, overcome stage fright, and eventually step onto a TEDx stage. This is a conversation about prison, but ultimately it's about people, accountability, recovery, identity, and the possibility of change. Lock and Key Podcast: Both Sides of Prison. Hosted by Anthony Payton and Marv Kennell.

2. 

   14 Jul 2026

   A Successful Business Owner's Fall and Return

   When your closest friends become your co-defendants, how do you rebuild your life? On this episode of Lock and Key Podcast: Both Sides of Prison, Anthony "Tone" Payton and retired Federal Corrections Officer Marvin Kinnel sit down with Dennis "Doc" Dellaghelfa, a former hearing instrument specialist who built a successful career helping thousands of people regain their hearing before everything changed. After a federal investigation led to a healthcare fraud conviction, Dennis was sentenced to federal prison, losing his business, his professional license, and much of the life he had spent decades building. He shares his experience of the FBI raid, sentencing, navigating the federal prison system, and the unexpected challenges of returning home. This conversation goes beyond one man's case. It explores trust, accountability, re-entry, and the difficult reality of rebuilding after incarceration. Dennis also offers an honest look at halfway houses, employment barriers, and why he believes the re-entry process needs significant reform. Whether you've been impacted by the justice system or simply want to better understand what life looks like before, during, and after federal prison, this is a candid conversation about resilience, second chances, and finding purpose after adversity. In this episode: • Building a successful career in the hearing healthcare industry • The FBI raid that changed everything • Sentencing and entering the federal prison system • Life inside Lewisburg and Danbury • Halfway houses and the realities of re-entry • Employment, licensing, and rebuilding after prison • Lessons learned about trust, friendship, and moving forward Connect with Dennis: 📧 delaghelfadennis@gmail.com (mailto:delaghelfadennis@gmail.com) If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and share Lock and Key Podcast: Both Sides of Prison. Your support helps us continue bringing honest conversations from both sides of the prison system.

3. 

   10 Jun 2026

   Paige Beauchemin on Incarcerated Mothers, Recovery, and Why Working People Need a Voice

   On this episode of Lock and Key, we sit down with nurse, community advocate, and congressional candidate Paige Beauchemin for a wide-ranging conversation about poverty, addiction, incarceration, healthcare, and the policies that impact everyday people. Paige shares her journey growing up in New Hampshire while experiencing housing insecurity, watching addiction affect those closest to her, and finding her calling through nursing and public health. Her work has placed her on the front lines of some of society's most difficult challenges, including maternal health, homelessness, mental health, substance use, and caring for incarcerated mothers. Together, we discuss the emotional realities faced by women who give birth while incarcerated, the cycle of addiction and incarceration, barriers to housing and healthcare, and the importance of treating people with dignity rather than simply punishing them. The conversation also explores civic engagement, political representation, and why Paige believes working-class voices need a stronger seat at the table. Whether you agree with her politics or not, this episode is ultimately about people, second chances, and the systems that shape our lives. Topics Include: • Incarcerated mothers and childbirth • Addiction and recovery • Poverty and housing insecurity • Mental health and public health • Criminal justice reform • Civic engagement and voting • Running for Congress as a working-class candidate Listen, share, and join the conversation.

4. 

   6 May 2026

   From Incarceration to Innovation: Ikeem Rand’s Story

   On this episode of Lock and Key, we sit down with Ikeem Rand, a man who turned 12 years of incarceration into a blueprint for purpose, discipline, and innovation. Ikeem opens up about going in at 19, facing attempted murder charges, and the moment he made a decision that changed everything, taking accountability. From there, he immersed himself in poetry, education, and eventually the law, becoming a paralegal behind the wall and helping others navigate a system designed to slow them down. But his story doesn’t stop at survival. After coming home, Ikeem began building Concepts of Intellectual Property, a company focused on helping incarcerated individuals monetize their talents and protect their ideas. He also created Pro Se, a software concept aimed at streamlining the legal filing process for people inside, removing barriers that keep many from accessing the courts. This conversation goes beyond prison stories. It’s about strategy, ownership, structure, and what it really takes to rebuild from the ground up. We also get into: The power of accountability and mindset How prison sharpened his business thinking Why understanding the law changes everything The gaps in the system and how he’s working to fix them Building a company without a roadmap or support The importance of structure, partnerships, and long-term vision This is a real conversation about growth, mistakes, and turning knowledge into leverage.

5. 

   10 Apr 2026

   Another Door Open | Jay Kim on San Quentin, Healing, and Building Dignifi.org

   Jay Kim grew up in a Korean-American household in suburban California - disciplined, middle class, and emotionally closed off. He never expected to find himself in an orange jumpsuit, sitting behind glass at a county jail while his parents wept in silence on the other side. No words. Just tears. That visit changed everything. In this episode of Lock and Key: Both Sides of Prison, Jay opens up about his three-year term at San Quentin State Prison, now the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, and the unexpected journey that began inside its walls. Through a domestic violence program called HEART, Jay started excavating decades of unprocessed trauma, tracing a direct line from his childhood silence to his adult choices. He wrote. He reflected. He began to heal. Now 13 months post-release, Jay is channeling that experience into something concrete. He works with Dignify — a nonprofit tech company building an AI-powered web app designed to connect formerly incarcerated individuals with reentry resources, services, and programs in their county. No more dead-end Google searches. No more navigating a broken system alone. In this conversation, Tone and Marv explore: What San Quentin is actually like today versus its notorious reputation The emotional cost of growing up in a home where vulnerability was never modeled How a domestic violence program became the catalyst for Jay's transformation Why the reentry system is fragmented and what technology can do about it Dignify's platform, its AI chatbot, and the roadmap to national expansion Jay's story is one of cultural identity, systemic failure, personal reckoning, and purposeful rebuilding. This is what reentry looks like when it's done right. 🌐 Learn more about Dignify: dignify.org

6. 

   18 Mar 2026

   From Rikers Island to Power: Glenn’s Story of Survival and Redemption

   Glenn E. Martin doesn't just talk about change—he forces it. From getting stabbed at 16 on Rikers Island to forcing NYC to commit to closing Rikers, Glen's journey is a masterclass in transforming pain into power. In this raw conversation, Glenn breaks down: The moment a correction officer he used to stick up jewelry stores with ended up guarding him on Rikers How he survived gladiator school at 16 and what lesson the system accidentally taught him The day Senator Jeff Sessions called him a "blind squirrel" who found a nut—and why that insult birthed JustLeadership USA The tactical ambush that humiliated the NYC mayor and pushed the Rikers closure campaign forward Why he walked away from a $180K salary to build his own organization How he built 92 properties in 7 years providing housing for formerly incarcerated people The professionalization of advocacy—and why taking white philanthropic money often means giving up Black and Brown power His new non-profit that cuts checks to formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs (no tap dancing, no Shark Tank) The crowdfunding model that's about to democratize his real estate investment strategy Glenn on navigating elite spaces while never forgetting where he came from, the thin line between predator and prey, and why autumn isn't winter yet. Hosted by: Marv & Tone (Anthony Payton) Topics: Criminal Justice Reform, Re-entry Advocacy, Real Estate Investment, Rikers Island, Policy Change, Entrepreneurship, BRRR Method, Formerly Incarcerated Leadership

7. 

   4 Feb 2026

   From Wall Street to Federal Prison: Building a Movement for Millions of Americans

   Richard Bronson's fall from Wall Street executive to federal prison would be dramatic enough. But getting arrested and sent to Rikers Island 24 hours after his release for missing court while he was IN PRISON? That's when he realized the system was designed to trap people. Two decades later, after being backed by Sam Altman (OpenAI/ChatGpt) and Y Combinator for his company 70 Million Jobs, Richard is building Commissary Club, the first social network and resource platform for 100 million Americans with criminal records. In this conversation, he shares why he slept better in prison than anywhere in his life, the friends who disappeared when he got out, and why he believes it's time for formerly incarcerated people to have their own movement. "We could elect the president," Richard says. "The first club that actually wants us." ⚠️ Content Warning: Strong language and discussions of incarceration.

8. 

   12 Nov 2025

   Respect Over Power: Sherry Privott Gonzalez on surviving 20 years in Correction Officer

   Retired Corrections Officer Sherry Privott Gonzalez recounts her 20-year career, including a hostage crisis and mentoring inmates, in an interview with hosts Marv Kinnel and Anthony Tone Payton.

9. 

   30 Oct 2025

   Season 1 Recap

   Hosts Tone and Marv recap the first season of Lock and Key, highlighting impactful stories and guests like BX Wild Bill, Sharon White, and Donald Hinton, showcasing the power of second chances in this interview episode.

10. 

    2 Oct 2025

    Donald Hinton-From Prison to Properties. Season 1-Episode 5

    Donald Hinton recounts his journey from prison to real estate success, detailing how he transformed $10,000 into 19 properties and created a lasting legacy for his children in this interview.

11. 

    13 Aug 2025

    Episode 4-Season 1.

    Host Tone and Marv interview Sharon White, author and advocate, about the emotional realities of women's incarceration, resilience, and dignity.

12. 

    30 Jun 2025

    "From Pills to Prison, to Plays: Justina Weems Journey from Prison to Purpose"

    Jestina Weems recounts her transformative journey from trauma and incarceration to becoming an author and activist, emphasizing the power of creativity and purpose after prison in an interview with Marv Kinnel.

13. 

    12 May 2025

    When We Free the World – Kevin Powell and Evangeline Lawson on Black Manhood, Healing & Film

    (Special Episode) Writer, activist, and filmmaker Kevin Powell joins us alongside co-writer and producer Evangeline Lawson to discuss their six-year journey creating the documentary When We Free the World. This conversation dives deep into the complexities of Black manhood across generations.

14. 

    6 Mar 2025

    Lock and Key Podcast

    Marv and Tone talk about Danbury Federal Correctional Institution when it turned into a men’s prison. Guests weigh in on the circumstances of prison. Darryl ”Wild Bill” Grady, Jamell ”J.B” Birt, Dr. Candace Cole-McCrea, and Tiffani Arsenault.

Who has been a guest on Lock and Key Podcast-Both Sides of Prison

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Sherry Privott Gonzalez
• BX Wild Bill
• Sharon White
• Donald Hinton
• Jestina Weems

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

17

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32