The 98% - Life After Prison

About The 98% - Life After Prison

This podcast is dedicated to the 98% of people incarcerated in North Carolina who will eventually be released from prison back into their communities, often with few, if any resources. Through the voices of people in transition and those who support them, we explore hurdles and life long barriers many justice-involved people confront whether getting a drivers license, finding housing, or trying to find a job. We examine issues like substance use disorder and mental health that plague this population and ask what we as a society can do to support the formerly incarcerated and reduce recidivism. In 2023, Judy Van Wyk and April Barber partnered to create a podcast about the many issues people face when transitioning from prison. Van Wyk is a producer and criminal justice advocate. April Barber received a life sentence when she was 15. After more than 31 years, she had her sentence commuted by Governor Cooper. She was released March 24, 2022. ART WORK BY JOHN HARDIN

Publisher

Judy Van Wyk & April Barber Scales

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Apr 2023

Latest episode

19 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

51 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Aug 2026

   The Evolution of Kerwin Pittman

   Send us Fan Mail Kerwin Pittman’s transformation started in solitary confinement. He had a moment when he suddenly realized how much his gang activity was hurting his family. He vowed to turn his life around and spent the rest of his time in the hole reading everything he could get his hands on. Eight years later, Kerwin is a leader in reentry and an influential advocate for criminal justice reform. In January 2026, he bought a decommissioned prison with the idea of convert...

2. 

   30 Jul 2026

   Making the Most of a Second Chance

   Send us Fan Mail Jorgie Brown was released in May, 2025 after five years in prison. She was lucky enough to find stable housing and wrap-around services with Arise Collective, one of the few programs in North Carolina that provides transitional housing for women. (see our 3-part series on Arise Collective which aired 12/03/25 - 01/08/26) Fourteen months later, Jorgie is thriving. She's living on her own, finishing up her bachelor's degree and working a job that allows her t...

3. 

   22 Jul 2026

   Reentry 2030: Changing How We Approach Incarceration

   Send us Fan Mail In 2024, North Carolina signed on to an ambitious national initiative to reduce recidivism and break the ongoing cycle of incarceration. Reentry 2030 brings together people across all sectors of government to work collaboratively with community leaders and people with lived-experience to lower the barriers to housing, healthcare and employment. George Pettigrew serves as the Deputy Secretary for Rehabilitation and Reentry in the North Carolina Department o...

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

4.7 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100

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

Quality

34

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51