Dr. Joseph Williams was raised in Brooklyn by his mother and grandmother, but the allure of the streets quickly led him into fighting, selling crack, and a 4-year bid in New Jersey. After returning home and falling back into the lifestyle, Joe committed a brazen movie theater robbery that resulted in a stiff 11-year sentence in New York State prison. In this episode, we dive into how Joe survived the New York prison system, earned his college degree behind bars, and turned his life around to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker dedicated to breaking the cycle of recidivism.

Jesse Smithers was just a teenager when a street fight turned fatal, forcing him to accept a 10-year plea deal in the Minnesota prison system. In this interview, Jesse breaks down how he survived a decade behind bars only to face a new battle upon release: a system that wouldn't hire him. Pushed back into selling drugs to survive, Jesse reveals how a miraculous case dismissal became the final wake-up call he needed to leave the life of crime behind forever.

David Bell sits down with Ian Bick to break down his unconventional path through the criminal justice system — from going to law school for tax law and working at a major firm to walking away and joining the Missouri Public Defender. In this episode, David explains why he chose public defense, what it’s really like defending society’s “worst of the worst,” and how that experience reshaped his view of justice. He dives deep into sentencing guidelines, the use of “ghost dope” to inflate sentences, systemic changes in criminal law, and the real differences between public defenders and paid attorneys. Now in private criminal defense practice in Kansas City, David offers an honest, inside look at how cases are charged, sentenced, and defended — and what most people don’t understand about how the system actually works.

Anthony Milbourne traveled all the way from Australia to sit down with Ian Bick and share his journey into becoming a correctional officer inside an Australian youth prison. In this episode, Anthony breaks down how his life experiences led him to the job, what daily life was really like inside the facility, and the key differences between the Australian and American prison systems — from food, routine, and commissary to discipline and inmate culture. He also opens up about the violent attack he suffered at the hands of inmates, an incident that ultimately pushed him to walk away from the career.

Troy Ave sits down with Ian Bick for an honest conversation about his upbringing, the path that led him into the criminal justice system, and what it took to survive time at Rikers Island. In this episode, Troy Ave breaks down his early life, the court case that changed everything, the realities of being locked up inside Rikers, and how incarceration reshaped his mindset both personally and professionally. He speaks honestly about accountability, survival, and navigating life after the system while continuing his journey in music.