Standing Up for Returning Citizens at the Heart of New Cooper Center Podcast

Early in the academic year, University of Virginia second-year student Esther Eriksson von Allmen was talking with a Charlottesville resident who mentioned that his voting rights had recently been restored. Until that point, Eriksson had known very little about the issue of felon disenfranchisement.

Listening to the resident’s story made Eriksson want to learn more. Much more.

Eriksson discovered that the majority of the individuals disenfranchised due to felony convictions are no longer in prison, but what really floored her was when she found out that the disenfranchisement rate for Black Americans is almost four times greater than that of non-Black people.

From there, Eriksson became involved in advocating for the passage of SJ 272, a proposed amendment to the Virginia state constitution that would automatically restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated Virginians.

However, it soon became clear to Eriksson that disenfranchisement was just one of many issues returning citizens face. “This goes beyond voting and includes housing, employment and access to welfare provisions,” Eriksson said.

Wanting to bring more attention to the issue, Eriksson teamed with fellow Cooper Center intern Cassie Deering to produce a podcast.

“I’d never heard about the struggles people face after leaving prison, and it was eye-opening for me to learn about it,” said Deering, a second-year from New Jersey. “When I first started researching the topic, it was heartbreaking to hear returning citizens’ stories from inside and outside of the prison because the system is just pitted against them. We think that we can punish people by throwing them in prison, but society is just discarding them like an afterthought.”

UVA Today caught up with Eriksson and Deering to learn more about their podcast, which is currently in the final stages of production for its second episode.

Q. Weldon Cooper Executive Director Larry Terry has a lot of experience in this space. Was he someone you conferred with during the process?

Eriksson: Yes, Cassie and I had the opportunity to speak with Larry Terry before we began the script-writing process. Given his position on the Virginia State Crime Commission, we knew Mr. Terry would serve as a great source of knowledge and expertise. 

During that meeting, we shared the general outline of our podcast and discussed potential interviewees. Mr. Terry was incredibly supportive of our idea, and he brought up Richard Miles, who runs a Dallas-based nonprofit that assists returning citizens with employment, financial literacy and food security. Without Mr. Terry’s assistance, we would have never gotten the opportunity to interview Mr. Miles, and so I’m very grateful for Mr. Terry’s help in facilitating that connection for us. 

Deering: I was honored to work with Larry Terry. Esther and I were actually able to talk with him early in the planning process, and we got his opinion on where the podcast should go. Larry has worked in felon community courts in Texas, and talking to him made us realize that the podcast should cover more than just voter registration.

This topic is also connected to disenfranchisement, psychological changes and adverse situations that happen as a result of leaving prison. So we ended up broadening the podcast to cover three broad topics: the struggles of returning citizens, voter restoration and transition houses. We’ve now split this into a three-part series, which will cover each topic in detail. I think Larry’s input has been really helpful in finding a personal lens for the series, and I’m happy that we can now convey the full scope of felon disenfranchisement.

Q. During the first episode, Richard Miles refers to the “mental prison” that returning citizens face after they leave prison. How does that manifest? 

Eriksson: The mental prison refers to the psychological toll of imprisonment that makes it difficult for returning citizens to integrate back into society. During our interview, Miles discussed how this imprisonment can alter a person’s relationship to work, given that many will often perform unpaid labor while incarcerated. I also think this mental prison can manifest in poor mental health outcomes, substance abuse problems and an increased likelihood to re-offend in the future. 

Deering: Mental prisons can cause returning citizens to disconnect from society, and we call them “prisons” because it’s a mindset that they can be trapped in. For example, they’re put through really bad experiences with prison labor, and afterward, they’re less motivated to work. It makes it that much harder for returning citizens to trust jobs outside of prison, because they’re put off by their previous bad experiences.

Mental prisons also make it harder to start new relationships – men and women spend years separated from each other, and when they leave prison, they have a gap in communicating with the opposite sex (according to Richard Miles).

Returning citizens might have a harder time coming back to their families and children, and unstable relationships make it harder to escape their mental prison. In actual prison, returning citizens are taught that they’re just numbers in the system, they have no real-world value, and that really prevents them from seeing their worth in society. 

Q. In producing this podcast, what have been your biggest takeaways? Any big surprises?

Eriksson: Being able to listen to Richard Miles’ story was a tremendous honor, and I’m so thankful he took the time to speak with us. Miles was wrongfully convicted at age 20 and spent his young adulthood in Texas prisons as a result. Seeing someone who has been so wronged by the criminal justice systems dedicate their career to public service and carry themselves with such grace and compassion is inspiring beyond words.

There need to be proactive measures to keep people out of prisons in addition to greater assistance for individuals upon release from prison. This means eliminating mandatory minimums, ending welfare bans on individuals with prior felony convictions, and challenging the carceral system of justice in the United States which incapacitates individuals while doing little to improve public safety or provide returning citizens with the resources necessary to lead successful lives. 

Deering: This case came up just at the beginning of our research; Esther told me about Jennifer Schroeder, who, because of parole laws, couldn’t vote until she was 71 years old. I was just so surprised that because of felon disenfranchisement, this woman would spend half of her life missing out on important elections. In the moment, I felt this incredible sense of injustice and anger, and that made me want to pursue this topic even more.

Q. Are there things you think we as a society can do – perhaps new legislation? – to make the lives of these returning citizens easier?

Eriksson: Virginia only recently repealed its ban that prevented former drug offenders from receiving SNAP and TANF benefits, but other states still currently limit formerly incarcerated peoples’ access to welfare benefits. In 2019, almost 2,000 Virginians were denied food assistance as a result of prior drug convictions. There is something particularly heinous in denying welfare provisions to individuals who are especially vulnerable to homelessness and unemployment.

Additionally, the stigma attached to the label of “ex-offender” and “felon” makes it difficult for individuals with prior felony convictions to find employment and housing. Reforming laws to increase returning citizens’ access to employment and housing is incredibly important. However, I also think we need to scrutinize the use of incarceration in response to non-violent crimes, particularly drug offenses. 

Deering: This is partially what we’re discussing in our next episode about voter registration. Nonprofit organizations like Miles of Freedom and Piedmont House (a transition house) are trying to break down this “mental prison” we discussed earlier. They teach returning citizens practical skills, help them get educated, and even support them after prison with food and housing assistance. If you’re able, please donate to these organizations and local ones in your area. Money has gotten tighter since COVID, and I’m sure these non-profits could use the financial support.

On the other hand, I also think the first step to change is a mental one. If our podcast can change people’s views about returning citizens, I’ll consider that a step forward. The more people this reaches, the more people can push for legislation to restore voting rights for returning citizens, for example. I want people to listen to this podcast and realize that returning citizens are human, too. They just wanted to be accepted into society.

Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about what the next two episodes will focus on?

Eriksson: The second episode will focus on felon disenfranchisement specifically. We will delve into the history behind Virginia’s felon disenfranchisement laws, as well as the ways in which felon disenfranchisement is being challenged in courts and state legislatures.

For the third episode, we will be focusing on local initiatives to assist returning citizens in the Charlottesville area. I interviewed Ms. Sandra Carter, who works at Piedmont House, a transition house for formerly incarcerated men in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area. Ms. Carter is an incredible person, who has dedicated her career to assisting returning citizens with all kinds of issues related to their transition back to society. She cares deeply about the residents of Piedmont House and deserves to be recognized for the work she has done for the Charlottesville community. I’m really excited to share her work. 

Q. What has made your intern experience at Weldon Cooper so special?

Eriksson: My supervisor, Claire Downey, gave me the freedom to pursue topics I found interesting, whether it be housing inequality in Charlottesville or voting procedure in Virginia. Claire has been a fantastic mentor for me, and I’m so grateful to have a supervisor as patient and kind as her. She is truly the reason why this internship has been such a great experience.

Of course, I also have to thank the individuals who volunteered time to speak with me for my podcasts. Listening to their stories has really impacted my future career plans. 

Deering: Claire Downey has been the coolest boss ever. She’s been really understanding and involved in the production process, and I’ve really valued her perspectives throughout the internship. I think the most valuable lesson I learned was when she told me to “take advantage of every opportunity while it’s there.” It’s pushed me to get the most out of my internship.

Thanks to Claire, I’ve had so many experiences through the Cooper Center – like doing graphic design for the Sorensen Institute and helping the Center for Survey Research with its social media page. Claire has also helped me find outside podcasting opportunities and use the Weldon Cooper Center’s resources to teach myself Photoshop and Audition.

So far, I’ve liked being able to work in a work environment where I can be creative and focus on topics that interest me. This internship has been a stepping-stone into the world of podcasting, and I’m excited to explore it even more.