Dr. James "JC" Cavitt: From Life Sentence To A Phd

Dr. James JC Cavitt is the Executive Director of Project Rebound at CSU Fullerton, a transformative program supporting justice-impacted students as they reenter academic life and broader society. He was previously a founding student of The Last Mile’s inaugural class at San Quentin State Prison, where he began his remarkable journey from incarceration to academia. Today, Dr. Cavitt holds a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy, is a licensed therapist, an accomplished spoken word poet, and a nationally recognized advocate for criminal justice reform. His scholarly work centers on the impacts of incarceration on emotional intimacy post-release—a subject deeply informed by his own life experience.

In this episode, Dr. Cavitt shares an intimate and powerful narrative that begins with a life sentence at age 17 and culminates in crossing the stage as “Dr. Cavitt” decades later. He speaks candidly about the emotional weight of having his dream of becoming a pediatrician denied due to a felony conviction, and how mentorship, community, and programs like The Last Mile helped him reimagine that dream through the lens of healing and mental health. Particularly compelling is his concept of the “trauma equation,” which underscores the importance of understanding the path that leads to incarceration—not just the outcome. For those passionate about systemic solutions, Dr. Cavitt’s reflections on confronting trauma, reclaiming identity, and pursuing education inside prison walls offer a profound blueprint for reform.

Episode Outline:

(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:01:12) Sentenced to Life at 17
(00:05:30) The Emotional Toll of Childhood Incarceration
(00:09:15) Finding Purpose Through Education in Prison
(00:13:42) The Power of Mentorship and the Role of Community
(00:17:30) Reimagining Dreams: From Medicine to Therapy
(00:22:05) Launching Project Rebound at CSU Fullerton
(00:26:40) Trauma and Intimacy After Incarceration
(00:31:55) The “Trauma Equation” and the Journey to Healing
(00:36:15) Building a Life That Reflects Transformation
(00:40:20) Why Language and Identity Matter in Reentry
(00:43:50) Final Reflections and the Importance of Purpose

The Last Mile Radio is a production of The Last Mile and Sirius XM Radio. The show's executive producers are Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti at TLM and Liz Aiello at Sirius XM. The show is produced by Robert Roche at TLM, with technical production by Greg Sahakian, James Bilodeau at Sirius XM. Original music by Maserati-E. For more, visit www.thelastmileradio.org