Episode 22: Words Shape Culture & Culture Informs Policy

In episode 22, the “Our Voice” podcast welcomes Zoë Towns – Vice President for Criminal Justice Reform at FWD.us, a bipartisan political advocacy organization committed to safely and significantly driving down America’s incarceration rate. Zoë and her team collaborate with policymakers and constituencies across the political spectrum to advance sentencing, parole, and pretrial reforms that deliver more freedom, opportunity, and fairness. Hosts Desmond Meade and Neil Volz sit with Zoë to dive deeply into the topic of narrative control – analyzing the role of media in shaping public opinion and public policy. Listen as they discuss why words like “felon” and “convict” dehumanize millions of American citizens, creating more barriers to successful reentry – and what we can do to remedy the problem.