From Cell to City Hall

Jermaine Wilson didn't just 'do time.' He allowed his time in state prison to be the forge that reshaped his entire identity. While he was separated from his children by cold steel, he refused to let his fatherhood go cold. Through programs like Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree, he learned that you can be a 'present father' even when you aren't physically in the room.Jermaine didn't just return to society; he rose to lead it—eventually becoming the Mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas. He has moved on from being a mayor to working for Prison Fellowship as a Mission Ambassador. He’s helping other men realize that a 'Second Chance' isn't a gift you wait for; it’s a mission you build.To connect learn more about Prison Fellowship's Angel Tree program or to get involved, visit: https://www.prisonfellowship.org/about/angel-tree/To find other resources on The Fatherhood Challenge, visit: https://linktr.ee/thefatherhoodchallengeSpecial thanks to Smile Online Course & Books for sponsoring this episode. To learn more visit: https://thefatherhoodchallenge--smileteenskills.thrivecart.com/social-career-skills-accelerator/Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrhttps://zencastr.com/?via=thefatherhoodchallenge00:12.91Jonathan GuerreroThere's a specific kind of silence that follows a father's failure. It's the sound of a door closing, a phone not ringing, or a seat at the dinner table staying empty.00:24.06Jonathan GuerreroMost men believe that if they fall far enough, if they break the law, break their sobriety, or break their family's trust, that the leadership chapter of their life is over.00:36.09Jonathan GuerreroThey let shame build a wall thicker than any prison stone, and they convince themselves that their kids are better off without them. But today's guest is living proof that your history is not your heartbeat.00:50.97Jonathan GuerreroJermaine Wilson didn't just do the times. He allowed his time in federal prison to be the forge that reshaped his entire identity. While he was separated from his children by cold steel, he refused to let his fatherhood go grow cold.01:07.32Jonathan GuerreroThrough programs like Prison Fellowship, Angel Tree, he learned that you can be a present father even when you aren't physically in the room. Jermaine didn't just return to society. He rose to lead it, eventually becoming the mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas.01:22.84Jonathan GuerreroToday, as a justice ambassador, he's helping other men realize that a second chance isn't a gift you wait for. It's a mission you build. And I'm going to introduce you to Jermaine Wilson, and we'll hear his inspiring story in just a moment. So don't go anywhere.02:21.52Jonathan GuerreroGreetings everyone. Thank you so much for joining me in this episode called from cell to city hall. My co-host Isaac has taken a break, so it's just me this time, but I am so excited to introduce you to my guest, Jermaine Wilson.02:35.16Jonathan GuerreroJermaine, welcome to the fatherhood challenge.02:38.13Jermaine Wilson Hey, thank you for having me today. I'm blessed to be here.02:41.93Jonathan GuerreroJermaine, I know you have a powerful story to share, so I'm going to just step out of the way for a bit and let you share.02:49.82Jermaine Wilson Well, thank you, first off, just for allowing me to be here. Just want to start off giving glory to my Lord Savior Jesus Christ for this opportunity. to Growing up, I was exposed to drug crimes and violence at a very early age. I was blessed to be raised by both of my parents, but neither one of my parents completed high school. They both dropped out in the ninth grade.03:15.10Jermaine Wilson And my father struggled with drug addiction and incarceration throughout the early years of my life. So the struggle wasn't nothing new for me. I was exposed to the struggle and was born into the struggle with poverty, the the violence, to drugs, the addiction throughout my childhood. And growing up being the middle child out of nine children,03:38.71Jermaine Wilson I was always trying to find my place. I was always trying to search for an identity. I just wanted to be loved, valued, accepted, and appreciated. But that came with challenges. And I began to search for acceptance in the wrong place. And that led to a life of crime and drug addiction, which was at the age of 11 was the first time i started using drugs. And by the age of 12, I had committed my first crime.04:08.15Jonathan GuerreroWow, that is a powerful start.04:13.68Jonathan GuerreroJermaine, many fathers who crash, whether it's prison, addiction, or a failed business, feel a crushing weight of shame that makes them want to just hide from their kids.04:24.89Jonathan GuerreroHow did you silence the voice telling you that your children were better off without a criminal for a father?04:31.74Jermaine Wilson Well, after I continued that criminal lifestyle at the age of 15, I committed a robbery charge with census to four years in juvenile corrections. And once I got ...