On June 14th, 1991 at 2:15am, five armed teenagers broke into a home in Salinas, CA, believing there was a safe with cash inside the house. For 48 minutes, they tortured a mother, a father, and their 17 year-old daughter. When the family did not produce a safe, they began raping the daughter, causing her father to resist and fight. The father was shot and killed.

Twenty years later, I sat in a prison visiting room with one of the five inmates and witnessed his attempt to make amends to the mother. And I witnessed her forgiveness.

In this episode, I am reunited with the mother, Cheryl Ward-Kaiser for a powerful interview about the true meaning of restorative justice, and the power of forgiveness and accountability.

You can access The Staff Assistant Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Audible Podcasts.

Links:

https://www.theunion.com/news/local-news/this-victim-chooses-forgiveness/article_bfd8c820-d9b4-5737-b638-b06dea70acbb.html

https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/publications/121416-aclu-parolereportonlinesingle.pdf

https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/earning-freedom/55263

https://casetext.com/case/people-v-drayton-121

https://www.amazon.com/Being-Delivered-Through-Hard-Times-ebook/dp/B0CKHN31Z8

In this episode, I interview Valentino and Irma Rodriguez, the parents of Correctional Officer Valentino Rodriguez, Jr.

Val Jr. worked as a correctional officer at both San Quentin State Prison and California State Prison Sacramento for over five years before he died of a fentanyl overdose in 2020. We discuss his family history, how Val Jr.’s death impacted their family, and get to know Val Jr. posthumously through the eyes of his parents.

We also discuss the familiar topics of harassment, work place retaliation, suicide, addiction, and bullying.

In this episode, we interview Tyler Caffee, the brother of Correctional Officer Jami Bowechop. Jami worked at the California State Prison, Corcoran for nine years before she died by suicide in 2016. Tyler shares about their family history, how Jami’s death impacted their family, and reasons why he believes Jami took her own life: Jami reported a use of force incident as a whistleblower and kept a detailed journal about the harassment and retaliation she experienced at work. After being fired for a separate allegation, she took her own life at the age of thirty.

You can access The Staff Assistant Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Audible or Google Podcasts.

Episode 49: Selena

In this episode, we interview “Selena,” a female correctional officer who works in a maximum security correctional setting. She discusses growing up with a distant mother and an alcoholic father, and the impact these early relationships had when she became a parent herself. We explore her post-partum depression, lack of emotional connection with her child, and her suicidal thoughts. She also discusses her anxiety related to commuting to work, particularly during inclement weather. “Selena” provides a look into the common issues most women are struggling with outside of work.

In this episode, we interview board certified psychologist Dr. Joel Fay. Joel spent six years in the US Army as a military police officer and as an investigative specialist. He joined the LAPD for a 5 year period, before transferring to the San Rafael Police Department, where he spent the next 23+ years. During his career in law enforcement, he worked a variety of positions including SWAT, hostage negotiation, canine, drug recognition and as a mental health liaison officer.

While working for San Rafael PD, he obtained his doctorate in clinical psychology and became licensed as a clinical psychologist. It was following the tragic death of four Oakland police officers that he began seeing first responders in his private practice, and would do so after working his shift on patrol.

Joel is the founder of the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat, which is a six day intensive retreat specifically for first responders and law enforcement, and the retreat is now facilitated by the First Responder Support Network. Joel is currently working in full time private practice in San Rafael, and continues to teach and consult with a variety of police departments in the Bay Area.

https://www.joelfay.com

https://www.frsn.org

In this episode, we interview CDCR Lt. Salvador Bermudez who works at California State Prison Los Angeles County. “Sal” as his friends know him, discusses his history of high blood pressure/hypertension that he left untreated for a prolonged period of time. We discuss the relationship between work stress and high blood pressure, and the unique challenges he has faced working at his institution.

Sal’s untreated hypertension has led to kidney failure and he is currently receiving dialysis three days a week. He has exhausted his leave credits and continues to work while he waits for a donor to provide him with a kidney transplant. Sal is married with two children, one of which has special needs. He is the sole provider for his family.

Sal needs a kidney donor who is either O+ or O- blood type, who has no chronic medical conditions and someone who is not overweight. But even if you aren’t a match, your donation (in his name) could move his name to the top of the donor list. To apply to begin the process to see if you could donate, please go to the website:

https://usc.donorscreen.org/register/now

If you know Sal, or have worked with him before, he could use your support. Please reach out to him. Once he receives a kidney donation, he plans to set up a catastrophic time bank so that he can have the donation surgery and recover at home afterward.

If you don’t have his contact information, feel free to reach out to me.

In this episode, we interview Lieutenant Scott McGee who currently works for a police department in Southern California. Scott describes himself as a “Professional Good Guy” and practitioner of "The Sisu Way." Though typically difficult to define in English, Sisu is a Finnish word that describes someone who possesses strength and determination in the face of adversity, persistence, hope, grit, an unbeatable mindset full of courage, tenacity, resilience, will power, triumph and an unconquerable soul.

With almost twenty years of service, Scott has worked different roles including patrol, community affairs, special operations, criminal investigations, and is a wellness instructor for his department. He discusses difficult critical incidents that he has encountered on the job, as well as personal struggles with his family.

You can follow Scott at @scottmcgee or @TheSisuWay on Instagram, or check out his podcast called The Sisu Way on all major streaming platforms.

In this episode, we interview Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Kate Pieper. Kate has been in professional practice for over 30 years and currently only see first responders and their families. She is the former Coordinator for the Northern California Trauma Response Network, is a part of the Sacramento EMDR Regional Network Leadership, and volunteers as an EMDR therapist for the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat for first responders. She provides Critical Incident Stress Debriefing at incidents in Northern California, most recently the Camp Fire, CHP incidents and CalFire incidents. She is an adjunct professor for a local graduate school, teaching “Crisis Trauma, and Community Mental Health.” Kate is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant who provides consultation and training for other therapists to use EMDR with their clients. Kate has provided departmental resiliency training to Cal Fire, CHP, Bakersfield Police Department, San Jose Police Department and the California District Attorney’s Association, as well as other agencies.

In addition to discussing her professional life, Kate discusses her childhood trauma, as well as her own suicide attempt. Kate discusses the difficulty she had in her marriage, as well as many medical issues that arose in her family. She recalls the difficulties she has encountered with various clients, including suicide attempts, stalking and death threats.

Kate is currently in private practice in Auburn, California and accepts Magellan, Blue Shield, Optum, and Anthem Blue Cross insurance plans. She also offers EMDR Intensives and individual cash rates for all first responders.