In this episode, I interview Josh Cook - the founder of ETL - Enter the Lion. Josh joined the Baltimore Police Department as a police officer, eventually transferring to the Anne Arundel County Police Department. Feeling called to minister to law enforcement directly, he separated from his department, relocated to Tennessee and began Enter the Lion (ETL). ETL is a Christian ministry that provides a completely free retreat to first responders and law enforcement who are desiring rest and time in nature. ETL provides biblical counseling, mentorship, and discipleship to those seeking a connection with other believers. To contact Josh or inquire about attending a retreat, contact him through his website:

www.enterthelion.co

You can access The Tactical Debrief on Apple, Spotify, or Audible Podcasts.

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.