In this episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, Dr. Craig Waleed speaks with Gregory Winbush about rebuilding life after incarceration. Gregory shares how family support, mentorship, and personal determination helped him move forward after prison and eventually receive a pardon that restored opportunities and rights. The conversation explores the challenges of reentry, the importance of pro-social support systems, and Gregory’s current work helping others clear their records and find hope beyond their past mistakes.

What does it really take to rebuild a life after prison?

In this powerful episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, host Craig Waleed sits down with Charlotte-based community leader and reentry advocate Shaheedah Ross.

After spending years incarcerated, Shaheedah Ross emerged determined to transform her experience into purpose. Today, she works to create pathways for justice-impacted individuals seeking opportunity, dignity, and a second chance.

In this conversation, Dr. Waleed and Shaheedah discuss:

• The reality of rebuilding life after incarceration • The hidden barriers people face during reentry • How lived experience shapes authentic leadership • Why communities must rethink second chances • Turning personal adversity into collective impact

This episode is a powerful reminder that people are more than the worst moment of their lives—and that leadership can rise from places society often overlooks.

If you believe in second chances, redemption, and community transformation, this conversation is for you.

• Book Launch: April 4, 2026 at Allegra Wesbrook Library, Charlotte, NC

In this episode of the Prison to Promise Podcast, host Dr. Craig Waleed sits down with prison reform advocate and Justice Ambassador Jesse Crosson for a powerful conversation about transformation, accountability, and the long road from incarceration to purpose.

Jesse shares his deeply personal story of entering the criminal legal system as a young man and spending years behind bars before experiencing a profound shift in how he understood responsibility, harm, and redemption. Through education, faith, and mentorship, Jesse began rebuilding his life from the inside out.

Today, Jesse works to advance criminal justice reform and restorative justice practices across the country. In this conversation, he reflects on the importance of human dignity, the challenges of reentry, and why people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution.

This episode explores what it means to confront the past honestly while working to build a future rooted in accountability, healing, and community transformation.