The Permanent Record

Sheriff Candidate Anthony Buckner

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:30:13 +0000

In advance of the upcoming county elections, we sat down with each of the seven candidates for Shelby County Sheriff to ask questions about the jail, immigration enforcement, and public safety. Here is our final episode in that series, a conversation with Anthony Buckner. Be sure to listen to the other candidate interviews and then vote.

Early voting ends April 30th and Election Day is May 5th!

Sheriff Candidate Ricky Pollard

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:45:03 +0000

In advance of the upcoming county elections, we sat down with each of the seven candidates for Shelby County Sheriff to ask questions about the jail, immigration enforcement, and public safety. Here is our sixth episode in that series, a conversation with Ricky Pollard. Be sure and check this feed before you vote; we'll post all seven interviews in the coming days.

Early voting ends April 30th and Election Day is May 5th!

Sheriff Candidate Marco Yzaguirre

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:30:22 +0000

In advance of the upcoming county elections, we sat down with each of the seven candidates for Shelby County Sheriff to ask questions about the jail, immigration enforcement, and public safety. Here is our fifth episode in that series, a conversation with MarcoYzaguirre. Be sure and check this feed before you vote; we'll post all seven interviews in the coming days.

Early voting ends April 30th and Election Day is May 5th!

Sheriff Candidate Michael Pope

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:30:31 +0000

In advance of the upcoming county elections, we sat down with each of the seven candidates for Shelby County Sheriff to ask questions about the jail, immigration enforcement, and public safety. Here is our fourth episode in that series, a conversation with Michael Pope. Be sure and check this feed before you vote; we'll post all seven interviews in the coming days.

Early voting ends April 30th and Election Day is May 5th!

Sheriff Candidate Keisha Scott

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:30:24 +0000

In advance of the upcoming county elections, we sat down with each of the seven candidates for Shelby County Sheriff to ask questions about the jail, immigration enforcement, and public safety. Here is our third episode in that series, a conversation with Keisha Scott. Be sure and check this feed before you vote; we'll post all seven interviews in the coming days.

Early voting ends April 30th and Election Day is May 5th!

Sheriff Candidate Brad Less

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:30:14 +0000

In advance of the upcoming county elections, we sat down with each of the seven candidates for Shelby County Sheriff to ask questions about the jail, immigration enforcement, and public safety. Here is our second episode in that series, a conversation with Brad Less. Listen to each interview and get out and vote!

Early voting ends April 30th and Election Day is May 5th.

Sheriff Candidate Reginald Hubbard

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:35:31 +0000

In advance of the upcoming county elections, we sat down with each of the seven candidates for Shelby County Sheriff to ask questions about the jail, immigration enforcement, and public safety.

Here is our first episode in that series, a conversation with Reginald Hubbard. Listen to each interview and then get out and vote!

Early voting ends April 30th and Election Day is May 5th.

Episode 67: Former Shelby County Sheriff/Mayor Mark Luttrell

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 20:04:35 +0000

Mark Luttrell was the Sheriff of Shelby County, Tennessee for eight years beginning in 2002. He was then elected Shelby County Mayor for two terms. When he became Sheriff more than 20 years ago, Luttrell inherited a very unstable and chaotic situation at the Shelby County Jail. Violence, poor management, and overcrowding were the norm.

Under Sheriff Luttrell's leadership, the jail went from a deadly scourge on our community to a model facility. His staff and the jail made headlines because of the turnaround. The Shelby County Jail is back in the headlines in 2025 but for very different reasons.

So, we invited Mayor Luttrell on the podcast to discuss that jail turnaround, whether the same approach could work again today, and a few other odds and ends. Even in retirement, he is a very active public servant with a lot of experience and advice we'd do well to follow.

Episode 66: Rep. Justin J. Pearson

Wed, 14 May 2025 18:06:22 +0000

State Representative Justin J. Pearson represents District 86 in the Tennessee General Assembly. Though he's best known for getting expelled by Republican leadership in 2023 after speaking out about gun violence, Rep. Pearson has been a vocal advocate and skilled community organizer for years.

He's joining us at our 10-year celebration, Stand Up with Just City, on June 8th, so we thought we offer a brief preview on The Permanent Record.

We discussed some of his motivations as an elected official; we mourned the loss of meaningful debate in the legislature; and he told us his favorite spot on Beale Street!

Get tickets for Stand Up with Just City TODAY at justcity.org/standup.

Episode 65: "Raisins, Spam, & Spaghetti Noodles"

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 17:43:55 +0000

The Tennessee General Assembly is speeding toward adjournment in the next few weeks, and some of the bigger issues and decisions are coming into focus. Stella Yarbrough of ACLU-TN rejoins the podcast this week for an update and discussion on some of the bills that interest us - voting rights restoration, the 1st Amendment, and constitutional amendments are all being considered. So is a new funding stream for District Attorneys across the state, but you'll have to listen to find out what that has to with the title of this episode.

We also chatted about a Presidential pardon that hits close to home and the growing call for a new jail in Memphis.

Do you like what you're hearing? Do you have ideas for future episodes? Give us some feedback. We'd love to hear from you at info@justcity.org

Episode 64: "A Glamour Slammer"

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:35:29 +0000

The recent spike in deaths in the Shelby County Jail resulted in quite a bit of media coverage and a tour of the jail for local journalists. Unfortunately, Brittany Brown and Katherine Burgess from MLK50: Justice through Journalism were not invited on the tour. So we invited them to join us on the podcast! We talked about that decision by the Sheriff; we discussed the history of jail conditions in Shelby County; and we considered the families left behind when someone dies in custody.

Katherine also recently wrote about the announcement by Memphis Mayor Paul Young of a task force that will address problems at the Memphis Police Department. Katherine sat down with the Mayor and retired Judge Bernice Donald, the head of that task force, and then she sat down with us.

Do you like what you heard? Do you have ideas for future episodes? Give us some feedback. We'd love to hear from you at info@justcity.org

Episode 63: "It's Not the Talk of the Town"

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 19:10:06 +0000

Criminal justice and public safety make headlines everyday in our community. The Permanent Record will take you behind the news reports and help you understand what keeps us safe and what doesn't. Listen as Just City Executive Director, Josh Spickler and the Legal Director at ACLU of TN, Stella Yarbrough, talk about the latest from Memphis and beyond.

In this episode, Josh and Stella discuss the recent spike in jail deaths in the Shelby County and what we can do about one of the deadliest jails in the country. They also talk about a TN immigration bill that will ban children from public school classrooms unless they can prove their legal status. Finally, they weigh in on the effort underway at the General Assembly to remove the Shelby County District Attorney. Spoiler alert: it may not be as popular as one West Tennessee senator thinks it is.

Do you like what you heard? Do you have ideas for future episodes? Give us some feedback. We'd love to hear from you at info@justcity.org

Episode 62: Crime & Public Safety in the News, Pt. 2

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 19:59:37 +0000

We're shaking up the Permanent Record for 2025. Criminal justice policy, crime, and public safety make headlines everyday in our community. So, for the next few months we're going to shift from an interview format to one that offers news and analysis, and we're going to be recording more often.

To help us out with this new style, we invited our friend Stella Yarbrough, Legal Director at ACLU of TN, to sit down with our executive director, Josh Spickler, and discuss a few news items that relate to our work.

The Tennessee General Assembly is regrettably back in session, and in this week’s episode, Josh and Stella take a look at some of the legislation that could be filed in the next few months. They also discuss embattled Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis, who was reappointed in a surprise, last minute City Council vote, and how it’s possible to get a $5,000 bond for stealing $11 worth of coffee, cookies, and cigarettes from a gas station.

Give us some feedback on this new format. We'd love to hear from you at info@justcity.org

Episode 61: Crime and Public Safety in the News, Pt. 1

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:33:13 +0000

In the first episode of this new version of the Permanent Record, Josh and Stella discuss the Department of Justice findings from its "pattern or practice" investigation into the Memphis Police Department; newly announced crime trends; and the retirement of Shelby County General Sessions Judge Bill Anderson.

Give us some feedback on this new format. We'd love to hear from you at info@justcity.org

Episode 60: Kaitlin Beck & Lily Resha

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:41:35 +0000

In the second of two episodes highlighting our Court Watch program, defense attorney Kaitlin Beck and student intern Lily Resha talk with longtime Court Watch leader, Yonée Gibson. Their discussion touches on the value of court watch from an attorney perspective, the unexpected patterns that emerge after months of observing criminal court, and how one watcher ended up becoming a witness.

Just City's Court Watch program enlists community members to observe Shelby County's criminal courtrooms and empowers them to record what they see and hear. These volunteer watchers bring much-needed transparency and accountability to a criminal court system that is often more opaque and obscure than it should be.

Learn more about Just City Court Watch and sign up to participate at www.justcity.org/courtwatch

Episode 59: Court Watchers Laramie Wheeler and Ruchie Borkar

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 22:11:07 +0000

In the first of two episodes of this special series spotlighting Court Watch, Yonée Gibson, our Program & People Experience Manager - and longtime Court Watch leader - talks with two of our court watchers, Laramie Wheeler and Ruchie Borkar. They share their motivations for volunteering, some of what they've observed in court, and why they believe it's important to keep watch.

Learn more about Just City Court Watch and sign up to participate at www.justcity.org/courtwatch

Episode 58: Mark Loughney Returns

Wed, 29 May 2024 14:41:32 +0000

Mark Loughney returns to The Permanent Record. We last spoke to Mark while he was incarcerated in Pennsylvania. We first met Mark when The Marshall Project covered his Prison Portraits exhibit. Work from Mark's Pyrrhic Defeat series is always on display at the Just City office in downtown Memphis. Mark's new series, "Prison Buddies", will be on display in Memphis at the Goodwyn Gallery in the Hooks Central Library from June 9th through the 30th.

Check out more of Mark's work:

https://www.loughneyart.com/

https://www.instagram.com/loughneyart/

Episode 57: Sylvia Ryerson

Fri, 17 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Director Sylvia Ryerson discusses her film Calls From Home after a live screening hosted by Just City on April 13, 2024. The film follows a weekly radio broadcast that serves as an important communication tool for the families of incarcerated people in rural Appalachia.

Episode 56: Jacob Steimer

Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Jacob Steimer, a journalist with MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, recently authored a series of stories on the presence of lead in neighborhoods across Memphis. He joined us to discuss the science of lead poisoning and how effective abatement strategies can help to lower crime rates.

This episode was recorded live as part of A Day With Just City.

Episode 55: Iris Roley

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

In this special conversation with Cincinnati Black United Front’s Iris Roley, she shares her pioneering experience in seeking police accountability by centering Black community members in reform. She shares the story of filing a first-of-its-kind racial profiling class action settlement that led to a Collaborative Agreement between police and the community that has seen use of force and arrests halve in the two decades since it was first implemented. She talks about how to ensure different impacted groups feel included and find common ground, overcome resistance to oversight reforms, and use data to make a compelling case and evaluate progress.

Episode 54: Michele Deitch

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Professor Michele Deitch, director of the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab at UT-Austin joins us to delve into options for oversight as we see a rise in jail deaths, the risks of treating children as adults in the criminal legal system, and alternatives and best practices for jails. She discusses the importance of empathy for people in the criminal justice system and emphasizes we can have safety and a more humane system.

The Prison and Jail Innovation Lab

Episode 53: Insha Rahman

Thu, 18 May 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Insha Rahman, vice president for advocacy and partnership at the Vera Institute of Justice and expert on bail and pretrial detention, joined us to help correct misunderstandings about bail, and she points out that reforming pretrial detention can make our communities both safe and just. She parses out the politics from the policies both nationally and in Shelby County, Tennessee, where significant changes to the pretrial detention process were implemented in mid-February 2023.

Episode 52: They Knew Which Way to Run

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 18:00:00 +0000

They Knew Which Way to Run is a stunning look at the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy in India. The 7-part podcast series takes us on an amazing exploration of themes often discussed on The Permanent Record. Themes like accountability, pain, harm, and how we deal with those as human beings.

Episode 51: Joanna Schwartz

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 15:32:48 +0000

A few short weeks after the killing of Tyre Nichols, UCLA Law Professor Joanna Schwartz released a very timely book. It's called Shielded: How the Police Became Untouchable. In it, she describes how current law makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to hold police accountable when they violate the rights of those they are sworn to protect. She has a deep understanding of the law and the rules of civil litigation. She vividly demonstrates how the legal system all-too-often protects police officers despite appalling behavior and clear civil rights violations.

Episode 50: Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 10:30:00 +0000

On this episode Josh speaks with newly elected Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon. We learned about his career from public defense to finally taking over duties at the Juvenile Court. Judge Sugarmon comes from a family with a very distinguished history of standing up for civil rights, and he carries on that tradition.

Episode 49: District Attorney Steve Mulroy

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 20:02:01 +0000

We're back with a special interview of the newly elected District Attorney in Shelby County, Steve Mulroy. Steve was elected on August 4th and took office on September 1st. His first week in office was marred by some of the worst incidents of crime that Memphis has seen in a long time. We discussed that first week and what it was like for him personally. Steve and his staff of more than 200 people are responsible for prosecuting every crime in Tennessee's second largest county. We talked about the priorities Steve campaigned on and how he is going about implementing them in his first few months in office. We also discussed some of his hidden talents, things you might not know about him.

Recorded live in front of an audience of Just City supporters at Crosstown Concourse on September 29th, 2022.

Episode 48: Liliana Segura

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 16:28:00 +0000

Liliana Segura is an award-winning investigative journalist covering the United States criminal justice system. She currently writes for The Intercept. Liliana covered the recent federal execution spree set in motion last summer by the Trump administration. We invited Liliana to share from her unique perspective, having traveled to Terre Haute, Indiana for all 13 executions. We also talked a little bit about Tennessee's renewed pursuit of executions and the future of the death penalty in America.

Episode 47: Pat Culp

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 16:14:26 +0000

"The number of women in American prisons has risen at an alarming rate over the past three decades. In this episode, we talked with Pat Culp, the Executive Director of WEBS Memphis - Women Empowered to Become Self-Sufficient. A native Memphian, Pat has spent the last 28 years providing women in our community with valuable opportunities to return home with marketable skills and the confidence to succeed. We invited her in to discuss what inspired her, what motivates her to keep going, and how prison is different for women."

Episode 46: Kelley Henry

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 18:04:08 +0000

Kelley Henry has spent her career fighting for people facing the death penalty in Tennessee. Currently, she is fighting for Pervis Payne who, despite consistently maintaining his innocence, is set to be executed in December. The day before we recorded this interview, a Shelby County judge ordered DNA testing in his case - a significant victory for Kelley and her team. We sat down with Kelley on Constitution Day to discuss Pervis Payne’s case and some of the many frustrations of death penalty work in Tennessee.

As a complement to this episode, we highly recommend you read this profile of Kelley written by our friend and guest on Episode 40, Steven Hale. You can learn more about Pervis Payne at www.pervispayne.org.

Episode 45: Mark Loughney

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 18:48:27 +0000

In October of 2018 The Marshall Project featured the work of Mark Loughney, an artist who is currently incarcerated. We began conversing with him through email and snail mail and started collaborating on an exhibit, which is still in the works. We decided it was time to talk with Mark voice to voice and let our audience hear what life is like inside and how his experience with art has affected him. Learn more about Mark and his work on his instagram page @loughneyart

Episode 44: Furonda Brasfield

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 15:21:55 +0000

In this very special episode, we talked to “America’s Next Top Lawyer”, Furonda Brasfield former America’s Next Top model contestant, turned attorney and Executive Director of the Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Just City Court Watch coordinator and State organizer, Joia Erin facilitates a conversation with Furonda about the COVID-19 outbreak at Cummins State Correctional facility in Arkansas and discusses the recent deaths of young black men and women killed unjustly in America. Amidst an international coronavirus pandemic, the widespread killing of black bodies in America still persists. Listen in as Joia and Furonda discuss how police brutality is just one factor of systemic oppression.

Episode 43: Liz Ryan of Youth First

Mon, 17 Feb 2020 17:06:01 +0000

The United States leads the world in incarceration of children, and Liz Ryan and the Youth First Initiative are leading the effort to change that. Youth justice is a frequent topic of conversation in Memphis, and Shelby County is considering a major expansion of its youth detention facility. For this episode of The Permanent Record, we talked to Liz about challenging the misconceptions of children in the justice system, political will, and the possibilities that exist when we rethink youth detention.

Episode 42: State Representative Andrew Farmer

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 16:01:43 +0000

State Representative Andrew Farmer lives in Sevierville, Tennessee and represents the 17th House District. He serves as Chair of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, and we suspected he had a family connection to Dolly Parton. We invited him on the podcast to find out about both.

Episode 41: Raymond Santana

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 17:30:38 +0000

In this very special episode, we talked to Raymond Santana - one-fifth of the group now known as The Exonerated Five. Raymond and four other young men from NYC were wrongfully convicted of raping a woman in Central Park in 1989. They are now the subject of Ava DuVernay's Netflix series, When They See Us.

Seventeen years after being fully exonerated, they are finding their voices again. Raymond was in town for a few hours recently and agreed to give us a few minutes of his time. We think you'll love what he had to say.

Episode 40: Steven Hale

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 20:59:37 +0000

Steven Hale is a staff writer for the Nashville Scene. He has been a media witness to three of Tennessee’s most recent executions. His written accounts of those experiences are very moving and provide critical insight to the politics and mechanics of capital punishment in Tennessee. Since the State has set more execution dates, including one in October, we asked Steven to join us to give his firsthand account and discuss some of the many issues surrounding our accelerated use of the death penalty.

Episode 39: Noura Jackson

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 15:11:40 +0000

Noura Jackson was charged and convicted of killing her mother in a 2009 trial that made national headlines; however, citing significant missteps by the prosecutor in the case, her conviction was unanimously overturned by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The lead prosecutor on the case was Shelby County’s current elected District Attorney. Maintaining her innocence, Noura entered an Alford plea to manslaughter and was released from prison 3 years ago. We sat down with Noura to talk about life before and after prison, what’s she’s up to now, and her hopes for the future.

Episode 38: Emily Bazelon

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 18:59:46 +0000

Emily Bazelon's latest book Charged: The New Movement to Transform American Prosecution and End Mass Incarceration explores the critical role of the elected prosecutor in our criminal legal system. It prominently features the case of Noura Jackson, which resulted in an overturned conviction because of misconduct by the current Shelby County District Attorney General. Emily came to Memphis recently to promote her book, and she joined us in-studio for her second interview on The Permanent Record. We talked more about the power of elected prosecutors and even chatted about politics and the 2020 election.

Episode 37: Simone Weichselbaum

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 16:04:37 +0000

Earlier this year, the Marshall Project and local journalist, Wendi Thomas, filed a lawsuit against the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission over its failure to disclose financial information and other records. Simone Weichselbaum, who covers national policing policy for the Marshall Project, was investigating the claims often made by Memphis officials that an increase in the number of police officers has a direct impact on violent crime. Simone ran into a dead end when the Crime Commission refused to provide requested information, so they filed the lawsuit.

We talked to Simone about the importance of transparency when making public safety policy; some of the unusual things she discovered about the Memphis Police Department; and the challenges of diversity and inclusion in journalism. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

Episode 36: Carrie Johnson

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 20:10:05 +0000

Carrie Johnson ist the Justice Correspondent for National Public Radio’s Washington Desk. She covers a wide range of emerging justice issues, law enforcement stories, and legal affairs. Carrie is one of our only repeat guests on The Permanent Record. Check out her first interview (Episode 16) in our four-part series on the media. For this episode, we spoke to Carrie about the practical implications of the recently passed First Step Act and the politics that made its passage possible.

Episode 35: Mark Holden

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 03:02:47 +0000

The new year brought new Federal criminal justice and prison reform, so we're devoting the next few episodes of the Permanent Record to examining the First Step Act. It has been widely praised and was broadly supported by a bi-partisan coalition that has become very rare for Congress. President Trump recently signed the bill, and when it goes into effect it will reduce our federal prison population. But what else will this bill do -- and what are the next steps we need to take for more meaningful reform to occur? In this episode, we discussed these questions and more with Mark Holden, General Counsel to Koch Industries, one of the bill's most outspoken supporters.

Episode 34: Rudy Valdez

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 20:10:02 +0000

Rudy Valdez is a filmmaker committed to making cinematic, meaningful documentary films that inspire social change. We invited him on The Permanent Record to discuss his latest film, The Sentence, a documentary about mandatory minimums and sentencing reform that he shot and directed over the course of a decade. It’s available now on HBO.

Episode 33: Veda Ajamu

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 17:18:01 +0000

Every time we sentence a person to jail or prison, we also sentence a family to a life without that person. The demands on the families of incarcerated people are often overlooked, but Veda Ajamu’s family is all too familiar with the many burdens of having a loved one locked up. For this episode, Veda gave us a vivid look at how her family has struggled to stay connected to her brother, Robert, during his decades in the Federal prison system.

Veda lives in Memphis and works for the National Civil Rights Museum; she is also very active with FAMM, an organization devoted to preserving the dignity of those on the inside and supporting their families as they try to stay connected. Check out FAMM’s video featuring Veda and then give our latest episode a listen.

Episode 32: Shane Claiborne

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 15:21:42 +0000

In mid-October, Tennessee announced that Edmund Zagorski would be executed on November 1, 2018, and the State intends to use the electric chair to do it. If carried out, it will mark the second execution in Tennessee this year, after nearly a decade without one. Native Tennessean Shane Claiborne recently wrote a book about the death penalty in America. The book is called Executing Grace: How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why it’s Killing Us. In light of Tennessee’s grim return to capital punishment, we invited Shane on The Permanent Record to talk about what’s wrong with the death penalty, how we got here, and where we’re headed as a state and a country.

Check out Shane’s book www.executinggrace.com

Episode 31: Dr. Margaret Vandiver & John Ashworth

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 15:40:39 +0000

Dr. Margaret Vandiver is a retired professor of criminal justice at the University of Memphis and a strong supporter of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. She has studied state and collective violence, ranging from the use of the death penalty in America to contemporary instances of genocide. She is the author of Lethal Punishment: Lynchings and Legal Executions in the South and also volunteers with the Lynching Sites Project here in Memphis. John Ashworth is the executive director for the Memphis Lynching Sites Project, and also joined us for this episode. John spent several decades in the military and the airline industry before taking the lead in this important work. We discussed some of the critical issues facing our criminal justice system today and why it’s important to have a space to discuss the past.

Episode 30: Marc Perrusquia

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 14:45:10 +0000

The Daily Memphian is a brand new local media outlet, and its first issue included an expansive investigative piece -- “A Reluctance to Record”. It's a must-read that reveals yet another instance where part of the criminal justice system in Memphis is an extreme outlier -- the Memphis Police Department does not record homicide interrogations. We thought this critical issue deserved even more attention so we asked the author, Marc Perrusquia, to come on The Permanent Record to discuss it. Perrusquia is Distinguished Journalist in Residence at the University of Memphis, heading up the newly established Institute of Public Service Reporting. He is also reporting for the Daily Memphian and worked for more than 29 years at The Commercial Appeal, where he won numerous state and national awards for his work. Hear what he has to say about his months-long investigative reporting on this story.

We’ve also posted the full audio of two recordings referenced during the interview.

Cordell Walton “Packaged Confession”

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3q8uc5p0m786e79/Cordell%20Walton%20confession-1.m4a?dl=0

Cordell Walton Preliminary Hearing 09.17.2018 Detective Eric Kelly Testimony

https://www.dropbox.com/s/37oyilwdaiorawg/Sept%2017%20prelim%20hearing.m4a?dl=0

Episode 29: Bill Dries and Ryan Poe

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 16:51:56 +0000

The Shelby County general election is less than a week away, and your host is a hopeless political junkie. So, for this special episode, Josh convened a special election roundtable with two of Memphis' top political reporters. Ryan Poe of the Commercial Appeal and Bill Dries of the Memphis Daily News have been covering elections up and down the ballot for this and many elections past. Hear what they have to say about the County Mayor's race, the new County Commission, and the impact that the Juvenile Court oversight has had on this election. Plus, a lot more!

Episode 28: David Lenoir

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 12:52:56 +0000

With election season in Shelby County in full swing, we present one of two recent interviews with the candidates for County Mayor. David Lenoir has played SEC football, started a mutual fund, and served two terms as Shelby County Trustee. He is now the Republican candidate in the race for Mayor.

When recently discussing the challenges facing our community, Lenoir pointed to his faith and said this, "So, for me, it is top of mind and a real desire and passion of mine that we, as a community, come together as one. I've seen the power and benefit of it in my own personal life." Listen to our conversation with him about sentencing, pretrial detention, and what it means to be "the County's banker."

Episode 27: Lee Harris

Mon, 16 Jul 2018 12:52:51 +0000

With election season in Shelby County in full swing, we present one of two recent interviews with the candidates for County Mayor. Lee Harris has been a City Councilman, a State Senator, and is now the Democratic candidate in the race for Mayor.

A native Memphian, when asked about moving home to Memphis instead of a taking a job on Wall Street after law school, Sen. Harris said, “I’ve always been a big challenge kind of guy. Going to Wall Street is not a challenge.” He sat down with us and discussed some of those challenges - crime and punishment, public safety, and his readiness for the job he's seeking.

Episode 26: Luther Ivory

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 14:41:18 +0000

Our guest for this episode is Luther Ivory. He shared some of his experience growing up in Memphis during the Civil Rights era, including a very significant evening at Mason Temple on April 3, 1968. Today, Luther Ivory is mostly retired from his job as an associate professor of religious studies and director of African American studies at Rhodes College. He has also planted and pastored multiple churches, toured the world aboard a U.S. Navy destroyer and raised a family in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. His warmth and enthusiasm were contagious, and you’ll love his stories and his passion for life. All are very apparent from this recent interview.

For more of Lu’s story, check out this 2013 opinion piece in The Christian Science Monitor.

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Episode 25: Virginia Murphy & Officer Chris Street

Mon, 21 May 2018 16:54:22 +0000

Our latest episode features founder and executive director of Playback Memphis, Virginia Murphy, and Memphis Police Officer Chris Street. Officer Street is former military and makes for the quintessential cop in appearance and pedigree. But the way he describes his job and his experiences as a police officer will surprise you. Virginia brings grace, thoughtfulness and delight to otherwise daunting situations. Those gifts have given her organization its staying power for nearly a decade. Here’s to 10 more years of Playback Memphis!

Episode 24: Homeboy Industries

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 23:47:52 +0000

Homeboy Industries bills itself as the largest gang intervention program on the planet. There is little doubt that this unassuming collection of neighbors has transformed thousands of lives and saved thousands more. The Homies, as they are known, give tours, bake bread, learn trades, and generally invest in each other and their neighborhoods. Two Homies, Omar and Jason, were in town recently with Homeboy founder Father Greg Boyle, and we sat down with them for a few minutes to get the inside scoop. It was a delightful conversation that we hope you enjoy.

Learn more about Homeboy at homeboyindustries.org. Listen to a brilliant conversation with Father Greg here.

Episode 23: Dr. Charles McKinney

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 14:08:32 +0000

During the recent commemoration of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the community in which he was sacrificed offered symposia, galas, and more than a few bus wraps as reminders of his work and legacy. In our opinion, a few voices rose above the cacophony. Dr. Charles McKinney was one of those voices; he is an Associate Prof of History and Director of Africana Studies at Rhodes College.

Prof. McKinney was kind enough to spend a precious few minutes with us during that very busy month. Among a few other things, he reminded us that Dr. King spoke equally about love, power and justice, but all too often we ignore the power and the justice and focus on the love. Unfortunately, this dishonest treatment of Dr. King's message informed how we marked his tragic death. In this interview, Professor McKinney vividly reminds us that, 50 years later, things are not alright.

Episode 22: Adam Foss

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 18:16:11 +0000

Adam Foss founded Prosecutor Impact in 2016 with the mission to improve community safety in the United States through a better understanding of the most important actor in the criminal justice system: the criminal prosecutor. They pursue education, training, and improved access to technology for the American prosecutor, which they believe will improve public safety results in our communities.

Adam has long been a critical voice in the national conversation about criminal justice reform. His 2016 TED Talk, A Prosecutor's Vision for a Better Criminal Justice System, has been viewed nearly 2 million times and is a clarion call for the involvement of prosecutors in the work of reversing mass incarceration. Watch it and listen to our interview to find out what Adam and PI are doing to make that a reality.

Episode 21: Professor Tim Huebner

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 03:12:37 +0000

Abe Fortas was born in Memphis in 1910 and would go on to become a Supreme Court Justice of the United States. His journey to the nation's highest court took him far away from his hometown, but the impact of growing up poor in the South is evident in nearly everything he accomplished.

For this episode, we interview Tim Huebner, Professor of History at Rhodes College, who recently published a remarkable article for the Journal of Supreme Court History entitled Memphis and the Making of Justice Fortas. It is perhaps the best examination of this city's impact on the man, and it is chock full of detail and fascinating anecdotes. If you're a Memphis history buff and care about equality and fairness, you'll love our conversation.

Episode 20: Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 21:45:30 +0000

For our first episode of the new year, we spoke to the mayor of Gary, Indiana, Karen Freeman-Wilson. Mayor Freeman-Wilson co-chairs the committee on criminal and social justice for the US Conference of Mayors and helped produce that section of the mayors’ agenda entitled Leadership for America: Mayors’ Agenda for the Future. Read more about the Mayors' Safety and Security Plan here.

During our interview, the Mayor helped us locate Gary on a map, we talked about the importance of right-sizing our criminal justice system, and she gave us some behind the scenes scoop from her time as an Undercover Boss.

Episode 19: Richard Ransom

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 03:58:07 +0000

Richard Ransom has been covering the news in Memphis for more than 20 years, and recently became Weeknight Anchor and Managing Editor for Local 24 News. Shortly after beginning his new role, Richard stated “Reporting crime all the time is not a responsible or accurate reflection of life in our city, and I am proud to work with a news team that wants to inform you, not scare you.” This edition of The Permanent Record examines exactly what he meant by that and looks to a more productive and honest future of how crime and public safety can be portrayed by local broadcast news outlets.

Episode 18: Eric Barnes

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 02:48:55 +0000

For our third interview in Just City's continuing examination of the link between mass media and public policy, we spoke with Eric Barnes, Publisher and CEO of the Memphis Daily News and host of "Behind the Headlines" on WKNO-TV. A twenty-year veteran of Mid-south publishing, Eric describes the rapidly evolving business models that are driving the way daily print outlets report the news and the indelible effects it has on the way people think about the public safety of their local communities -- as well as the responses that local officials and lawmakers have to these perceptions.

Tune in for our fourth and final media podcast, when we speak with Local Memphis' Anchor and Managing Editor Richard Ransom about a refreshing new perspective on crime coverage by local television news outlets.

Episode 17: Jessica Pishko

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 02:43:42 +0000

For our second interview in a series of four episodes in which we’ll be interviewing the interviewers, and looking at the unique role that the media plays in covering the criminal justice system, we interviewed Jessica Pishko of the Fair Punishment Project.

Jessica graduated from Harvard Law School and writes frequently about criminal justice issues, especially prosecutors and their influential role in the system. Her award-winning writing has appeared in The Nation, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Pacific Standard, and San Francisco Magazine.

We talked to Jessica about her recent article in The Nation about state district attorney associations and their resistance to almost all reform efforts and about the realities facing writers in this new era of journalism.

Make sure you listen to our third episode in the series; it's coming soon. In it, Kerry Hayes talks to Eric Barnes, editor of the Memphis Daily News about issues facing journalists in Memphis.

Episode 16: Carrie Johnson

Mon, 13 Nov 2017 04:29:18 +0000

This interview with NPR's Carrie Johnson marks our first in a series of four episodes in which we’ll be interviewing the interviewers, and looking at the unique role that the media plays in covering the criminal justice system.

Carrie joined NPR News in 2010. She covers the Justice Department closely and has reported extensively on its agreement with the Shelby County Juvenile Court.

Speaking from NPR headquarters in Washington, Carrie described a day in the life of a public radio correspondent, explained how things have changed for her since the 2016 election, and she even shared some of her sports allegiances. (Cubs fans beware!) We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Make sure you listen to our second episode in the series; it's coming soon. In it, we talk to Jessica Pishko of the Fair Punishment Project about the new realities in journalism and the balance between advocacy and news.

Episode 15: Allison Gibbs

Thu, 26 Oct 2017 18:13:07 +0000

Allison Gibbs is a Florida native, who moved to Memphis to teach and organize communities around education. Seeing the damage that the criminal justice system was doing to the communities where she taught and organized, she shifted her focus and effort to criminal justice reform. She became Just City's first employee in the summer of 2015.

Since then, Allison has essentially helped build a non-profit from the ground up. A bit unexpectedly, she became the resident expert in nonprofit tax filings, audits, and all manner of accounting principles, not to mention the author of a few of Just City's programs, she is looking to what's next. Sadly, for us, that is taking her back home to Florida and her family. We recorded this 'exit interview' with Allison a few days before she moved.

Episode 14: Marco Pavè

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 20:01:57 +0000

Marco Pavè is an activist, a musician, and a Memphis native. Earlier this year, he released the album "Welcome to Grc Lnd," which documents an exceptionally turbulent period in Memphis' recent history, including the 2016 Black Lives Matter protests at the Hernando-DeSoto Bridge and Elvis Presley's Graceland. Marco believes that artists have a unique responsibility to capture and share the stories of their communities in times of turmoil. Events in Memphis over the past several years have given him no shortage of material.

This fall, Marco and fellow rapper James Onyx Casher are launching the Universal Plug Society Tour, which they describe "as a collaborative platform for independent artists, created by independent artists, that combines music, fashion, and culinary arts to challenge the stigma around cannabis culture." As they visit cities from St. Louis to Portland, they will be working to raise awareness for common sense changes to cannabis laws and other important criminal justice reforms. Just before he left for the UPS Tour, we spoke to Marco about what he hoped to accomplish and how hip-hop can play a role in moving America forward on this issue.

Episode 13: State Representative Jeremy Faison

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 16:58:01 +0000

State Representative Jeremy Faison lives in Cosby, Tennessee, in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. He was elected in 2010 to represent the 11th District, where he is an outspoken advocate for the legalization of medicinal cannabis and (here's our favorite part) a smaller, fairer, and more humane criminal justice system.

As a member of the Republican super-majority in the state legislature, representing Appalachia, you might not expect Rep. Faison to have much in common with a criminal justice reform group from Memphis. You would be wrong. Listen as he makes a passionate case for halting the failed war on drugs, argues for smarter youth sentencing policies, and shares his inspiration for getting into politics. Most of it will surprise you.

Episode 12: Rev. Jeannie Alexander

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 16:15:24 +0000

Our guest for this episode is Rev. Jeannie Alexander. Jeannie is a lawyer and minister. Years ago, she gave up representing corporate clients in Texas and has devoted her life to advocacy for those on the insides of our prisons in Tennessee. For five years, she served as chaplain at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison in Nashville and now directs the No Exceptions Prison Collective in Nashville. [hyperlink: noexceptions.net]

In our conversation with Jeannie we learned of an unfortunate peacock attack at a Trappist monastery in Georgia, what it's like to call a condemned man a friend, and how she thinks we can turn the tide on Tennessee's unhealthy dependence on prisons.

Episode 11: Meaghan Ybos

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 15:54:18 +0000

As a sixteen year old, Meaghan Ybos was raped in Memphis. After reporting the crime and submitting to a forensic exam immediately, it would be nine years before law enforcement investigated her case and tested the rape kit. She was not alone. The number of untested rape kits in Memphis reached 12,000.

Today, Meaghan runs PERL (People for the Enforcement of Rape Laws), and her work has resulted in the City of Memphis committing more than $3 million toward finally investigating some of the untested rape kits. She joined Allison Gibbs recently to discuss the ways in which a flawed justice system impacts both victims and the accused; the role class plays in these issues; and more of Meaghan's groundbreaking work.

Episode 10: Rev. Broderick Greer

Fri, 18 Aug 2017 21:23:19 +0000

Rev. Broderick Greer is a 2015 graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, Broderick is currently Associate Rector at Grace St. Luke's Episcopal Church and School in Memphis. Broderick often lectures and facilitates conversations at the intersection of social media, American history, queer theory, black theology, human rights, and racial justice. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Teen Vogue, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post.

In light of the events in Charlottesville, we invited Broderick in to discuss race in America and its role in the criminal justice system. From 15th century Portuguese conquerors to the current battle with white supremacists, the story is the same - people of color always lose out. Despite that, Broderick offered us a message of encouragement, a healthy dose of clarity, and uncanny insight into faith and race in America.

Episode 9: Emily Bazelon

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 16:59:57 +0000

Noura Jackson was freed from prison in 2016 after her murder conviction was overturned because of prosecutorial misconduct. Charged with the murder of her own mother, the sensational nature of Jackson's case has gained attention from several national media outlets. However, in a new feature in the New York Times Magazine writer Emily Bazelon explores the human side of a reversed murder conviction, the history of prosecutorial misconduct in Shelby County, and its legal and social repercussions.

An acclaimed author, scholar, and accomplished podcaster (on a competing network), Emily was kind enough to join us to discuss her latest work. We talked to her about why she became interested in the Jackson case in the first place, why prosecutors are required to hand over evidence, and what she wants Memphians to understand about the Noura Jackson case and her reporting on it.

Episode 8: Lisa Geis

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 15:16:25 +0000

As the daughter of a police officer, Lisa Geis was always an unlikely candidate to be a defense attorney. But after attending law school a little later in life, Lisa has devoted her life to defending children. A little over a year ago, Lisa moved to Memphis to open and direct the Children's Defense Clinic at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

After spending time practicing in Washington, DC and New Jersey, Lisa brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the problems facing Shelby County's Juvenile Court. In this episode, Lisa shares some of that experience with us, and she candidly discusses what's missing in Memphis and how she teaches students to approach such a challenging issue.

Episode 7: AC Wharton

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 17:20:37 +0000

After keeping an intentionally low profile since the 2015 Memphis mayoral election, AC Wharton told us he is excited to get involved in the community again. We talked to him at his office at The AC Wharton Group for this episode. Mayor Wharton spoke with his usual candor and warmth, discussing his inspiration for becoming a lawyer, some of the good things he's working on, and how he still has unmatched energy and optimism after decades of public service.

Mayor Wharton served as Shelby County's Chief Public Defender before going on to become Mayor of Memphis. Similarly, our last guest, former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, also served as public defender before moving to city hall. Our interview with Mayor Wharton is the second in our two-part series featuring both mayors and highlighting their unique career path. Make sure you check out Mayor Dean's interview, as well.

Episode 6: Karl Dean

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 02:40:24 +0000

Settling in Nashville turned out to be a good decision for former mayor Karl Dean. After graduating from Vanderbilt Law School, he went on to work as a public defender, eventually winning election as Metro Davidson County's Public Defender. From there, he served two terms as Mayor, guiding Nashville through the Great Recession and the catastrophic flood of 2010. Now, Mayor Dean is running for governor, and he was gracious enough to stop by for a conversation. We discussed what it was like being a public defender and what impact it had on his time as Mayor. We also talked about what real criminal justice reform would mean for Tennessee. Mayor Dean is positioned to make criminal justice reform a major issue in next year's gubernatorial election.

Our interview with Mayor Dean kicks off a two-part series that will also feature former Memphis Mayor AC Wharton and highlights both mayors' unique career path. Like Mayor Dean, AC Wharton also served as public defender prior to becoming mayor. Watch for Mayor Wharton's interview in the next episode of The Permanent Record.

Episode 5: Wendi Thomas

Thu, 06 Jul 2017 16:47:37 +0000

For 11 years Wendi C. Thomas was the metro columnist for the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Since leaving that job in 2014, she has completed a fellowship at Harvard and become a frequent contributor to the Christian Science Monitor and The Undefeated, ESPN's new site on sports, race, and culture. On the issues of race and justice, Wendi's voice is as distinct and clear as they come.

Before a live audience at an OAM Network fundraiser earlier this month, we discussed Wendi's latest project, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, the future of news, and how she ended up as a journalist in the first place.

Episode 4: Chelsea Kapes

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 16:19:01 +0000

You may not know her name, but if you keep up with Just City, you surely know her work. Chelsea Kapes is Just City's Clean Slate Fund Associate. She was one of several young people spending a year of service and discernment in Memphis as part of the Episcopal Service Corp program.

We talked to Chelsea about what it's like to be the bearer of frequent bad news, how she would change expungement if she had one wish, and why she's leaving Memphis with a "justice cat."

Episode 3: Rep. Raumesh Akbari

Fri, 02 Jun 2017 20:23:23 +0000

State Representative Raumesh Akbari is a native Memphian and has served in the Tennessee General Assembly since winning a special election in 2013. As the youngest member of the legislature she already has a reputation among her peers as a hard-working, no nonsense lawmaker capable of getting things done. Under her leadership, Tennessee passed laws making expungements more affordable and more widely available this year.

On this episode of The Permanent Record we talk to Rep. Akbari in front of a live audience as part of our Just City: Live! series. She recounted her path to politics, her reasons for pursuing criminal justice reform, and how she works with members of the opposite party on issues that affect all Tennesseans.

Episode 2: National Mama's Bailout Day

Wed, 24 May 2017 20:52:23 +0000

For Episode 2 of The Permanent Record we went on the road for one of our two interviews. In Memphis, new lawyer Erica Perry was part of a national action to bail out as many women as possible in advance of Mother's Day. She told us all about it. Then, we went to see Arissa Hall. She works in Brooklyn for the National Bail Fund Network and coordinated similar efforts across the country. Together, they were part of the National Mama's Bailout Day. It was wildly successful and highlights the problems of money bail -- problems Just City is addressing with bail funds in both Nashville and Memphis.

Episode 1: Mike Rallings

Mon, 15 May 2017 03:47:15 +0000

For our first episode, we sat down with Memphis Police Department Director Mike Rallings. A Memphis native and long-time member of the force, Rallings was promoted to this position last summer. You may recall his successful and well-received handling of the protest that shut down the I-40 bridge. We spoke to Director Rallings about the appropriate number of officers for Memphis, the challenges of community policing, and his decision to reject the recommendations of the Community Law Enforcement Review Board.