Involved
Involved is a fictionalized story, based on true events, about the people on the outside - the family, friends, and loved ones who navigate life alongside those who are incarcerated. Mixing moments of humor and heartbreak, the series explores resilience, love, and the far-reaching impact of incarceration on those inside, those outside who love them, and the broader community.
In Season one of "Involved" we’re introduced to Myra, whose husband’s incarceration at a medium and minimum security prison impacts every aspect of her life. We follow along with her to the prison for visits, as she launches prison wife radio, and reveals the day-to-day complexities of supporting a loved one who is incarcerated. From early episodes where Myra shares her experiences of visiting her husband at prison, to later episodes when he transitions into work release, Myra’s life as a prison wife is explored through candid reflections and intimate anecdotes shedding light on the profound impact of incarceration not only on her husband but also on their relationship and their shared past. In each of the twelve episodes, Myra confronts societal stigma and challenges prevailing narratives about incarceration, advocating for empathy and understanding towards those impacted by the criminal justice system - and making the case that we are ALL impacted in some way or another. Involved is educational, entertaining, and heartfelt while reminding us the System is most definitely the villain.
Involved
Episode 11: The Last Visit
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In Episode 11 Myra prepares for her husband's upcoming move to work release. She discusses the last visit - reminiscing on the first time she shared a visit with the audience in the beginning of the show. Myra reminisces about their shared history and the intricate details she knows about her husband, contrasting their upbringing and acknowledging the systemic factors influencing their divergent paths. Recounting a recent visit from Gang Unit officers inspecting their home for his eventual release, Myra highlights the intimidation tactics employed and the excessive policing prevalent in society. Addressing a listener's question about their differing outcomes, Myra emphasizes the structural inequalities and the impact of childhood trauma on individuals' trajectories. She concludes with a mix of apprehension and hope for her husband's transition to work release.
Intro voices In order of appearance:
Lex Ward
Kassandra Voss
Joellen Terranova
Davonna Dehay
Episode:
Myra: La Tisha Conto
Additional Voices: Nathan Keyes
To continue learning about the experiences of families impacted by incarceration and the broader issues we touched on today, check out our website: Https://InvolvedPod.com
There you can find our reading/learning recommendations, learn how to support the show, and check out other episodes.
Intro
Myra: One day until my husband comes home.
Myra: You know, not home home but work release home. Listeners, I am about to go in for my last visit and I have to say the emotion is really really strong, and you know I have to keep it together or they’ll kick me out, so I will pick this up after the visit.
Sounds: Horns honking.
Myra: (laughing) Of course my last visit would get derailed by a newbie. I don’t’ even care.
People shouting: Get the fuck back in your car!
Myra: It’s fitting that the cops have been listening to this show but they aren’t implementing the simplest suggestions I politely give to them. Almost a year since that first show and they still haven’t put up any signs. It’s almost like they don’t want the chaos to calm down.
Sounds: Horns honking.
Myra: Well, it sounds like this is going to be a minute so I’ll catch you up on the latest. Last week two gang unit cops came out to the house. And if they hadn’t told me they were with the gang unit I would have surmised by the big white lettering across their bullet proof vests that read GANG UNIT DOC. Relax. That’s what my husband would say. They were doing the site visit to make sure the house was okay for my husband to release to when he comes home home. I have a two story house, and they just stayed in the living room. The lead officer which will be handling my husband’s community custody looked like a police informant in a biker gang. He was trying so desperately not to look like a cop that a cop is the only thing he could possibly look like. He let me know that they could show up at the house anytime and if my husband wasn’t where he should be and they thought he was up to no good they certainly would be stopping by. Seemed more like a threat then a real visit to see if my house was a safe environment for my husband. They also let me know in their typical dick cop speak that if-
Dick Cop Yelling: Your husband fails to check in we will not hesitate to swarm this dwelling with SWAT, FBI, and US Marshalls.
Myra: It’s amazing how much money our government will spend on 30 and 40 something white men to make their Call-of-Duty-GTA-cosplay dreams come true. Like I said, one the biggest work programs the US has is policing. They list his crimes, tell me if I see something I should rat on my husband. As if. And then they leave.
Myra: Okay, she’s back in her car, and you know what just for fun today I am going to speed walk to the entrance with the best of them. Wish me luck.
Sound: Getting out of car, slamming door.
Sound: Myra back in her car.
Myra: That was the strangest visit we’ve had, and we’ve been in lock downs together. I can sense he’s nervous but he can’t really talk about it openly, or show any real emotion. He’s about to go through the biggest change in his routine in almost twenty years. And I will not be there, and I will not even be allowed to talk to him for 24 hours. There is a full day blackout on communication while they get adjusted. Also, I had to reapply as visitor and you can’t do that until they are officially cleared – which is the night before, so I won’t even get to visit him for 3 weeks. It’s a strange feeling knowing that for 24 hours I will know nothing. I know so much about him. So much.
Myra: I know his dad’s last name was Love and his mom’s last name is Kiss, and that no matter which last name he chose to go with when they split, it was going to get him teased. He weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and was born at 7:55 in the morning. He has extreme pain in his right shoulder that will probably need a surgery. His grandmother has lost two sons to cancer, and is currently undergoing chemo herself. He has broken his collar bone. He is allergic to all of my cats. He has dislocated both shoulders, and his right knee. He has sinus issues. He eats orange peels. His favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo. He has 4 siblings, all with different fathers. All fathers are equally absent, and equally terrible. His favorite sound is my voice. His favorite food is whatever we eat together when he first comes home. His favorite place to visit is my brain through my writing. I am his favorite thing. They have broken his wrist. His ribs. They have never broken his spirit. They have never broken him.
Myra: And now that I have had to buy all his clothes for work release, I also know… He wears loose fit levis size 34x32, Carharrt loose fit 34x32, and Dickies work pants 34x32. His belt size is 34-36. He wears XL shirts, and XL undershirts. His underwear is 34-36 boxer briefs with a long leg – I will never understand how that is comfortable. He will say his shoe size is 12. I know it’s 13 Wide. I know so much about him. But starting at 6:50am tomorrow I will have no idea where he is, or what is happening to him and how he is feeling about it or handling it. I have been through it all with him, and we each have a pretty steady hand when it comes to his imprisonment, but tomorrow we are in uncharted for us territory. Neither one of us knows what to expect and that’s a scary place to be.
Myra: I want to get home and try to get some sleep. But I want to respond to what really seems like a question asked in good faith – and you know I will answer any question asked in that manner. So, listener Celia with the adorable email address I will not divulge, to answer your question, why did I make it out and he didn’t. I get this question a lot. We’re the Stakidstics. Kids like us aren’t suppose to grow up but if we do we are supposed to get pregnant by 15, and if not that, sell drugs, go to jail, harm people etc. And if you’re one of the outliers they think it’s because you’re special. You made good choices. And it’s all bullshit. Yes, in many ways my husband and I grew up the same but our paths diverged early on. And no it wasn’t thanks to some State Sponsored Evidence Based Programs administered by well-meaning social workers who come from affluent families and marry finance guys. No, it’s more nuanced. So much of our different outcomes had to do with the structure of things. Take school for example. He loves to build, and had the curriculum been based on focusing his attention on that kind of thing he probably would have attended, and at least stayed awake in class. He was in and out of sports at the whim of his mother, and her abusive boyfriends. I showed up to a gymnastics class as a kid that was happening at my park and I got lucky – you hear me – lucky – that the coach noticed me and basically took me on for free. Trained me, took me to competitions, kept me off the streets. I didn’t have younger siblings to take care of. He did. By the time he was a teenager he felt completely outside of society. He had a rough childhood in that it wasn’t really a childhood. People who commit crimes are usually victims long before they are perpetrators. I’m going to say that more plainly – they are kids who have been harmed long before they are adults who cause harm. I could say more, but honestly tonight I don’t feel like defending him to strangers on the radio. I feel like going home, waiting on his last call from prison and making sure he knows how much he is loved by me.
Myra: That’s it for this week. Tune in next time when I hopefully have good news to report that he’s made it work release and is doing well. You’re welcome and I’ve been great.