At Alameda County’s Juvenile Justice Center, a dramatic transformation is underway. Once operating near its 300-bed capacity, the facility now serves between 42 and 60 youth—a shift driven by intentional reforms, collaborative leadership, and a strategic embrace of technology.

This episode of Second Chances at Work dives into how Alameda County partnered with Orijin to integrate a digital learning platform that does far more than deliver education. Orijin is now embedded into behavior management, skill-building, and reentry planning—helping young people earn privileges through positive choices and access high-quality educational content, soft skills modules, and workforce training.

Superintendents Albert Bañuelos and John Ebrahimi share how Orijin’s Incentive Engine motivates youth to stay engaged, meet goals, and demonstrate accountability. From GED prep to entertainment, access is earned through pro-social behavior. The result? Improved facility safety, calmer living units, and a stronger culture of growth.

The conversation also highlights the power of voice calls through tablets, which have replaced conflict-prone shared phones. With over 648,000 minutes logged, these calls provide vital emotional connections that reduce tension and encourage reentry readiness.

Reentry Services Coordinator Rakeya Cherry-Hill discusses how technology supports individualized case plans and cognitive behavioral interventions—helping youth stay on track from day one through release. She also shares a promising initiative to grant school credit for tablet-based programming.

Whether you’re a correctional leader, educator, or policymaker, this episode offers valuable insight into how Alameda County is redefining rehabilitation—and why they believe in sharing their success with others.

Orijin.works

In this inspiring episode, Arti Finn, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, sits down with Tanaine Jenkins—TEDx speaker, award-winning recidivism strategist, and national advocate for probation and parole reform. Her journey spans military service, banking, incarceration, and ultimately finding her voice as a national leader.

Today, Jenkins serves as Director of the Florida Safety Coalition and State Organizer for Reform Alliance, the nonprofit founded by Meek Mill and others after Meek’s probation case exposed deep flaws in the system. Since 2018, Reform has helped pass 18 laws in 11 states, creating real second chances.

Jenkins shares stories from her childhood in Jacksonville, her military service, and the financial struggles that led to her incarceration. But it’s her post-release journey that stands out. She explains the "second sentence"—the 33,000 invisible barriers justice-impacted individuals face after prison, from employment discrimination to blocked access to licenses and insurance.

She also breaks down the hidden traps of probation and parole: monthly fees, drug testing costs, and violations for things like crossing county lines to reach a hospital. It’s a system stacked against success—and one Jenkins is working hard to change.

But her story isn’t just about barriers—it’s about breakthrough. During the pandemic, she paid off nearly $20,000 in restitution by delivering DoorDash orders. She invested in herself, refined her public speaking skills, and began sharing her story—first at the Florida Capitol, then on the TEDx stage.

Today, she's leading change. In Florida, Jenkins helped push for SB 752, which rewards probationers with time off their sentences for maintaining steady work or earning credentials like a GED or vocational certificate.

Jenkins and Finn discuss what’s needed to break the cycle: fair chance hiring, mental health support, and ending the stigma facing returning citizens. Jenkins reminds us that justice-impacted individuals aren’t liabilities—they’re often the hardest-working people, if given a real shot.

She leaves listeners with this powerful message: "Starting over isn’t starting from scratch. It's starting with experience. Forgive yourself, make a plan, and know that your best days are still ahead."

Whether you're a correctional leader, policymaker, employer, or someone rebuilding after incarceration—this conversation is for you.

Tune in to hear Tanaine’s incredible story and be part of the change.

Orijin.works

In honor of Second Chance Awareness Month, this episode of 2nd Chances @ Work features the remarkable John “Divine G” Whitfield — the justice-impacted changemaker whose real-life story inspired the critically acclaimed film Sing Sing, starring Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo.

Divine G’s journey from wrongful incarceration to founding Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) inside New York’s Sing Sing Correctional Facility is a powerful testament to how creativity, self-expression, and community can drive personal transformation — and change lives behind the wall. As he shares in this deeply human conversation with host Arti Finn, Divine G’s leadership helped build a program with a 3% recidivism rate, compared to the national average of about 60%.

Listeners will hear how his passion for the arts sparked hope in even the most hardened individuals, what correctional leaders can do to support transformation, and why he believes love, patience, and purpose are the keys to rehabilitation.

He’s a train operator, published author, and former tour team member for Lil Wayne — and he’s still fighting to clear his name. Divine G’s story reminds us that transformation is always possible when people are given the tools, trust, and second chances they deserve.

Listen now and be inspired to see justice-involved individuals in a new light.

Learn more and support his fight for exoneration: FreeDivineG.org
Learn more about Orijin and our work to empower incarcerated learners: Orijin.works

Orijin.works