The high economic and human costs of incarceration affect families and communities across America.

In this episode of the Civil Squared podcast our guests Grant Callen, founder and CEO of Empower Mississippi, and Rebecca Painter, vice president of State Policy Network, discuss several efforts from across the ideological spectrum addressing sky-high incarceration rates.

Hear about how sentencing and parole reform efforts in Grant’s state of Mississippi are improving lives and communities. And hear from Rebecca about her work with several other solution centers around the country attempting to bring reform and awareness to this critical issue.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Follow us:

Show Notes:

Check out Empower Mississippi and follow-on twitter.

Check out State Policy Network and follow-on twitter.

More on criminal justice reform and the State Policy network.

More on criminal justice reform and Empower Mississippi

About our guests:

Rebecca Painter is a vice president State Policy Network, where she serves as a liaison between State Policy Network and its investors. In this role, she also leads the development team and drives State Policy Network’s overall development strategy and operation. Before rejoining State Policy Network in August 2017, Rebecca served as Senior Development Officer at Norwich University where she was responsible for raising major gifts towards a $100 million campaign goal. Rebecca holds more than ten years of development experience and has spent a collective six years raising funds for the freedom movement. From 2012-2014, Rebecca served as Donor Relations Manager for State Policy Network.

Prior to that role, Rebecca spent four years as Director of Development for the South Carolina Policy Council. Rebecca has built high performing development teams. She has designed and implemented fundraising programs for major gifts, foundation giving, and membership programs. She has also established high-dollar direct mail initiatives and executed a wide variety of fundraising events. Rebecca graduated from University of South Carolina, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communications and minor in French.  She and her husband live in Columbia, South Carolina.

Grant is a sixth generation Mississippian who grew up in Laurel. He founded Empower Mississippi in 2014 as a solution center, tackling Mississippi’s biggest challenges so everyone can rise. Previously, Grant served as Director of Development for the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. He is an alumnus of The Witherspoon Fellowship in Washington D.C.

Grant graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Belhaven University and was selected as their “Young Alumnus of the Year” in 2009. Grant earned an M.A in Government from Regent University. Grant has been named to the Top 50 Most Influential Mississippians list by Y’all Politics. Grant currently lives in Madison with his wife Page and their five children. Grant and Page are members of Redeemer Church, PCA, where Grant serves as an elder.