Jhody Polk spent seven years in Florida prison for a series of violent offenses committed in her early 20’s. While in jail, she learned to undo much of the societal conditioning imposed upon her from growing up in East Gainsville. Now more than seven years following her release, Jhody has transformed herself into a leading community activist, public speaker and leader for peace and justice.
Jhody is the Founder of LEAH, the Legal Empowerment and Advocacy Hub, and previously served as the Director of Community Justice at the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding. She was trained as a jailhouse lawyer and started the first Participatory Defense Hub in the state of Florida as part of the National Jailhouse Lawyers Initiative. In 2018, Jhody was selected as a Soros Justice Fellow, and in 2019 she received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award and the Peacebuilder of the Year award. Earlier, Jhody worked as a central Florida organizer on Amendment 4, restoring voting rights to over 1.4 million returning citizens in Florida.
In this episode, Thad and Jhody share their personal journey of spiritual redemption through the criminal justice system. Reflecting on lessons learned from their time in prison, Jhody shares her aspirations for a more transformative and restorative justice system, emphasizing forgiveness, love and community relationships. Focusing on their mutual interest in the special role of lawyers, Jhody and Thad discuss how these values can heal our criminal justice system and society as a whole.
Follow Jhody on social media:
Instagram: @JhodyforJustice
Twitter: @jhody_polk
Facebook: @jhodydouglaspolk
LinkedIn: Jhody Polk
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