SiriusXM recently announced the launch of its new show, “Last Mile, Second Chances,” a weekly show focusing on formerly incarcerated women and their stories. The show is hosted by justice reform advocate Topeka K. Sam who herself is no stranger to the inequalities present within the justice system.

Activist Topeka K. Sam (LinkedIn Photo)

“I grew up in New York and it was really great when I was coming up. I did well in school, I was captain of every team, I played piano and flute and danced…all the things your parents want you to do. I later left New York to attend college in Baltimore and that’s when I started to veer off campus and sort of hang around and date and get caught up in a certain lifestyle,” she said.

Sam said she was in and out of school and was arrested a few times though she didn’t serve any jail time—until she was caught up in a sting operation that led to a federal conspiracy charge, which landed her in prison in 2013.

Sam speaks very openly in TED talks and on “Last Mile, Second Chances” about her time in prison and some of the experiences that sparked her interest in justice reform.

“What changed my life the most was sitting down and speaking to the women and hearing their stories. Once I started hearing the women’s stories and their pain and the trauma and violence being inflicted on them I understood that my involvement in activities that harmed my community and specifically women of color was disruptive and I pled out and worked on my relationship with God  and myself,” she recalled.

In addition to spiritual enlightenment, Sam’s stint in prison also brought social and political awareness.

“I really became interested in justice reform after I was federally imprisoned.  Once I became exposed to the injustices within the justice system I became politicized and I began writing and planning for Hope Ministries and met with my cofounder while I was inside and worked on a project to give women that were new to prison care packages,” she said. “When I was released in 2016 I really started to try to put things in motion.”

After leaving prison Sam founded Ladies of Hope Ministries and opened Hope House, a safe space for women coming home from incarceration or that have experienced some level of justice involvement.

Now, with her radio show, Sam hopes to provide a platform for formerly incarcerated women as well as special guests such as activists, authors, and social justice fellows.

“The show is going to highlight the experiences of women who have been through incarceration and really show the faces of women in prison. It will really show the differences between the male and female incarceration because we are often left out of the conversation and without a platform,” she said. “I am a firm believer that I am not a voice for the voiceless and I think that there’s no such thing. My goal is to provide an opportunity for women to be able to speak their truths so that truth can turn into policy recommendations and change. I’d like my audience to really hear the resilience of formerly incarcerated people in conversation to change the narrative.”

Sam hopes that her show and efforts will spark conversation and change and hopes to see progress made within the justice system and in society’s treatment of formerly incarcerated individuals.

“I would like to see all my sisters free. I don’t think that there is a place for a woman in prison, at all. I think that there are alternatives to incarceration and that need to be employed specifically for women of color. Most women who have been incarcerated are incarcerated due to lack of resources, equity inequality, abuse, and the lack of mental health awareness that is prevalent within our community. We need to look more at the root of crime and what causes it, is it trauma related, is it mental health related, was it due to substance abuse, is treatment an option rather than imprisonment. With any crime looking at the root and reason can lead you to alternatives to imprisonment that don’t lead to more trauma.”

To learn more about Topeka Sam and her justice reform efforts and the experiences of other formerly incarcerated women tune into SiriusXM’s UrbanView channel 126 at 9 a.m.  EST on Sunday mornings.