Episode 26: “It's a legal system not a justice system” with Guest Dr. Craig Waleed

Episode 26: “It's a legal system not a justice system” with Guest Dr. Craig Waleed

We are excited to have Dr. Craig Waleed join us on the show this week to discuss his experiences in and out of the justice system, and the impact it had on his life, as well as the book he wrote about it. Before diving in, Dr. Waleed tells us about his background, the community he grew up in and the circumstances that led to him being incarcerated, as well as the path he followed through higher education after getting out. He goes on to discuss ideas for how to address violent behavior in young people - how the community needs to adjust by looking at what trauma has caused that behavior and how to address that. Additionally, Dr. Waleed and BJ discuss what changes need to be made in policing, including adjusting what all police are responsible for as they are asked to do too much, often outside of their training and expertise. To round out the show, Dr. Waleed explains what he thinks a compassionate judicial system could look like, including utilizing education and encouraging incarcerated people to find their path so they can go back to their communities to build them back up.

 

Twitter: @craigwaleed

Book: Prison to Promise: A Chronicle of Healing and Transformation: Waleed, Dr. Craig: 9798671941111: Amazon.com: Books

 

In the News: Prison to Promise: How Higher Education Transformed a Life: SUNY Brockport

Prison to Promise: A Conversation with Dr. Craig Waleed (Part 1) - Education Reimagined - Education Reimagined (education-reimagined.org)

 

More about Dr. Waleed:

At the age of nineteen, Dr. Waleed was incarcerated for eight years in New York State prisons. During his term of incarceration, Dr. Waleed earned an Associate of Arts degree from Canisius College (Buffalo, New York). Following his release from prison in 1997, Dr. Waleed continued pursuing Higher Education. He eventually earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Health Science with a concentration in Substance Abuse Counseling and a Master’s of Science Degree in Mental Health Counseling from the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport College. In 2017, Dr. Waleed completed a Doctorate of Education degree From St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. His Dissertation focused on What Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Help Former Prisoners Make Decisions to Desist Crime? 

 

Dr. Waleed previously served as a Substance Abuse Counselor and as a Reentry Case Manager for post-incarcerated citizens. He has also engaged with various student bodies on several college campuses in New York State and sat on several community panels exploring carceral matters. Dr. Waleed was also a guest speaker at TEDx SingSing 2020. He also created and facilitated Emotional Intelligence training, has taught Counseling and Communication courses in Higher Education and is the author of his recently released [August 2020] autobiography entitled “Prison to Promise: A Chronicle of Healing and Transformation.”

 

Dr. Waleed is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Re-Envisioning Health and Justice Lab at the UNC-CH School of Social Medicine. He is dedicated to excellence in teaching and scholarship, disrupting the community to prison pipeline, and reducing post-incarceration recidivism. He aims to educate and motivate others impacted by the criminal legal system to challenge and overcome life’s impediments and live a more rewarding life.