Does “tough on crime” actually work? Could Ban the Box policies backfire?

Jen Doleac, PhD, is Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy maximizing evidence based policy & minimizing injustice. She is an economist & the author of The Science of Second Chances who prefers the reliable lens of data over personal values & has a particular interest in how measurable data can give rise to positive societal change.

In this episode, she breaks down when prison actually works versus when it just creates more prisoners & walks through how the minefield of rules in probation may not prevent new crime in the way we think. You’ll also hear the re-entry policies that worked vs flopped & the real life results from policies developed through data.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 195: ROUNDING UP SUSPICIOUS WOMEN? THE AMERICAN PLAN

Guest:

Book: https://a.co/d/0aZzqCMt

https://x.com/jenniferdoleac

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdoleac/

https://jenniferdoleac.com

https://www.probablecausation.com/

Newsletter https://probablecausation.substack.com/

arnoldventures.org

Sponsors:

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/

2:44 Homicide is basically a coin flip

4:36 Probability vs. severity of punishment

5:56 The evidence against harsh sentencing

8:15 Are we confusing retribution with safety?

9:03 Digital crimes and the Undress Me app case

12:10 Policymakers blocking unfavorable research

14:47 "Tough on crime" politics vs. data

24:11 DNA profiles vs. 23andMe: what's actually stored

35:04 DUIs: breathalyzers and officer discretion

37:56 South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety program

40:43 Re-entry: Ban the Box backfires

42:51 Hiring bias and insurance as a fix

45:06 Rehabilitation certificates work

47:24 Housing barriers and halfway house surprises

49:16 Mental health gaps post-release

50:14 Medicaid's inmate exclusion

52:14 Reentry waivers and continuity of care

54:43 Head Start, prevention, and crime

58:15 Lead poisoning and the serial-killer hypothesis

1:04:08 The four reasons we punish people

1:06:10 Book, podcast, and what's next for Jen

Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Follow me in all the places:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal

https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

She used to ask "how could anybody do that?" Then it happened to her family.

Laura & Aaron Beck were devoted parents who, like many, were in the habit of judging other parents who left their child in the back seat of a car until the day it happened to them. In this episode, Laura shares the circumstances leading up to the accident, her new perspective on parenting, how you can prevent hot car infant death & how her non-profit is working for helpful legislative & automobile industry change.

This episode originally aired May 20, 2024.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 303: WHEN GRIEF GETS COMPLICATED: A STORY OF ADDICTION, SHAME & TRUTH

Guest:

https://www.andersonsalert.org/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091688697854

Sponsors:

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/

2:07 "How Could Anybody Do That?"

4:10 The Day Before: A Warning She Missed

5:41 From Judgment to Curiosity

8:29 "These Aren't Bad Parents"

13:44 A New Work Schedule Changes Everything

21:00 A Storm of Small Events

24:33 The Last "I Love You"

31:12 The Call That Changed Everything

36:15 How She Sees Other Parents Now

38:20 Only Three States Require a Callback

39:51 Shifting Perception Before Problem-Solving

40:36 The Statistics: 50 Deaths a Year

41:36 Why Near Misses Go Uncounted

44:00 Starting Anderson's Alert

45:48 Waiting on NHTSA's Hot Car Rule

48:05 Practical Ways to Prevent Hot Car Deaths

51:58 Rear Seat Reminders Aren't Enough

52:43 Hot Car Awareness Belongs in Every Parenting Guide

53:53 Where to Find Laura and Her Podcast

Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Follow me in all the places:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal

https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Is the skepticism around breast implant illness driven by science or the cosmetic surgery industry? What protocols (for keeping & removing) are working for patients?

Robert Whitfield, MD is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a board-certified breast explant specialist who has performed over 2,000 explant procedures, published 15 peer reviewed publications & testified at the 2019 FDA hearing. He is a leading Breast Implant Illness expert who takes a functional approach to patient recovery.

In this episode, he says what your surgeon won’t, you’ll hear real symptoms from a listener, why removing them isn’t enough & implant alternatives.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 290: ALLERGIES OR AEROSOLS? THE IGNORED REASON YOU’RE TIRED & SICK

Guest:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-robert-whitfield-show/id1678143554

https://www.drrobertwhitfield.com/

https://drrobscircle.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD-Jlr_K8yi5GPV938Ddn9g

https://www.instagram.com/dr.robertwhitfield/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/DrRobertWhitfield/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-whitfield-md-50775b10/

Sponsors:

https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/

0:00 - Introduction

1:09 - BII Symptoms Explained

3:14 - BII vs. Perimenopause

6:20 - Why "Toxic" Lost Its Meaning

7:51 - A Listener's Symptom Story

8:20 - Textured Implants and Lymphoma

14:16 - The Case for Your Own Tissue

18:18 - The Total Tox Burden Test

22:24 - Can You Heal Without Explanting?

28:37 - Botox and Filler as Alternatives

29:59 - Foreign Body Reaction Explained

32:12 - Medical Gaslighting or Industry Pressure?

33:42 - Dr. Whitfield Responds to Makary

37:09 - When Medicine Dismisses Women

38:14 - How to Vet an Explant Surgeon

40:03 - Pre and Post-Op Protocol

49:29 - What Surgeons Should Be Telling You

52:10 - Still Sick After Explant?

53:52 - Mammograms and Rupture Risk

55:09 - Saunas and Implant Leaching

58:49 - How Urgent Is BII?

1:00:36 - Censored by the Algorithm

1:02:18 - Why Women Must Spread This Message

Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Follow me in all the places:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal

https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Could your mouthwash be causing high blood pressure? Can your spit predict cancer?

Nikki Eisenhauer is a licensed professional counselor, chemical dependency counselor, and professional psychotherapist. She is also an incest & abuse survivor.

In this episode, we discuss if trigger warnings are a tool for healing or a crutch for victimhood, we explore symptoms that your entire childhood may warrant a trigger warning, what actual trauma is, how not to manipulate ourselves & the best way to support those with trauma without absorbing their pain.

This episode originally aired October 9, 2023

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 312: DID THE #METOO MOVEMENT EVEN HELP US?

Guest:

https://soulcare.emotionalbadass.com/boundaries

https://www.emotionalbadass.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nikkieisenhauer/

https://www.facebook.com/emotionalbadass

https://www.youtube.com/emotionalbadass

Sponsors:

https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/

0:00 — Are trigger warnings helping or hurting?

0:50 — Nikki's take: good intentions gone sideways

2:55 — What "trigger" actually means

8:25 — How the word trauma got watered down

10:03 — How trigger warnings entered college culture

14:03 — Getting unstuck from a victim mindset

14:33 — Insight: the one thing you can't teach

20:34 — The circle jerk of victimhood

22:31 — Is "seeded trauma" a real thing?

26:04 — When people are addicted to drama

29:17 — Being patient with your subconscious

30:05 — Inner child work and reparenting yourself

32:07 — How to actually support someone with trauma

38:48 — Wrapping up + the Boundaries Course

Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Follow me in all the places:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal

https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Could your mouthwash be causing high blood pressure? Can your spit predict cancer?

Dr. Staci Whitman is a Functional Dentist board-certified in pediatrics with additional certifications in functional medicine, integrative and naturopathic dentistry.

In this episode, she unpacks why common dental complaints like cavities & bleeding gums shouldn’t be interpreted as normal, which at-home saliva tests can help you predict genetic diseases, the difference between functional, holistic and biological dentists & how your foamy toothpaste might be fooling your brain.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 290: ALLERGIES OR AEROSOLS? THE IGNORED REASON YOU’RE TIRED & SICK

Guest:

https://doctorstaci.com/

https://www.ifm.org/

https://www.instagram.com/doctor_staci/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6P2OeEBQPI2HDW7qznL6eg

https://www.facebook.com/doctorstaci

Sponsors:

https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/

00:00 — Could your spit predict disease?

04:08 — Why “leaky gums” might matter more than you think

05:38 — The shocking fertility connection nobody talks about

12:28 — “If you lose your spit, your teeth fall apart”

14:04 — Cavities aren’t normal?

15:36 — The real meaning of bleeding gums

17:22 — The awkward truth about chronic bad breath

26:02 — The difference between holistic, biological & functional dentistry

28:11 — The undercover questions to ask your dentist

32:47 — The toothpaste aisle is a psychological experiment

34:22 — Fluoride vs hydroxyapatite

36:10 — The ingredient dentists want you to stop using

40:51 — The oral microbiome test that changed everything

42:34 — What do you actually DO with microbiome data?

46:58 — Why podcasters should scrape their tongues

50:02 — How mouthwash may affect blood pressure

54:41 — The postnasal drip question nobody asks dentists

56:13 — Mold, allergies & the hidden oral microbiome chaos

59:52 — Air quality, dust & the stuff you breathe all day

1:01:21 — Perimenopause… but for your teeth

1:07:38 — The top 3 things helping your oral microbiome

1:20:21 — Building the future of functional dentistry

Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Follow me in all the places:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal

https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

What is it like to change your mind on something you wrote a best seller on?

Joshua Harris is the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, a best-selling book in the late ’90s touting courtship as the superior way to find God’s perfect match for you & avoid the perils of sexual sin. It was a required read for many in the evangelical Christian community. In this episode, Josh shares how he changed his mind about the ideas in the book, how our sex lives & careers are connected, and the pros & cons of old-fashioned dating & sexism in the church.

This episode originally aired October 10, 2022.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 331: DISINTANGLING FAITH FROM RELIGIOUS TRAUMA [REMASTERED]

Guests:

https://www.instagram.com/harrisjosh/

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/clear-loud-with-josh-harris/id1612325690

https://joshharris.com/

Sponsors:

https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/

00:00 — The purity culture starter pack

00:51 — Why changing your mind is terrifying

01:46 — When “cancel culture” becomes accountability

03:29 — The theology behind courtship culture

04:32 — The generation that tested the experiment

05:42 — When church certainty started collapsing

06:48 — Leaving the pastor role to question everything

07:46 — Seminary made him leave ministry?

09:33 — Does premarital sex actually help people choose better?

10:54 — Why most churches still reject sexual freedom

12:01 — “We got married quickly because we were horny”

13:00 — How purity culture rewires your relationship with sex

14:17 — The impossible expectations placed on women

15:20 — Marrying in high school to avoid sex

16:09 — Mourning the twenties purity culture stole

17:04 — “That regret is real”

18:11 — The heartbreak of choosing the wrong person

19:00 — Why Joshua wishes he’d traveled and dated more

19:53 — Learning to ask: “What do I actually want?”

20:41 — The divorced ex-evangelical support group

21:18 — Are any ideas from I Kissed Dating Goodbye still useful?

22:06 — Tinder burnout and the return of courtship thinking

23:01 — The real problem with modern dating

23:52 — Freedom vs shame-based control

24:43 — Women who thought tampons threatened purity

25:36 — The “formula” women were sold for happiness

26:41 — Parents trying to control teenage sexuality

28:04 — The 1800s obsession with female ignorance

29:15 — The history of prostitution and Christian morality

30:26 — Why Joshua’s sexual inexperience gave him authority

31:07 — Evangelicalism’s addiction to big movements

31:56 — Why twenty-somethings think they can fix the world

32:40 — How should we talk to kids about sex now?

33:03 — Removing shame from sexuality

33:54 — Sexual freedom also includes saying “that’s not for me”

34:52 — Living with one less regret

35:20 — Books and voices critiquing purity culture

36:22 — Joshua’s pivot into podcasting and business

36:34 — “We’re in the same club”

36:41 — The accidental ex-purity culture reunion club

Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Follow me in all the places:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal

https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Do dreams happen in our minds? What can lucid dreaming tell us about the nature of consciousness?

Dave Green is a London-based artist who creates drawings not FROM his dreams, but IN his dreams, which he re-creates upon waking. He’s the author of Doodles In the Dark: An Artist's Guide to Lucid Dreaming & has participated in lucid & precognitive dream research with my other guest, Damon Abraham, PhD, a parapsychologist & the principal research scientist for the consciousness mobile app Entangled.

In this episode, Dave shows us how he uses lucid dreaming to create art WHILE he’s dreaming & Dr. Abraham unpacks the science of the research behind it. You’ll hear about the layers of lucid dreaming, when it becomes an out of body experience & how this may be connected to precognition, the debate about where consciousness lives & why Dave is hesitant to label himself as anything other than a lucid dreaming artist.

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 308: HOW TO THINK IMPOSSIBLY: PRECOGNITION, POLTERGEISTS & TIME

Guests:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEf56ussbNkUwXYOBjNQIqg

https://www.instagram.com/davegreen5000/

https://x.com/davegreen5000

https://www.linkedin.com/in/damon-abraham-phd/

https://entangled.org/

Sponsors:

https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/

0:00 — Dreams as Art: Meet Dave Green & Dr. Damon Abraham

1:06 — Drawing Inside a Lucid Dream

3:02 — Waking Yourself Up On Purpose

3:26 — What Lucid Dreaming Actually Is

5:02 — Control vs. Awareness in the Dream State

7:04 — How Both Guests Discovered Lucid Dreaming

8:56 — Is a Nightmare Origin Story the Norm?

10:10 — Lucid Dreaming vs. Out-of-Body Experiences

12:08 — Why "OBE" Is a Loaded Label

15:03 — Do Dreams Happen Inside Your Head?

18:23 — Researcher Hat vs. Experiencer Hat

19:40 — Damon's OBE: The Bathroom Journal Story

22:26 — The Lottie Dream Portrait Walkthrough

28:22 — Precognition & Verifying What You See

29:41 — Did the Telepathy Tapes Help This Research?

32:14 — Lucid Dreaming Is More Common Than You Think

35:11 — Brainwaves During a Lucid Dream

36:20 — How Dave Navigates Dream Scenery

39:11 — Dave's Portrait Technique

41:23 — The Precognition Experiment Explained

45:18 — The Temptation to Avoid Uncomfortable Conclusions

48:50 — Is the Brain Generating or Receiving Consciousness?

51:21 — Has This Changed How You See Reality?

54:55 — The Real-World Utility of Lucid Dreaming

58:16 — Dave's Dream Yoga Practice

1:00:53 — Third Person Dreams & What They Mean

1:01:44 — Giving a Dream Character a Pen

1:04:57 — Why You Should Start a Dream Journal

1:06:12 — Dave's Book & Dream Portraits

1:07:33 — Damon's Entangled App

Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Follow me in all the places:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal

https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Would you go to a psychic Olympics? Does psi have real-world benefits or is it just a way to make people feel like their special?

Hakim Isler served 4 years in the Army as a psi op specialist in special operations forces, is a 6th degree blackbelt in Ninjitsu, a trained remote viewer under Joe McMoneagle himself. He’s also the founder of the Psi Games, a family-friendly competition & conference where neuroscientists, consciousness researchers, & military trained remote viewers make up the lecture roster & psi practitioners ready to put their psychic skills to the test line up to compete.

In this episode we explore how developing your psi abilities may have deeply practical benefits, the ethics of psychic “powers,” preventing cult dynamics, when religion and psi clash & what to expect at the psi games 2026.

Get 15% off your ticket to the Psi Games using code PG26INTROVERT15

If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 314: SCIENCE & THE SUPERNATURAL: PROJECT STARGATE, EXPERIMENTAL METAPHYSICS & QUANTUM PHYSICS

Guest:

https://www.hakim-isler.com/

https://psigamesinternational.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hakimisler/

https://www.facebook.com/Boss.kr74/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565002172093

https://www.youtube.com/@PsiGamesInternational

Sponsors:

https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/

https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/

01:07 — What “PSI” actually means

03:36 — Is intuition a luxury or a lifeline?

05:44 — The hidden cost of feeling separate

07:50 — How PSI reduces fear

09:12 — Is “extra sensory” actually just sensory?

11:45 — Convenience vs human potential

14:32 — Are psychic abilities intentionally demonized?

15:16 — The ethics problem nobody talks about

17:57 — Psyops, manipulation & control structures

18:05 — PTSD after psychological operations training

18:44 — MK Ultra, Tuskegee & algorithmic manipulation

23:13 — The danger of hiding your gifts

26:19 — What actually happens at the PSI Games

34:22 — X-Men, Chronicle & psychic chaos

35:32 — Why outsiders are drawn to PSI communities

38:54 — Why openness may prevent cult dynamics

40:26 — “I want to be a steward, not a king”

44:12 — Beyond party tricks & bent spoons

46:02 — The martial arts student Hakeem never forgot

51:11 — Denominations, jargon & helping your neighbor

51:42 — How to attend the PSI Games

Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/

Follow me in all the places:

https://www.meredithforreal.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/

meredith@meredithforreal.com

https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal

https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert