5CAST w/ Andrew Callaghan

Episode: Budd from Philly Streets, 2 Years Later
Release Date: October 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode launches Andrew Callaghan’s new “Where Are They Now?” series, with a deeply moving, unfiltered conversation between Andrew and his guest, Bud Rodney. Two years after being featured in Channel 5’s notorious “Philly Streets” documentary, Bud tells the full arc of his struggle with addiction, homelessness, and the devastating toll of tranq (xylazine/fentanyl) in Kensington, Philadelphia. The conversation addresses the realities of street life, overdose death, harm reduction, systemic reform, and personal recovery—culminating in Bud’s journey to sobriety post-amputation, and the hope he’s trying to pass on.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bud Rodney’s Background and Introduction

• Former State Corrections Officer Turned Addict
  Bud shares that he was once a Pennsylvania state corrections officer, became addicted to tranq, and ended up living homeless on the streets of Kensington with his girlfriend for over five years.

  “I was a state corrections officer for Pennsylvania and I ended up on the streets of Kensington. Doesn't care who you are, what you did, or what you want to be, there's no discretion.” (00:00, Bud)

• The “Invisible Line” of Addiction
  Bud powerfully describes crossing an “invisible line” into addiction, after which returning is almost impossible:

  "Once you pass this invisible line, you're an addict, you don't even know what happens. And then you can't ever cross back over." (00:03, Bud)

2. Revisiting “Philly Streets” and the Impact of Tranq

• Recap of Past Interview
  Andrew recalls interviewing Bud for Channel 5’s “Philly Streets” (2023), focusing on the devastation of xylazine (tranq) in Philly.
• Health Effects of Tranq
  Tranq, a veterinary tranquilizer mixed with fentanyl, severely destroys the body, especially if injected incorrectly.

  "It's common... for tranq addicts to have lost limbs due to long term usage." (02:30, Andrew)
  Bud himself lost both feet to frostbite and xylazine-induced kidney failure.

3. Surviving Kensington: Policy Changes, Street Life, and Injury

• Policy-Induced ‘Freezing Out’ (2024) Bud explains Mayor Sherrell Parker’s 2024 “Clean Up Kensington” plan:
  • Encampments dispersed, bans on tents/fires, police constantly moving people along.
  • The intent: “freeze out” homeless addicts.

  “They outlawed fires, tents... I said right from the start—they’re gonna freeze us out, you know, and it worked for a lot of people. Shit, it worked for me.” (05:19, Bud)

• Medical Crisis and Double Amputation
  • Kidney failure, tracheostomy, and then frostbite led to both feet being amputated.

  "My kidneys started to fail... ended up with xylazine induced nephrotic syndrome." (07:15, Bud)

  • “I lost circulation to my feet... So I'm actually in the process of getting prosthetics now. I took a couple of steps the other day, which was awesome. The best steps of my life, dude.” (15:07, Bud)
• Emotional Recovery & Perspective
  • Bud moves through grief to acceptance:

  "If I didn’t lose my feet, I would probably be dead… I chose to see the positive in it. I’m alive." (17:13, Bud)

4. The Tolls of Addiction – Death, Loss, and Community

• Budd’s Losses
  • Many friends from the streets have since died, including during his brief stints of sobriety pre-Kensington.

  “We were losing two or three people every week... it was a massacre.” (19:29, Bud)

• From Sobriety and Law Enforcement to Relapse
  • Bud details his years as a sober CO, then the spiral: bereavement, stopping meetings and support, and gradual relapse.

  “My grandmother passed away, and that was kind of like a catalyst... I picked up, you know, I did some drugs, and I liked it, and nothing bad happened.” (22:23, Bud)

• Double Life: Secret Use as a CO

  "I'm looking this dude in the face and he's in there for, you know, a possession and paraphernalia for the third time. And like, you know, I got two bundles of dope hidden down the road underneath a patch of grass." (24:05, Bud)

5. The Reality of Street Addiction

• Escalation to Selling, Arrest, and Total Homelessness
  • Selling dope to friends from sobriety meetings, getting caught, family conflict, and ultimately being forced onto the streets.
  • Describes multi-day binges, violence, betrayal, and cycles of hospital/rehab/relapse.

  “I've been to over 25 rehabs, probably close to as many hospital stays... I leave every time.” (35:22, Bud)

• Trauma and Violence
  • Vivid stories: Being jumped, nearly killed, the intoxicating camaraderie and danger, and the ever-present threat and shame.

6. Recovery, Hope, and Harm Reduction

• Brittney’s Role and the Path to Sobriety
  • Bud’s girlfriend Brittany, herself a survivor, joined in the conversation to describe their early days, support, and now mutual recovery.
  • Both talk about survival guilt, supporting peers, and the unique bonds among homeless addicts.

    "You want better for them... it is possible, you know, that's the thing, is it is possible to do." (56:36, Bud)

• Critical View of Addiction Treatment Systems
  • Calls out the failures of the U.S. rehab model—profit-driven, brief, punitive, lacking aftercare or harm reduction.
  • Favors European models that assume relapse, provide continuous support, and integrate social reintegration.

  “I really believe it's a systemic issue... in the European system, relapse is assumed. So when you do it, the door's still open to say, all right, so what are we going to do now?” (84:39, Bud)

7. Stigma, Systemic Reform, and Final Reflections

• Addiction as Mental Health, Not Moral Failing

  “It's treated like a moral issue in America... Some of the best people, the most intelligent people, even the most kind and caring people I’ve met were addicts.” (46:38, Bud)

• Perverse Incentives in Rehab & Medical Industry
  • Rehab as for-profit, minimal follow-up, focus on statistics over genuine progress.

  “The bottom line is the bottom line always.” (95:10, Bud)

• The Role of Harm Reduction & Outreach
  • Celebrates harm reduction workers, street-level compassion, and keeping doors open to recovery—contrasted with the transactional vibe of the rehab industry.
• Bud’s Message to Addicts and Families

  “Never give up hope. If you have a family member or loved one that's in addiction, just be there for him. It's tough, but never give up hope. God works in mysterious ways.” (39:01, Bud)
  “You can do it. You're not alone. Look at me. I lived on Kensington Streets for five and a half years, and now I'm sober and rebuilding a relationship with my family. So if that's something that you're going through... use me as an example.” (95:19, Bud)

8. Looking Forward: Purpose, Writing, and Giving Back

• Writing a Memoir
  • Bud has written a memoir, Kensington Loss and Survival on the Streets of Philadelphia. (Now available on Amazon; link in show notes).
  • Hopes it will help people by telling the story “without glamorizing” or seeking “sympathy”—simply the unvarnished truth.
• Aspirations & the 'Third Life'

  “I'd like to go to school... I was thinking maybe computer science. Maybe even, do some kind of motivational speaking... let it be a lesson before it has to be a lesson.” (51:12, Bud)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Moment He Chose Amputation for Survival:

  “I thought about it, I said, let's just do it, man. I'd rather just get a clean start with prosthetics and go from there.” (14:31, Bud)

• On the Freeze-Out Policy’s Lethal Results:

  “They outlawed fires, tents of any kind... They’re gonna freeze us out, you know, and it worked for a lot of people. Shit, it worked for me.” (05:19, Bud)

• On the Camaraderie of the Streets:

  “You huddle up to those dudes for warmth at night... You're literally like blood brothers at that point.” (84:18, Bud)

• On Guilt & Doing ‘Monster’ Things:

  “As far as being a monster—I’ve been one before… you never thought you would do to someone else, just for some powder in a bag. But the harm you cause isn’t.” (59:00, Bud)

• On Harm Reduction Philosophy:

  “It’s that balancing act of understanding that, like, I don’t really play a part in that piece of them getting to a place where they're willing to accept help. I don’t. I'm just gonna keep showing up and keep offering it…” (49:41, Andrew, citing Rob Bankhart)

• On Suboxone & Purity Stigma:

  “Purity contests kill... I'm on subs, you know, maybe I'm not clean, but I'm alive, you know.” (39:01, Bud)

• Summary of Addiction’s Insidious Pull:

  “Every new reel. It gives you that little bit. And for a lot of people, that's drugs and alcohol, but, you know, it doesn't have to come to that.” (53:14, Bud)

• On Systemic Reform:

  “America treats it like a win or lose situation... I think maybe a solution like Europe has is better... relapse is assumed.” (84:39, Bud)

• Sobering Statistic:

  “One person every five minutes—fentanyl overdoses in America.” (88:23, Bud)

Important Segments (Timestamps)

• Bud Introduces Himself, His Backstory: (00:00–01:10)
• Tranq's Toll & The Freeze-Out Policy: (04:14–07:15)
• Medical Collapse, Infection, and Amputation: (07:15–17:13)
• Grief Over Friends’ Deaths: (18:42–20:53)
• Addiction Experiences as CO; Relapse Story: (22:20–30:48)
• Street Violence & Camaraderie: (58:00–84:18)
• Critique of US Rehab System & European Alternatives: (84:39–92:59)
• Memoir Discussion & Forward Plans: (51:12, 95:46–96:43)

Tone & Language

Throughout the episode, the conversation stays candid, gritty, and deeply humane. Bud’s and Andrew’s language remains raw and often explicit, reflective of the unvarnished realities being discussed. Tough moments are delivered with dark humor, compassion, and absolute honesty—never glamorizing, often heartbreaking.

Conclusion

“Budd from Philly Streets, 2 Years Later” is a must-listen for anyone interested in the realities of addiction, the failures and hopes of reform, and the ongoing human cost of America’s opioid crisis. Bud’s journey from law enforcement to addict to survivor and now author is told with a vulnerable authenticity rarely found in media. The episode stands out for its empathy, refusal to moralize, and insistence that hope—however dim—is never unwarranted.

Bud’s new memoir, Kensington Loss and Survival on the Streets of Philadelphia, is available now. See the show notes for purchasing details.

Channel 5. Channel 55. “We don’t fuck with custards. And 5 is the best number.” (96:41, Bud)