Podcast
Jaws of Justice Radio
Hosted by KKFI Community Podcasts · EN
It is the intention of Jaws of Justice Radio to investigate how to achieve justice in America, this includes issues of economic injustice, political injustice and the criminal justice system. We want to put a human face on those caught in the grasp of injustice and those that are part of an unjust system. We strive to dispel the misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
JEREMIAH BARBER VIEWS JUSTICE, HEALING AND COMMUNITY; MELVIN MERRITT TELLS US ABOUT PENNY MILL
2w ago01:00:04Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. On July 20th, 2026, our hour opens with host Bev Livingston speaking with her guest Jeremiah L. Barber, a Kansas City, Missouri cowboy who has spent years balancing the grit of the arena with the heavy realities of the justice system. For over six years he has worked on the front lines of corrections, navigating high-stress environments across the Kansas City Police Department, the Jackson County Detention Center, and the Missouri Department of Corrections. To truly understand the mechanics behind the walls, he also studied Criminal Justice at Metropolitan Community College’s Longview campus. But his time in uniform wasn't just a job - it was a deeply eye-opening experience. As a Black man working in these facilities, it was incredibly tough to face the daily reality that roughly 70% of the incarcerated population were also Black men. Bearing witness to that systemic cycle firsthand left a lasting impact on how Jeremiah L. Barber views justice, healing, and community. Today, he has traded the steel doors for the open pasture and he finds peace and purpose alongside his four horses. After years of carrying the weight and stress of correctional work, working with these animals has become his way of healing and staying grounded. During the second half of our hour, host Terri Wilke will speak with Melvin Merritt, Founder, about Penny Mill. The Penny Mill Foundation is a Kansas City, Missouri based non-profit dedicated to empowering communities and bringing different ethnic and social groups together. Penny Mill regularly hosts free, large-scale community events in the area. Penny Mill’s Community Empowerment Event is back this summer bringing fun and community building to the East side. The event in Blue Valley Park, 23rd and Topping, Kansas City MO features food and entertainment from 10 AM – 4 PM. Please tune in to hear about it! On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
Transcribe →TALK ABOUT A REVOLUTION – NO MORE NUKES, NO MORE WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS
4w ago00:56:25Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. On July 6th, 2026, our hour opens with guest Casey Carter, Director of the award-winning nuclear waste documentary film, To Use a Mountain. As regional communities confront new nuclear projects, weapons production, and questions of public consent, Casey Carter is coming to showings of the film on July 11th in Parsons, Kansas and July 12th in Kansas City, Missouri. https://www.touseamountain.com/ Southeast Kansas and Kansas City face separate but connected nuclear flashpoints amid a broader federal push to accelerate nuclear energy and weapons programs. In Parsons, Deep Fission has proposed an underground nuclear reactor pilot project at Great Plains Industrial Park, promoted in part as an energy solution for data centers and other large power users, raising community concerns about safety, oversight, waste, and public consent. In Kansas City, organizers are challenging the city’s role in the nuclear weapons complex, including the Kansas City National Security Campus and the broader push to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal. More than 90,000 metric tons of commercial spent nuclear fuel remain stored across the United States, with no permanent geologic repository in operation, and the amount growing by roughly 2,000 metric tons each year. What happens when national nuclear ambitions become local responsibilities that communities are asked to accept? Casey Carter will speak a few minutes about where to see the film. Next, host Terri Wilke will speak with Valena Beety, a wrongful convictions litigator and former US federal prosecutor. Beety is the McKinney Professor of Law at Indiana University and co-founder of the Indiana Innocence Project. She is also author of a forthcoming book Pink Crime: Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity. Her book exposes how junk science, false confessions, faulty forensic evidence, and gender stereotypes are leading to no-crime wrongful convictions for women and LGBTQ+ people. The cases she explores are chilling: women prosecuted after miscarriages and stillbirths, mothers losing custody based on hospital-administered drugs, and LGBTQ+ people sentenced to decades in prison for crimes that never occurred. Beety draws on her litigation experience and interviews with leaders across the Innocence Movement to connect today’s prosecutions to a long history of criminalizing women and LGBTQ+ communities based on identity. https://thenewpress.org/books/pink-crime/ On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
Transcribe →HUMANS CAN BE AGGRESSIVE AND VIOLENT AND PEACEFUL AND COOPERATIVE ALL AT THE SAME TIME; ARGUING FOR A STATE OF COOPERATION
Jun 2100:59:19Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. For June 22, 2026, we play an April, 2026 broadcast of Final Straw Radio. This episode features an interview with Dr. Terence Keel about U.S. Deaths in Custody and Public Accountability. Dr. Terence Keel is a Professor of Human Biology & Society and African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is also author of Divine Variations: How Christian Thought Became Racial Science and The Coroner's Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence. He created the UCLA BioCritical Studies (BCS) Lab in 2020, an interdisciplinary space that investigates the complex interactions between human biology and society. https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/about/ The Final Straw is a weekly anarchist and anti-authoritarian radio show bringing you voices and ideas from struggle around the world. Since 2010, they have been broadcasting from occupied Tsalagi land on 103.3 FM in Asheville, NC. Amar Bursts is co-host and producer; Ian Bursts is co-host. https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/about/ During the second half of our hour, hosts Terri Wilke and Justice Johnson will talk further about violence involving law enforcement. Humans are violent due to a complex interplay of evolutionary instincts, biological factors, and social/environmental influences. While humans are highly cooperative, we possess an inherent capacity for aggression. Primal “fight or flight” instincts still exist, even when the threats are social rather than physical. A lack of the neurotransmitter serotonin can impair the brain's ability to inhibit impulsive or aggressive reactions. Studies show that it is significantly easier for individuals to commit violent acts when there is physical or emotional distance from the victim. Aggression is heavily influenced by a person's environment. Individuals who grow up exposed to abuse, conflict, or violence in their communities are much more likely to exhibit and pass on those behaviors. Our success as a species relies overwhelmingly on empathy, reason, and cooperation. Society has historically mitigated our violent tendencies through laws, institutions, and cultural norms that encourage negotiation over conflict. On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
Transcribe →PRISONERS ARE PEOPLE TOO
Jun 1400:55:04Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. First, we want to express our sincere thanks for everyone who contributed to the KKFI Summer FUND Drive. Because of your support, we are able to continue to produce vital programs to connect you with others. A special kind of person appreciates a non-commercial community-based station like KKFI. You are listening right now and you get informed, entertained, inspired, even captivated. Your mind is engaged. This is programming that matters, for people who care. On Jaws of Justice, Bev Livingston opens our hour speaking with her guest, Sheena Rogers from the Joplin area. She's founder of Show Me Justice for All and From the Trenches Ministry. https://showmejusticeforall.org/https://www.facebook.com/people/From-The-Trenches-Ministries/61585573536731/ Show Me Justice for All is a non-profit organization which fights for freedom, dignity, and justice for every person harmed by the criminal legal system. Born from lived experience, their work focuses on ending the harsh and inhumane sentences that keep people imprisoned for decades - including life without parole, and uplifting those who have been criminalized simply for surviving violence. They also advocate for abolishing the death penalty and advancing humane, restorative approaches to justice. They stand beside incarcerated people and their families, helping them navigate a system designed to silence them. They provide reentry support, community resources, and unwavering advocacy for fair and compassionate policies at every level of government. Sheena Rogers is a nationally respected justice reform advocate, criminal law paralegal, and keynote speaker whose work is grounded in lived experience, resilience, and a relentless commitment to transforming the U.S. prison system. Sentenced to juvenile life without parole and surviving 25 years in a Missouri prison, Sheena rebuilt her life from inside, first as a jailhouse lawyer and now as a trained criminal paralegal fighting nationwide for those still behind the walls. She is the founder and executive director of two grassroots organizations: Show Me JUSTICE FOR ALL, where she lobbies from Washington, D.C. to state capitals for meaningful policy reform, and From the Trenches Ministries, which supports individuals returning from incarceration and those impacted by addiction and homelessness. After the calendar, the second half of our hour will feature The Dark Side of the Ball from: the broadcast series produced by Victor Palomino, Futbol Is My Life. Ready to explore the beautiful game where soccer meets politics? This episode sits down with Professor Kirk Bowman, who turned his passion into a career studying the powerful connection between soccer and politics. Professor Bowman shares his incredible origin story, from watching Honduras qualify for the 1980 World Cup to seeing how clubs in Buenos Aires form the whole identity of neighborhoods, demonstrating futbol's power to create community and unity. Professor Bowman offers his academic critique of the World Cup and discusses the ethical tightrope fans walk today, covering US host politics, visa uncertainty for qualifying teams and how social issues are often sidelined during the tournament. On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
Transcribe →JAIL BILL OF RIGHTS
May 3100:58:26Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. Host Bev Livingston speaks with her guest, Lora McDonald, Executive Director of Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity, better known as “MORE Squared”. Lora McDonald has served as a social worker in metropolitan Kansas City for three decades. In her early career, she worked in a Missouri state prison; licensed foster and adoptive families; and served youth who were street homeless. McDonald’s career evolved to developing and implementing programs, ranging from crisis intervention with adoptive families to creating community gardens; more recently, McDonald was the architect of the Second Chance Program for people returning from incarceration. While designing Second Chance, she would organize the Kansas City Metropolitan Reentry Coalition in order to address policies that impeded the success of people with criminal histories. Around the same time, she was introduced to MORE2 and the National Leadership Training from the Gamaliel Network. She has been Ex. Dir of More² since 2012, and during that time, the organization has won many victories, expanded into Kansas, and sustained a significant ongoing public presence through a myriad of issues. Lora McDonald was the lead organizer who beat back a plan to collapse KCPS for an all-charter school model; she wrote the bill and led statewide organizing to win food stamps for people with drug convictions; and drove the campaign that established the first tenant’s rights in Kansas City, Missouri with the passage of Healthy Homes. MORE2 is recognized as one of the leading organizations for police reform in the metro, specifically focused on accountability and transparency in Kansas City, Kansas, and local control of Kansas City Police Department. Bev and Lora will talk about the More² Gubernatorial Forum, Voting Rights for Formerly Incarcerated people and on June 2nd, a Jail Bill of Rights coming up before the legislature in Jackson County for a final vote. Then, Host Keith Brown El will talk with our NEW Host, Justice Johnson, about jails in Jackson County MO and Kansas City MO as we try to keep listeners informed of the changes being made in our local incarceration system. On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
Transcribe →THE POWER OF VULNERABILITY
May 2400:59:53Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. Host David Bell wraps Season One of his podcast, Lens of a Lawyer, with Sheriff Eric Kirsch, an unlikely lawman whose journey began in New York and took him through military service in Iraq and Afghanistan before landing in rural Kansas. https://lensofalawyer.podbean.com/ Criminal defense attorney David Bell believes the justice system is more than a set of laws and procedures; it’s a mirror reflecting the values, struggles, and complexities of our society. In his podcast series, Lens of Lawyer, David sits down with guests from all walks of life - legal experts, survivors, activists, and thought leaders. They explore how real-world issues play out in and beyond the courtroom. With empathy, insight, and honesty, each episode peels back the layers of the legal system to reveal what it says about who we are - and who we want to become. Sheriff Eric Kirsch shares a fascinating personal story of trauma and resilience, revealing his deeply human and authentic approach to law enforcement, an approach built on acknowledging the shared humanity of others. On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are. https://kkfi.org/listen/
Transcribe →THE REWARDING WORK OF PRISON MINISTRY and NEWS ABOUT INCARCERATION IN KC AND JACKSON CTY, MO
May 1700:57:16Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. Host Bev Livingston opens our hour speaking with Bishop Saundra McFadden-Weaver. They are going to tell listeners about Prison Ministry, feeding homeless people and proving the support which benefit reentry and impacted persons as they transition from incarceration to a very different life. Life in prison is defined by a severe lack of personal choices. For example, while held by law enforcement, a person has no choice of the company they share their life. A person’s name and choices is stripped away. Life outside, or "reentry," challenges formerly incarcerated individuals with the heavy stigma of a criminal record which can restrict access to jobs, housing, and civic participation. Many return to distressed communities, making successful social integration difficult. Bishop Saundra McFadden-Weaver was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, graduating from Lincoln High School, then moving on to higher learning she holds a B.S in Agricultural Science, a Masters in Theological Studies, and a Doctorate in Pastoral Theology. Bishop McFadden-Weaver has been Councilwoman of Kansas City, MO 3rd District, Missouri Victims Advocate for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), served in Prison Ministries, headed the call to regulate Bounty Hunters and saw to it that change came to the Federal Laws governing Bounty Hunters. She has stood with Ad Hoc Against Crime, championed victims’ rights, sat in for civil rights, and fought for women’s rights. She has served as the proud pastor of Community Fellowship of Jesus Christ for more than 20 years and is looking forward to many more. In the second part of our hour, Jaws of Justice host, Terri Wilke, and a new volunteer, Justice Johnson, will talk about the status of the Kansas City Missouri jail and the Jackson County jail. Listeners are aware that new jails are being built, staffed and filled. The community needs to be aware of the what is planned and consider how the job can best be accomplished. After all, we are paying for it. On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
Transcribe →FLASHPOINTS ON TRUMP ISSUES; CHRISTOPHER STANDISH IS LOCKED UP ABROAD
May 1000:59:19Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. We open our hour and hear a recent Flashpoints Newsmagazine produced by Mike “Biggz” McKenna about the Trump administrations attacks on workers’ rights, women’s rights and equality with Jessica Ramey Stender, the Policy Director with Equal Rights Advocates. Flashpoints Daily Newsmagazine is produced at WPFA, Berkeley, CA and is produced by Dennis Bernstein. In the second part of our hour, Jaws of Justice host, Terri Wilke, and Justice Johnson will talk with their guest, Christopher Standish, CEO and Founder of Standish913, about a new documentary he is producing, “Locked Up Abroad, Are We in Jail?”, a romance to remand experience. In July of 2025, Christopher was romantically involved with a woman who lived in Canada and he flew to visit her. Christoper is legally blind. Imagine his surprise when he landed in the Edmonton Remand Centre where he was held for 56 days because of her false complaint that he had possession of her smart phone. The Edmonton Remand Centre is a large provincial pre-trial detention facility in Alberta, Canada, designed to house individuals awaiting trial or sentencing. Opened in 2013, it is one of Canada's largest, with a capacity for 1,952 inmates, and operates solely through video visitation rather than in-person visits. Christopher will talk with us about his experience being held without cause, without sight and by a government that was in argument with the Trump Administration at that time and which may have wanted to establish its authority. On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are. https://kkfi.org/listen/
Transcribe →UPDATE ON LARRY’S LAW FROM MARIA MILLER; CHRIS GILYARD TALKS ABOUT LIFE IN PRISON
May 300:59:34Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. Host Bev Livingston speaks with Maria Miller about Larry’s Law. Maria is a CURE member St Louis, Missouri. She has spent more than a decade seeking answers after her brother died in state prison and is now advocating for legislation that would create an independent oversight agency for the Missouri Department of Corrections. Two Missouri House bills, HB 2832 and HB 1616, and a companion bill in the Missouri Senate known as “Larry’s Law” would establish independent oversight of the Missouri Department of Corrections. The proposed independent agency would monitor prison conditions, track compliance, establish a reporting system to collect data, and issue annual reports about the department. The bills are currently in the House Corrections Committee, where there was a hearing in early 2026. The bills are supported by advocates for improved prison safety because they would establish a formal system to track data and issue annual reports regarding prison conditions. Maria Miller lost her brother, Larry, more than 12 years ago after he was stabbed in prison. Miller said her family received little information following his death and that the lack of transparency prompted her to advocate for systemic change. The Missouri Department of Corrections has not taken a formal position on the bill. In a statement, a department spokesperson said the agency already has oversight mechanisms in place. The Department of Corrections is one of Missouri’s largest, with a $935 million 2026 budget and more than 10,000 employees. Those mechanisms include an anonymous complaints hotline known as the CLEAR line, an internal investigations unit, an Office of Professional Standards, a grievance system for incarcerated residents, contract monitors for medical and mental health providers, a Constituent Services Office for families and a Sunshine Law unit for public records requests. The department also conducts autopsies for nearly all deaths in custody and provides weekly reporting of all deaths and causes of death. In the second part of our hour, Jaws of Justice will play another talk with Chris Gilyard, resident at the Missouri Crossroads Correctional facility. On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are. https://kkfi.org/listen/
Transcribe →CINDY COHN TALKS ABOUT HER NEW BOOK ON INTERNET LAW: PRIVACY RIGHTS; GUNS TO GARDENS KANSAS CITY, A SAFE ANONYMOUS FIREARMS DISPOSAL EVENT
Apr 2600:55:04Tap to summarizeJaws of Justice Radio investigates how we can achieve justice from a system of laws deeply rooted in economic, social and political inequality. We want to dispel misconceptions created by the news and entertainment industry, politicians and our educational system. We hope you will listen. Host Terri Wilke speaks with author Cindy Cohn about her new book, Privacy's Defender, My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance and her work as executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is the world’s biggest and oldest digital rights organization. https://www.eff.org/Privacys-Defender Cindy Cohn recounts the fight against sweeping government surveillance after 9/11, her reservations about internet regulations backfiring if placed in the wrong hands, and why the solution to these problems is a combination of comprehensive privacy law, revised business models of giant tech companies who make money off of user data, and more platform choices for individuals. Part memoir and part legal history for the general reader, the book is a compelling testament to just how hard-won the privacy rights we now enjoy as tech users are, and also how crucial these rights are in our efforts to combat authoritarianism, grow democracy, and strengthen other human rights. Cindy Cohn is an American civil liberties attorney specializing in Internet law. She has served as executive director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation since 2015. In the second part of our hour, I will speak with the Rev. Phil Woodson, Pastor, Stilwell United Methodist Church, Stilwell, Kansas and Dianna Heffernon, church member and retired teacher. They will talk about the Saturday, May 2, 2026 event, Guns to Gardens Kansas City, from 1 – 3 PM at the Stilwell United Methodist Church, 19335 Metcalf Ave, Stilwell, KS 66085 This event welcomes everyone who wants an opportunity to dispose of unwanted firearms safely, responsibly, and anonymously. Grocery store gift cards will be offered in appreciation for safely disposing of firearms, while supplies last. https://www.gunstogardenskc.org/ On Jaws of Justice, we examine how to find justice in our society. Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.
Transcribe →