Co-hosts Holly Garrett III and Carina Gallo sit down with Zimbabwe Davies, co-founder of Thug Therapy and founder of Building Bridges Basketball, to talk healing, hope, and turning pain into purpose. Zimbabwe shares how community changed his life, and how he is creating spaces where people can grow through vulnerability and connection.

Guest: Zimbabwe Davies, co-founder of Thug Therapy and founder of Building Bridges Basketball

Hosts and Producers: godHolli3 (Hollie Garrett), Communications alum '25 and Carina Gallo, Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, SFSU

This episode was produced with support from a grant from ICCE.

Music: Hip Jazz, Benjamin Tissot from Bensound.com

In this episode, co-hosts Holly Garrett III and Carina Gallo connect with Criminal Justice Studies alum ’25 Gabriel Singer, whose commitment to community engagement and advocacy earned him the California State University Trustees Award for Outstanding Achievement. Gabriel shares how his work with Initiate Justice, an organization dedicated to empowering people impacted by incarceration to drive policy change, influenced his path and reinforced why applying learning to the community matters now more than ever. His story is a powerful reminder that when students invest in their communities, the work is not only meaningful, it is recognized at the highest level.

Guest: Gabriel Singer, Criminal Justice Studies alum '25, and SFSU graduate student

Hosts and Producers: godHolli3 (Hollie Garrett), Communications alum '25 and Carina Gallo, Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, SFSU.

This episode was produced with support from a grant from ICCE.

Music: Hip Jazz, Benjamin Tissot from Bensound.com

In this episode, Hollie Garrett and Carina Gallo discusscommunity-based learning, its impact, and the challenges it faces. They are joined by Edel Vaovosa from the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement (ICCE). The ICCE enhances the academic mission of San Francisco State University (SFSU) by supporting teaching and learning that focuses on civic and community engagement, aiming to develop individuals into productive, ethical, and active participants in their communities.

Guest: Edel Vaovosa, Senior Coordinator of Faculty Engagement, Data Analysis, and Strategic Initiatives at the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, SFSU.

Hosts and Producers: godHolli3 (Hollie Garrett), communications major at SFSU and Carina Gallo, Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, SFSU.

This episode was produced with support from a grant from ICCE.

Music: Hip Jazz, Benjamin Tissot from Bensound.com

In this episode, Hollie Garrett and Carina Gallo discuss the work of Project Rebound, an organization that supports formerly incarcerated individuals on their journey through successful reintegration in a college setting. They are joined by guests George Turner and Doris Fent who share how their personal experiences motivate them to provide equitable support to system-impacted students and communities.

Guests: George Turner, Director, and Doris Fent, College and Career Counselor at Project Rebound, SFSU.

Hosts and Producers: godHolli3 (Hollie Garrett) and Carina Gallo, Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, San Francisco State University.

This episode was produced with support from a grant from ICCE.

Music: Hip Jazz, Benjamin Tissot from Bensound.com

In this episode, Hollie Garrett and Carina Gallo discuss the work of Amnesty International, the world's oldest and largest human rights grassroots organization. They are joined by guests Gavrilah Wells and Ahmand Faisal Safi from Amnesty Group 30 California to explore various criminal justice issues that Amnesty is currently addressing and the organization's impact on the communities it serves.

Guests: Gavrilah Wells, Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator, and Ahmad Faisal Safi, Country Specialist for Turkey at Amnesty Group 30 California. Both Gavrilah and Faisal are SFSU alumni.

Hosts and Producers: godHolli3 (Hollie Garrett) and Carina Gallo, Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, San Francisco State University.

This episode was produced with support from a grant from ICCE.
Music: Hip Jazz, Benjamin Tissot from Bensound.com

In this episode, Hollie Garrett and Carina Gallo discuss the work of United Playaz, a community-based organization focussed on youth. They are joined by guests Everett Butler and Jason Lacy who share their life journeys that led them to engage in community-based work with youth and how they involve formerly incarcerated people in their organization.

Guests: Everett Butler, Program Manager, and Jason Lacey, Program Coordinator at United Playaz.

Hosts and Producers: godHolli3 (Hollie Garrett) and Carina Gallo, Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, San Francisco State University.

This episode was produced with support from a grant from ICCE.

Music: Hip Jazz, Benjamin Tissot from Bensound.com.

In March 2020, the Contra Costa Health Services started testing people with symptoms of COVID-19 when they are booked into jail. On May 5, the first person booked into custody tested positive. In this episode, Carina Gallo interviews Shavon Henry about why it is impossible to protect our jail population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Shavon is a Deputy Public Defender at the Contra Costa Public Defender's Office. Shavon is a demonstrated advocate for both racial justice and social equity. When she is not advocating for her clients in the courtroom, she is an active dog-mom and avid stress­-baker.

Music: Hip Jazz, Benjamin Tissot from Bensound.com.

Media Editor: Ada Schmidt

Jails and prisons hold some of the most vulnerable people in our society. During COVID-19, many became places where the virus could spread quickly. In this episode, host Carina Gallo speaks with Amina Azar about what jail conditions were like during the pandemic and how those conditions affected the people inside.

Amina Azar is a Criminal Defense Investigator at the Contra Costa Public Defender’s Office and the secretary for the Contra Costa Public Defender’s Association. She brings experience in immigration defense and post-conviction capital defense work, and she trained as a domestic violence counselor. Fluent in English, Swedish, and Urdu, Amina’s work is rooted in the belief that no one should be defined by the worst thing they’ve ever done. Her perspective offers an inside look at justice, dignity, and advocacy behind bars during a public health crisis.

Music: Hip Jazz, Benjamin Tissot from Bensound.com.
Audio Editors: Ada Schmidt and Maya Alford-Hill