BomBardened

He was sentenced to 40 years, now he’s helping others rebuild their lives.Eric and Amy sit down with Jim Chambers, Recruitment & Retention Manager at WELD, a reentry organization supporting individuals transitioning out of prison. After serving time himself, Jim now works on the front lines connecting people to housing, resources, and a second chance.This conversation explores incarceration, parenting, and what it really takes to break the cycle.Follow Along for more: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bombardened/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572836188259Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bombardenedpodcast?lang=enSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1xWI80PCExR3B773w72xPv?si=05f49f1034384ca4Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bombardened/id1805626511

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Deaunte Damper—community leader, activist, and the first LGBTQIA+ Chair for the Seattle NAACP. Deaunte shares his personal journey of resilience and advocacy, from navigating the challenges of being a Black queer man to driving change at the intersections of race, identity, and justice.The conversation moves from deeply personal experiences of stigma and survival to broader issues of systemic inequality, addiction, and the urgent need for safe, affirming spaces. Eric and Amy weave in their own perspectives from law enforcement and nonprofit leadership, creating a raw and layered dialogue that highlights both struggle and possibility.This episode is a powerful exploration of courage, identity, and leadership in the face of adversity—offering listeners not only perspective but also hope for what true community healing can look like.

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Judge Dave Larson, a nationally recognized leader in reforming how our justice system responds to people disrupting public order. From the bench in Washington State to national advisory roles, Judge Larson has spent decades confronting the courtroom, law enforcement, and community-based service gaps that predictably fail to break patterns of destructive behavior. Through candid reflection and storytelling, Judge Larson shares lessons he’s learned about what actually motivates individuals to exit cycles of crime, addiction, and homelessness. He highlights how simple changes, from courtroom culture to the engagement of peers in case management, can dramatically shift outcomes, improve individual lives, and restore public safety.Eric brings his street-level law enforcement perspective, while Amy grounds the conversation in the current systemic and policy contexts that predictably fail people. Together with Judge Larson, they explore the failures that have kept our systems reactive instead of proactive, how to balance compassion, accountability, and common sense, and the urgency of building criminal justice solutions that tap individual motivations and fundamental humanity.

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Mariela Ruiz-Angel, the founding Director of Albuquerque Community Safety and current Director of the Alternative Response Research Collective at Georgetown Law School. With passion and clarity, Mariela shares how she designed and launched the first independent, cabinet-level alternative first response department in the nation. Today ACS responders have been to over 110,000 calls related to mental health, substance use, and homelessness, and other non-police related issues.Mariela dives into the challenges of building something from nothing, breaking down siloes and pushing through skepticism, and centering community voices in public safety design. She discusses what it means to show up for the most vulnerable, how trauma-informed response works in real time, and why dismantling segregated systems and advancing coordination is vital to long-term change and meaningful impact.Amy and Mariela compare notes on their shared challenges myth-busting and navigating cynicism, political agendas, and territorialism – and discuss how to advance this significant movement. With Amy and Eric’s dual perspectives—alternative response and law enforcement—the conversation explores the tension and possibilities in transforming public safety models. It’s a candid, hopeful look at what happens when a city chooses compassion, care, and courage over the status quo.This episode is about vision, imagination, courage and what is required to truly redesign a dated system.

Content warning: The following episode contains detailed accounts of childhood abuse, sexual violence, and life inside the prison system. Listener discretion is advised.In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy sit down with Jacob Ivan Schmitt, the founder and Director of Just Us Solutions — a man whose story is shaped by early childhood trauma, addiction, incarceration, and the slow, painful work of transformation.Raised around chaos and exposed to drugs early, Jacob illuminates what happens when family dysfunction and physical and psychological abuse are routine and normal. He speaks openly about how his addiction and untreated mental health issues related to his criminal behaviors, his experiences in foster care, treatment, jails and prisons, and his journey to rehabilitation.Together, they dig into myths around recovery, the limits of the current criminal justice system, and why support and stability are essential for real change. Eric brings decades of law enforcement experience, and Amy offers a compassionate lens shaped by crisis systems reform — creating space for a nuanced, raw, and powerful conversation.This is part one of Jacob’s story — and it’s one you won’t forget.

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Joe Barsana, King County Drug Court Manager and President and Co-Founder of the WA State Therapeutic Court Alumni Association. What begins as a conversation about the blurry line between crime and crisis quickly becomes a masterclass in why we fail to help people to change and maintain recovery.Joe brings insight forged from decades churning through the criminal justice system in a perpetual cycle of crime and addiction — explaining how it really feels to live on the streets and the hopelessness that accompanies repeated arrests and overdoses. Eric and Joe discuss how police officers are often tasked to be the first responder to addiction, homelessness, or mental illness, and inadequacy of the criminal justice system to address root causes of these behaviors. He talks openly about his experience navigating drug diversion court twice, the crucial difference between sobriety and recovery, and how and when people successfully change and sustain a new way of thinking and being.Together, they tackle controversial questions: What role should police play in recovery? Why does fentanyl keep winning? And how do we stop confusing treatment with punishment?Does “tough love” work? This episode just might make you think!

In this episode of Bombardened, Eric and Amy Barden sit down with Dave Durocher—Executive Director and co-founder of The Other Side Academy. Dave shares his firsthand insights into breaking the cycle of addiction and criminal behavior through a radically different approach to rehabilitation. With a background in working with individuals often labeled as "lost causes," Dave explains how The Other Side Academy offers a no-excuses, real-world program that challenges the deeply rooted behaviors preventing meaningful change.Dave delves into the philosophy of peer accountability, the critical importance of confronting behaviors rather than just symptoms, and why the focus needs to shift from treating addiction to addressing the mindset behind it. He also touches on the flaws in the current system, questioning why conventional approaches have failed to create lasting solutions for those struggling with addiction and homelessness.Eric and Amy bring their unique perspectives—his from a law enforcement background, hers from the nonprofit sector—to reflect on the larger issues at play. Together, they explore the contradictions in current addiction treatment models and the crucial role of community and personal responsibility in breaking cycles of harm.This episode is a powerful conversation about redemption, accountability, and the need for systemic change. It's a reminder that sometimes, the hardest paths lead to the greatest transformations.