The Sentence Beyond the Sentence: How Parental Incarceration Harms Children and Families
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this season four finale of My Cotton Patch Moment, I reflect on a season that examined incarceration not as an abstract policy issue, but as a lived reality for children and families. Throughout these conversations, one truth remained constant: children do not serve the sentence, but they live with it. This season centered the voices of formerly incarcerated parents, advocates, educators, judges, and lawmakers who revealed how incarceration disrupts families, pushes children out of classrooms and into the justice system, and disproportionately harms Black and Brown communities through...
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Beyond The System: Michael C. Williams On Reforming Child Welfare With Vision And Heart
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Michael C. Williams, the newly appointed Child Welfare Director for Oklahoma Human Services and a nationally recognized leader in child welfare reform. With more than 25 years of groundbreaking service—from Connecticut to Oklahoma—Williams has reshaped how systems engage families, uplift communities, and preserve parent-child relationships in moments of crisis. Williams shares the sacred encounter that pulled him into child welfare work: a 12-year-old boy killed by police—after the state had lost track of him for six months while...
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Behind the Bars: Representative Rhonda Taylor on Reform, Reunification, and Restoring Mother’s Dignity
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Georgia State Representative Rhonda Taylor, a dedicated advocate for women, families, and justice reform. Representing District 92 in Rockdale County, Representative Taylor shares how poverty, hunger, and survival often push mothers into the criminal legal system—even as overall incarceration rates decline. She reminds us that behind every statistic is a woman trying to care for her children, and that second chances must remain central to justice. We explore Georgia’s efforts to bring dignity to incarcerated mothers, including...
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Rev. Dr. Allison Henderson Brooks: Preaching Beyond the Walls on Faith, Freedom And Women Behind Bars
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Reverend Dr. Allison Henderson Brooks—fourth-generation preacher, scholar, and barrier breaker—to explore what it truly means to preach liberation, practice compassion, and carry hope into places many people forget. As the first woman to lead the 157-year-old Hill First Baptist Church in Athens, Georgia, and as Assistant Dean of Students at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Dr. Brooks embodies a faith that isn’t confined to a pulpit—it shows up wherever people are fighting to survive, heal, and be seen. From...
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From Prison to Redemption: Dr. Mica Battle on Second Chances and Community Healing
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Dr. Mika V. Battle—founder and executive director of Bridge to Freedom, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to eliminating recidivism and restoring the lives of returning citizens. After her own incarceration, Dr. Battle transformed personal tragedy, addiction, and generational trauma into a powerful mission: to help others rebuild with dignity, stability, and spiritual grounding. During this transformation, she earned her Masters Degree and Ph.D. With a 90% success rate and nearly 500 reentrants served, Bridge to Freedom is rooted...
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Dr. Robin J. Bell: From Military Service to Family Restoration
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Dr. Robin J. Bell—retired Army veteran, consultant, professor, and founder of Rehabilitation Reform and Reentry Resources (R4)—to explore the deep, generational impact of incarceration and the transformative power of giving people a real chance to rebuild. Dr. Bell has devoted her life to supporting returning citizens and children affected by parental incarceration through workforce development programs, scholarships, and wraparound reentry resources. Her journey began during her final years in the military, when she served as an...
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Redefining Reintegration: Charlotte Garnes on Second Chances and Justice-Impacted Women
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Charlotte Garnes, founder of RENFORCE and Redemption House, to explore what it truly means to transform pain into purpose. After serving 46 months in federal prison, Charlotte used what she calls her “righteous anger” to create pathways of hope and opportunity for justice-impacted women. Today, she leads initiatives that focus on reentry support, leadership development, and mental health awareness—helping individuals move from surviving to thriving. From being terminated after disclosing her conviction to being named Augusta’s...
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Inside the Walls: Rudolph Brothers on Families, Justice, and Life Beyond the Sentence
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Rudolph Brothers Jr., a seasoned attorney who has spent over 30 years in the criminal justice system—beginning as a corporate lawyer, then serving as a public defender, prosecutor, and Division Director for the Office of State Counsel for Offenders in Texas. In his decades of service representing incarcerated individuals, Mr. Brothers witnessed firsthand how incarceration impacts not just inmates, but their families, children, and communities. Now retired, Rudolph reflects on his life’s work, the dehumanizing effects of solitary...
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Behind Bars Beyond Walls: Dr. Karma Johnson's Ministry To Children Of Incarcerated Parents
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with Reverend Dr. Karma Johnson—Senior Chaplain, Assistant Pastor at Turner Monumental AME Church, and longtime Angel Tree advocate. With a ministry grounded in compassion and community service, Dr. Johnson has dedicated her life to supporting incarcerated individuals and, just as importantly, their children and families left behind. She opens up about the transformative power of the Angel Tree program, how faith communities can bridge the gap for children impacted by incarceration, and the ripple effects of love and mentorship on...
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Balancing the Scales: Judge Tonya Rainwater’s Reflections on Justice and Equity
My Cotton Patch Moment
In this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sit down with retired Florida Circuit Judge Tonya Rainwater, a trailblazing leader who presided over every division of the 18th Judicial Circuit from 1991 to 2019 and helped establish Brevard County’s first drug court. Twice elected chief judge, Rainwater spearheaded programs like the Rainwater Center for Girls, offering a lifeline to juvenile girls in crisis and reshaping approaches to justice with compassion. She reflects on the moment she chose law as her path and how years on the bench taught her that listening with empathy can be a judge’s...
info_outlineIn Season Four of My Cotton Patch Moment, host Mildred J. Mills returns with a powerful new arc exploring the ripple effects of parental absence. What happens when a mother or father is no longer home? How do families rebuild? Where does healing begin?
This season honors the voices of survivors and lifts the veil on stories once buried in silence. From childhood wounds to generational scars, each episode reveals a map of resilience, hope, and the ongoing journey toward healing.
✨ What to Expect This Season:
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Stories of trauma transformed into purpose
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Conversations on family separation and emotional resilience
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Reflections on childhood, legacy, and loss
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Tools for healing across generations
Whether you're navigating your own journey or supporting someone who is, this podcast offers space to listen with your soul.
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This podcast is hosted by Mildred J. Mills. Mildred writes raw and poignant stories describing monumental highs and devastating lows as she takes her reader and listener on a journey of laughter and tears. Mildred survived a childhood of picking cotton on her strict, domineering father’s farm and thrived in a male-dominant IT industry for forty years.
Mildred recently completed her manuscript, a memoir, "Daddy’s House: A Daughter’s Memoir of Setbacks, Triumphs & Rising Above Her Roots." You can be the first one to know when it is available for purchase by following her here.
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If you would love to connect with Mildred, join her in these following spaces:
Have you been inspired by this Cotton Patch Moment? If so, Mildred encourages you to leave a review, comment, email and tell her about it! Also, share this episode with someone you love. You never know who needs to hear an inspiring word.
The music and sound effects for this episode came from royalty free music from Epidemic Sound. The intro and outro music is called We Win (More than Able) by AFTR . Crackers In Soup is the audio editor and producer for this episode.