From Prison Bars to Power: Robyn Hasan-Simpson's Rise to Lead and Liberate
Release Date: 09/03/2025
The Sentence Beyond the Sentence: How Parental Incarceration Harms Children and Families
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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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Behind the Bars: Representative Rhonda Taylor on Reform, Reunification, and Restoring Mother’s Dignity
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Rev. Dr. Allison Henderson Brooks: Preaching Beyond the Walls on Faith, Freedom And Women Behind Bars
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From Prison to Redemption: Dr. Mica Battle on Second Chances and Community Healing
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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
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Redefining Reintegration: Charlotte Garnes on Second Chances and Justice-Impacted Women
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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
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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
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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
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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 this episode of My Cotton Patch Moment, I sat down with Robyn Hasan-Simpson, Executive Director of Women on the Rise GA and co-founder of HOAPE (Helping Others Achieve Power and Equity). From serving 10 years in prison to becoming a leading voice for criminal justice reform, re-entry advocacy, and women’s empowerment, Robyn shares her powerful journey of resilience, faith, and leadership.
She opens up about the emotional toll of incarceration, raising her daughter from behind prison walls, and how she turned her sentence into a mission to uplift women inside and fighting for systemic change outside. From launching a prison newsletter to co-authoring laws that protect survivors of domestic violence, Robyn embodies what it means to rise, lead, and liberate.
This conversation dives deep into the intersection of mass incarceration, motherhood, re-entry, faith, and advocacy, offering both personal truth and actionable hope.
Three Key Takeaways
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Resilience is Revolutionary
Robyn’s story proves that even in the most dehumanizing systems, purpose and community can blossom. Her leadership began behind bars—helping women earn GEDs, creating a newsletter, and mentoring others.
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Motherhood and Incarceration
Robyn reflects on raising her daughter from a distance, the painful role shift from “mother” to “sister,” and how honesty and open communication kept their bond alive.
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Advocacy Creates Change
Today, through Women on the Rise GA and HOAPE, Robyn is reshaping laws, addressing mass incarceration in Georgia, and restoring voting rights for thousands of formerly incarcerated citizens. Her work is a testament that storytelling and advocacy can transform entire communities.
Why Listen
If you care about justice reform, women’s empowerment, faith through struggle, or the healing power of storytelling, this episode will inspire and challenge you. Robyn’s rise from prison bars to national leadership is proof that redemption and resilience are possible—and necessary—for building a more just society.
Find Robyn Hasan-Simpson in these places:
Women on the Rise GA: https://www.womenontherisega.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenontherisega/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/women-on-the-rise-ga/
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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.
You can find Mildred's memoir, "Daddy’s House: A Daughter’s Memoir of Setbacks, Triumphs & Rising Above Her Roots" and when her new book, The Hope Club, publishes here.
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If you would love to connect with Mildred, join her in these following spaces:
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The music and sound effects for this episode came from Epidemic Sound, Soundstripe and/or Pixabay. Crackers In Soup is the audio editor and producer for this episode.