What if the prison that nearly destroyed you became the place you returned to help others heal?

In this powerful episode of the INNOVAT3 Podcast, host Ted Hahs sits down with Brian Gonsoulin, a man who served 26 years of an 83-to-life sentence and is now voluntarily going back into prison, not as an inmate but as a mentor and healer.

Together, they unpack a story of addiction, incarceration, sexual harm, trauma and redemption and why radical accountability is the foundation for real transformation.

This isn’t just a story – it’s a challenge to how we think about justice, recovery and reform.

From San Quentin State Prison to the BRAVE program and Uncuffed, Brian is showing what’s possible when lived experience meets leadership and when healing becomes a mission.

You’ll hear stories of:

The childhood trauma and addiction that led to violent crime.

The moment Brian chose transformation over survival.

The emotional cost of owning harm and not hiding from shame.

How peer-led programs like BRAVE create space for real accountability.

Why true criminal justice reform must include those who’ve caused harm.

If you believe in redemptive justice and the power of lived experience to rebuild broken systems – this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

Guest: Brian Gonsoulin – Mentor, Advocate, Formerly Incarcerated Leader.

Host: Ted Hahs

Location: San Quentin, CA

Topics: prison reform, trauma recovery, addiction, sexual harm accountability, criminal justice transformation

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