On this episode of Our American Stories, every Sunday, Our American Stories host Lee Habeeb speaks with Mitchel "Big Mitch" Rutledge, who has spent more than forty years serving a life sentence in Alabama. Each call traces the shape of faith, regret, and forgiveness inside a place built for punishment.
When Mitch first entered prison, he couldn't read or write. He had dropped out of school early and tested just above the threshold that once marked intellectual disability. But that was only where the story just began. Over time, he learned to read, earned multiple degrees, and became a teacher to other prisoners.
On this particular Easter Sunday, Mitch shared what he saw as his resurrection story—one shaped by faith, discipline, and the belief that change is always within reach.
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