Leaving prison can be a jarring experience. Reentry can be challenging under the best of circumstances.

But a state housing crisis has made it harder. Landlords are less likely to rent to someone with a criminal record. Formerly incarcerated people are 10 times more likely to be homeless.

Add in cuts to mental health services, job assistance and food insecurity programs, life is getting harder for many people who were previously incarcerated.

Today, we’re talking about challenges facing the formerly incarcerated population upon release.

GUESTS:
Alpha Jalloh: formerly incarcerated person living in Connecticut
Bryan "Love" Jordan: formerly incarcerated person living in Connecticut
State Sen. Gary Winfield: Democrat representing the Tenth District in New Haven and West Haven
Beth Hines: Executive Director of Community Partners in Action

 

Leaving prison can be a jarring experience. Reentry can be challenging under the best of circumstances.
But a state housing crisis has made it harder. Landlords are less likely to rent to someone with a criminal record. Formerly incarcerated people are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/housing.html">10 times more likely to be homeless.</a>
<a href="https://ctmirror.org/2025/07/18/ct-reentry-centers-funding/">Add in cuts to mental health services, job assistance and food insecurity programs</a><a href="https://ctmirror.org/2025/07/18/ct-reentry-centers-funding/">,</a>&nbsp;life is getting harder for many people who were previously incarcerated.
Today, we&rsquo;re talking about challenges facing the formerly incarcerated population upon release.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Alpha Jalloh:&nbsp;formerly incarcerated person living in Connecticut</li>
<li>Bryan "Love" Jordan:&nbsp;formerly incarcerated person living in Connecticut</li>
<li><a href="https://www.senatedems.ct.gov/senator/gary-winfield">State Sen. Gary Winfield:</a>&nbsp;Democrat representing the Tenth District in New Haven and West Haven</li>
<li>Beth Hines:&nbsp;Executive Director of&nbsp;<a href="https://cpa-ct.org/">Community Partners in Action</a></li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Produced by Connecticut Public, 'Where We Live' puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Where We Live is a call-in talk show about who we are in Connecticut and our place in the world.

Where We Live

Produced by Connecticut Public, '<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/about">Where We Live'</a> puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines.  We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.

Emerging from prison is hard. CT's housing crisis is making it harder

Last year, the National Institutes of Health drastically cut funding for medical research. This disrupted the work of academics and researchers across the country.

Clinical trials and scientific projects were cancelled, and funding for ongoing research was revoked.

This meant big cuts in funding to research institutions here in Connecticut.

UConn lost $41 million from research grant terminations and unexpected non-renewals.

Today, we hear how these cuts are impacting research institutions in our state and the future of science.

GUESTS:
Rob Stein: Correspondent and Senior Editor, on NPR’s Science Desk
Evan Morris: Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and of Biomedical Engineering at Yale School of Medicine
Diane Owens: mother of a pediatric patient with neurofibromatosis

Last year, the National Institutes of Health drastically cut funding for medical research.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/12/31/nx-s1-5647420/science-research-funding-cuts-health">This disrupted the work of academics and researchers across the country.</a>
Clinical trials and scientific projects were cancelled, and funding for ongoing research was revoked.
This meant big cuts in funding to research institutions here in Connecticut.
UConn lost $41 million from research grant terminations and unexpected non-renewals.
Today, we hear how these cuts are impacting research institutions in our state and the future of science.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.npr.org/people/146944972/rob-stein">Rob Stein:</a>&nbsp;Correspondent and Senior Editor, on NPR&rsquo;s Science Desk</li>
<li><a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/evan-morris/">Evan Morris:</a>&nbsp;Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and of Biomedical Engineering at Yale School of Medicine</li>
<li>Diane Owens:&nbsp;mother of a pediatric patient with neurofibromatosis</li>
</ul>

Medical research's future remains precarious in CT and beyond

Marker 01

Marker 02

This episode originally aired in 2025.

Dry January is a month-long campaign that revolves around cutting out alcohol or reducing alcohol intake for the month of January.

Today’s guests say that life without alcohol can be joyous, and they’re creating spaces for the sober and sober curious to try it out.

We talk to two owners of sober spaces in our state, and try out some mocktails they’ll bring to share.

We also hear how our relationship with alcohol is changing overall. Research shows that Gen Z is becoming the sober generation.

Here's a list of the mocktails sampled in this episode:


Ghia - Le Spritz Sumac and Chili


Athletic Brewing Company - Wits Peak


Saint Viviana Non-Alcoholic Sauvignon Blanc


Odyssey Elixir - Dragon Fruit Lemonade


Three Spirits Livener

GUESTS:


Dr. J Craig Allen MD: Medical Director at Rushford and Vice President of Addiction Services at Hartford Healthcare


Frances McGrath: Founder of Reframe: A Dry Spot in Willimantic


Bobbi Malateseta: Creator of 3-2-1 No Kidding Sober Space and Bottle Shop in Naugatuck

 

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

This episode <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/2025-01-14/this-dry-january-local-dry-spots-celebrate-the-joy-of-sobriety">originally aired in 2025.</a>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/12/26/g-s1-36783/give-up-alcohol-dry-january-october-sober-curious">Dry January</a> is a month-long campaign that revolves <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/26/well/eat/dry-january-guide.html">around cutting out alcohol or reducing alcohol intake for the month of January.</a>
Today&rsquo;s guests say that life without alcohol can be joyous, and they&rsquo;re creating spaces for the sober and sober curious to try it out.
We talk to two owners of <a href="https://soberbarsnearme.com/">sober spaces in our state,</a> and try out some mocktails they&rsquo;ll bring to share.
We also hear how our relationship with alcohol is changing overall. Research shows that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220920-why-gen-zers-are-growing-up-sober-curious">Gen Z is becoming the sober generation.</a>
Here's a list of the mocktails sampled in this episode:
<ol>
<li>
<a href="https://drinkghia.com/products/sumac-and-chili">Ghia - Le Spritz Sumac and Chili</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://athleticbrewing.com/products/wits-peak?variant=39299739058257&amp;tw_source=google&amp;tw_adid=&amp;tw_campaign=20674522505&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAs5i8BhDmARIsAGE4xHxdXdCpcx2tv2W4zM4hC334_dF_lAuWG5rjCCBsUvsdKO8PzLKiVNQaAllBEALw_wcB">Athletic Brewing Company - Wits Peak</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://thezeroproof.com/products/saint-viviana-sauvignon-blanc?variant=43968874316034&amp;country=US&amp;currency=USD&amp;utm_medium=product_sync&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_content=sag_organic&amp;utm_campaign=sag_organic&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAs5i8BhDmARIsAGE4xHwv80UnlNkg2J2PdmiEQWRJ9VOjAQ99OIxB1COC3aElveE94w-KIycaAtsGEALw_wcB">Saint Viviana Non-Alcoholic Sauvignon Blanc</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://odysseyelixir.com/products/dragon-fruit-lemonade">Odyssey Elixir - Dragon Fruit Lemonade</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://us.threespiritdrinks.com/products/livener?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=HS-Search-Brand(USA)&amp;utm_content=13651862155+124815659500+529703097985&amp;utm_term=three%20spirit&amp;gadid=529703097985&amp;gc_id=13651862155&amp;h_ad_id=529703097985&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAs5i8BhDmARIsAGE4xHyOEGH7w0vzVxtYAhS43NGC9mdVx6P2lV7QdF6dXk2fvP7S_m7sDe8aAlUXEALw_wcB">Three Spirits Livener</a>
</li>
</ol>
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Dr. J Craig Allen MD: Medical Director at Rushford and Vice President of <a href="https://hhcbehavioralhealth.org/programs-services/addiction-treatment">Addiction Services at Hartford Healthcare</a>
</li>
<li>
Frances McGrath: Founder of <a href="https://www.reframedryspot.com/about">Reframe: A Dry Spot in Willimantic</a>
</li>
<li>
Bobbi Malateseta: Creator of <a href="https://321nokiddin.com/">3-2-1 No Kidding Sober Space and Bottle Shop</a> in Naugatuck
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Where We Live is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-we-live/id706066099">Apple Podcasts,</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0j08SgnZIU5BmjDyHbgjgP">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/43f3a507-ebfa-4876-b34a-030759a8924c/where-we-live">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Government/Where-We-Live-p1207905/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/where-we-live-connecticut-public-radio-lz9NAwSEexh/">Listen Notes,</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

This Dry January, local dry spots celebrate the joy of sobriety

Black holes aren’t just the stuff of science fiction; they’re real astronomical objects so dense, so massive, that nothing, not even light, escapes from them.

Today, we’re getting lost in the void. Yale Astrophysicist Priya Natarajan joins us for an hour to talk about her research on these extraordinary objects. Last year, she was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2024 for her research on how black holes form.

Later, you don’t have to be a scientist to look up and appreciate the cosmos.

We hear from planetariums and astronomical societies in our state that are connecting stargazers and space lovers around Connecticut.

GUESTS:


Priyamvada Natarajan:theoretical astrophysicist and Professor of Astronomy at Yale University


Al Washburn: member at large and former president of the Astronomical Society of New Haven


Brian Koehler: Associate Director of the Treworgy Planetarium at the Mystic Seaport Museum 

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

This episode originally aired February 27, 2025.

<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/">Black holes aren&rsquo;t just the stuff of science fiction;</a> they&rsquo;re real astronomical objects so dense, so massive, that nothing, not even light, escapes from them.
Today, we&rsquo;re getting lost in the void. Yale Astrophysicist Priya Natarajan joins us for an hour to talk about her research on these extraordinary objects. Last year, she was named one of Time's <a href="https://time.com/6964966/priyamvada-natarajan/">100 Most Influential People of 2024</a> for her research on how black holes form.
Later, you don&rsquo;t have to be a scientist to look up and appreciate the cosmos.
We hear from planetariums and astronomical societies in our state that are connecting stargazers and space lovers around Connecticut.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Priyamvada Natarajan: <a href="https://physics.yale.edu/people/priyamvada-natarajan">theoretical astrophysicist and Professor of Astronomy at Yale University</a>
</li>
<li>
Al Washburn: member at large and former president of the <a href="https://www.asnh.org/">Astronomical Society of New Haven</a>
</li>
<li>
Brian Koehler: Associate Director of the <a href="https://mysticseaport.org/explore/planetarium/">Treworgy Planetarium at the Mystic Seaport Museum </a>
</li>
</ul>
Where We Live is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-we-live/id706066099">Apple Podcasts,</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0j08SgnZIU5BmjDyHbgjgP">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/43f3a507-ebfa-4876-b34a-030759a8924c/where-we-live">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Government/Where-We-Live-p1207905/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/where-we-live-connecticut-public-radio-lz9NAwSEexh/">Listen Notes,</a> or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.
This episode originally aired <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/where-we-live/2025-02-27/the-mass-appeal-of-black-holes-plus-local-astronomical-societies-on-connecting-through-the-cosmos">February 27, 2025.</a>

Emerging from prison is hard. CT's housing crisis is making it harder

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