Episode # 84

Truths About the US Prison System, with Marcus Bullock, CEO of Flikshop - Part 2

In Episode 83, we met and heard the story of Marcus Bullock, who is currently a CEO, and a formerly incarcerated individual. The first part of the conversation painted the picture of his time entering and spent in prison - something we bet most of you hadn’t heard firsthand about before.

But here’s the thing. 95% of incarcerated individuals DO make it out of prison, so how is the American system setting people up for success - or for failure, as the case may be?

These are citizens we’re talking about, even though some of their basic rights are stripped away from them as a result of their time in prison. But these missing rights along with the stigma and societal setup make it very, very difficult to ever fully re-integrate into society. Should we really all be defined by our worst mistake, forever?

Listen in to the conclusion of our two-part interview with Marcus Bullock to hear more truths about the US prison system - and so much more.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at hello@dearwhitewomen.com.

“The things that I had to do to get here, to be CEO of this kind of company, in this era, with my skin color, and my background? The work that I had to do to get here, I feel very confident with saying, is because I work me. The natural, in-depth fabric of Marcus that was created as a result of this horrible time of my life has built something that's a machine that can't be rumbled with. And so what I tell the others is, there are tons of machines waiting for you.” Marcus Bullock

What to listen for in Part 2:

The medical care within prison, and how our society’s linkage of medical insurance to jobs inherently prevents returning citizens from getting the care they need
What it takes to get a job, when so many people ask you if you’ve been convicted of a felony in the last few years
The work that Flikshop is doing to restore connection and hope to those who are in prison
The humanity that continues to link us together, regardless of what bad decisions we’ve made

About Marcus Bullock:

Marcus Bullock is an entrepreneur, justice reform advocate, and TED speaker. Following his 2004 release from prison, he launched a construction business that grew to employ other returning citizens. Bullock is the Founder and CEO of Flikshop, Inc., a software company that builds tools to help incarcerated people stay connected to their families and build community. He also founded the Flikshop School of Business, a program that teaches returning citizens life skills and entrepreneurship via computer coding and software development.

Marcus is an inaugural cohort member of Techstars Anywhere 2018 and John Legend's Unlocked Futures business accelerators. He was selected as one of The Root's 2019 100 Most Influential African Americans in the U.S. He is also a member of the Justice Policy Institute's board of directors, Advisory Board member for Princeton University's Prison Teaching Initiative, and serves as an advisor to the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and Aspen Institute's Opportunity Youth Incentive Fund. Married with two children, Marcus' story has received coverage from Forbes, CNN, Washington Post, Black Enterprise, and NPR.

Venture: Flikshop is the tech platform that allows family members to connect easily with their incarcerated loved ones. The Flikshop app is famously known as the Instagram for prisons, allowing users the ability to send personalized pictures and messages delivered as postcards to any person in any cell in the US.

Website: http://www.flikshop.com/

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