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I Was a Gang Parole Officer — Then Had To Survive 5 Years In Prison | Michael Dodge
Description
Michael Dodge grew up in a dysfunctional household, moved around constantly, and eventually found himself caught up in the streets, gangs, and addiction. He turned his life around and became a parole officer specializing in gangs for the Indiana Department of Correction. But after becoming addicted to painkillers, his life unraveled again. Michael committed a crime involving a confidential informant, was arrested, and sentenced to five years in prison — inside the same Indiana prison system he had once worked for.
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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
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Timestamps:
00:00 Arrested on Conspiracy Charges
01:02 Growing Up in Atlanta
02:24 A Tough Childhood
04:43 Struggling to Fit In
06:14 Life in Florida and First Initiation
10:54 Return to Atlanta and Gang Life
13:30 Juvenile Trouble and Boys Home
15:41 Mother's Role and Self-Reflection
16:39 Teenage Years and Turning Point
22:18 Rededication and Family
25:35 Education and Career Start
28:49 Joining the Indiana DOC
31:56 Gang Members on Parole
34:20 Building Rapport with Parolees
36:29 Memorable Field Work Story
42:03 Challenges of the Job
44:40 Problems in the System
48:24 Inexperienced Officers
51:29 Judging Parolees by Their Files
53:20 A Case That Haunts Him
56:36 Power and Discretion
01:00:00 Supervising Sex Offenders
01:07:52 Reflections on Accountability
01:10:30 Drug Testing and Dodging
01:12:00 Needing Mental Health Support
01:13:34 Injury and Prescription Addiction
01:17:24 Suboxone and Family Awareness
01:19:18 The Downfall Begins
01:23:43 The Arrest and Run
01:27:00 Caught and Extradition
01:31:31 The Ride to Jail
01:33:41 Fired and Shunned
01:38:10 Facing Judge and Sentence
01:46:40 Jail and Prison Experience
01:48:40 Sentencing to DOC
01:50:30 Transfer to Oklahoma
01:56:35 Life at Lawton Facility
02:00:40 Adjusting to Prison Culture
02:04:50 Violence in Oklahoma Prisons
02:09:02 Learning from Within
02:14:50 Release and Probation