While courts are tasked with deciding guilt impartially, sentencing often demands something more human: empathy. Judges, attorneys, and jurors are asked to consider the offender’s background, the victim’s pain, and the broader impact of a crime. In this episode, Dr. Nicole Price joins David to explore the many forms of empathy and how this often-overlooked skill became central to her work. She shares how her understanding of empathy was shaped not only by her professional journey, but by an unexpected lesson from a pimp—one that her mother couldn’t teach her.

Erik Hulse’s journey is anything but ordinary—once a troubled teen and gifted musician, he went on to serve as an undercover cop and eventually a police captain. But it wasn’t until he discovered Buddhism and mindfulness that he found real peace and purpose. Now a teacher of both, Erik joins David to talk about how crime and legal struggles often stem from a loss of control, and how practices like meditation and self-reflection can help us reclaim it.

Our criminal justice system is built to deliver verdicts and sentences, but what about offering a path toward redemption? In this episode, David sits down with Laura Mars to discuss her work with group therapy for sex offenders, her Christian faith, her stand-up comedy, and the lessons she has learned about overcoming tragedy and adversity.