From a life sentence to a life of purpose — legendary Sacramento rapper X-Raided joins host Antoine Rivers on The Conviction Fiction Podcast to talk about transformation, truth, and the power of expression.

At just 17, X-Raided was sentenced to 31 years to life after prosecutors used his lyrics and album art as evidence — a practice now outlawed under California’s AB 2799. After serving over 26 years, he emerged not just as an artist, but as an advocate for restorative justice and youth empowerment.

In this powerful conversation, X-Raided opens up about:

• • The lessons learned behind the walls that shaped his rebirth.
  • The mentorship of Lyle and Erik Menendez and the unexpected brotherhood that helped him heal.
  • His partnership with Tech N9ne and the creative evolution that led to his new album A Prophecy in Purgatory.
  • His mission to uplift young people through the Augmented Forensic Youth Program (AFYP) and create pathways away from recidivism.

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• This isn’t just an interview — it’s a masterclass in resilience, redemption, and reclaiming your narrative.

  🎧 Listen to “A Prophecy in Purgatory: The Redemption of X-Raided” now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, and wherever you stream.

  
  

  🎵 Stream or download X-Raided’s new album A Prophecy in Purgatory — out now via Strange Music — wherever you get your music!

Freedom doesn’t start the day you walk out of prison — it starts the day you learn how to live differently.

In this powerful solo episode, host Antoine Rivers breaks down five hidden traps that quietly destroy successful reintegration for the formerly incarcerated — and how to overcome them before they cost you your future.

From losing structure to revisiting toxic environments, from pride to unhealed trauma, Antoine unpacks the real-life lessons he’s learned walking the path from conviction to transformation. This isn’t theory — it’s survival wisdom turned into a roadmap for lasting change.

If you or someone you love is rebuilding life after incarceration, this episode will help you see freedom for what it really is: a daily choice, not a one-time event.

👉 In this episode:

• • The truth about freedom and discipline
  • Why some “support systems” secretly sabotage your growth
  • How pride and unrealistic expectations can derail progress
  • The mindset shifts needed to stay free — mentally, emotionally, and spiritually

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  🎙️ “Freedom isn’t about walking out of a cell — it’s about learning how to live outside of it.”

  #ConvictionFictionPodcast #SecondChances #ReentryMatters #StayingFree #AntoineRivers #LifeAfterPrison #Transformation

Coming home isn’t the end of the sentence — it’s the beginning of the story.

In this heartfelt solo episode, host Antoine Rivers dives into what happens after the celebration, when the real work of reentry begins. Drawing from personal experience, community insights, and the voices of those who’ve walked both sides of the gate, Antoine breaks down five essential ways loved ones can support returning citizens without enabling, overwhelming, or losing themselves in the process.

This episode explores:

• • Why space and grace are the foundation of reentry success
  • How families can rebuild trust without walking on eggshells
  • The fine line between helping and saving
  • Why healing — for both sides — is more important than hustling
  • And how to celebrate progress over perfection

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  Reentry isn’t just one person’s journey — it’s a family transformation. If someone you love is coming home, this episode will give you the tools, perspective, and heart to walk that path with them.

  🎙️ Hosted by: Antoine Rivers
  📘 Author of The Conviction Fiction & No Turning Back: The Journey Home and the Work Within
  💬 Follow the mission: Conviction Fiction Podcast

  #ConvictionFictionPodcast #Reentry #RestorativeJustice #LifeAfterPrison #SecondChances #FamilyHealing

What if the fight against mass incarceration started before the first arrest?

In this powerful episode, host Antoine Rivers sits down with Courtney Teasley, Esq., a legal disruptor and justice strategist who’s turning the courtroom into a classroom. As the CEO of emeffen. and the creator of the MFn Framework — Mindset, Finesse, and Non-Negotiables — Courtney has built a blueprint for proactive justice that empowers communities to prevent incarceration at its roots.

Together, they unpack:

• The defining moment that sparked Courtney’s mission
• How the MFn Framework is changing how schools, churches, and advocates do justice work
• The missing curriculum — why financial, civic, and legal literacy are essential survival skills
• Real-world examples of transformation through her programs and campaigns
• And how financial power and ownership fuel sustainable social change

Whether you’re an activist, educator, or someone who believes in redemption and reform, this episode will challenge you to rethink justice — and act before the system does.

🎧 Conviction Fiction Podcast — Changing the Narrative. Changing Lives.

Connect with Courtney here: https://linktr.ee/emeffenMFn

We live in a world that celebrates speed — fast money, fast success, fast validation. But when it comes to rebuilding your life after incarceration, nothing about the process is instant. In this episode, Antoine Rivers breaks down how the need for “right now” thinking sabotages growth, relationships, and reentry success.

From unrealistic expectations about jobs and family to the quiet frustration that creeps in when progress feels slow, this conversation exposes how instant gratification keeps us trapped in the same cycles — and how patience sets us free.

You’ll hear real talk about rebuilding trust, redefining success, and learning how to wait without quitting. Because the truth is, what you build slowly, you build to last.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream your inspiration.
🎙️ Changing the Narrative. Changing Lives.

Reentry isn’t just about getting your life back — it’s about finding your peace again.

In this powerful episode of Conviction Fiction, Antoine Rivers explores the spiritual foundation that fuels lasting transformation after incarceration. From the redemptive grace of Christianity to the mindful awareness of Buddhism, the disciplined devotion of Islam, and the purposeful harmony of Hinduism, each faith offers lessons that can guide the returning citizen toward true freedom — the kind that starts on the inside.

Through storytelling, reflection, and lived experience, Antoine reveals how spirituality shapes mindset, restores balance, and strengthens resilience on the journey home. Whether you pray, meditate, fast, or simply pause to breathe — this episode reminds us all that the sacred path isn’t found in a building, but within the heart.

Because freedom without peace is just movement — but peace with purpose is transformation.

🎧 Listen now and rediscover the spirit that makes reentry more than a comeback — it’s a calling.

Prison looks like strict order from the outside—count times, lockdowns, schedules, and routines. Civilian life looks like freedom—jobs, bills, alarms, and responsibilities. But underneath both, chaos is always waiting.

In this episode of Conviction Fiction, host Antoine Rivers breaks down the discipline it takes to survive behind bars and compares it to the discipline required to thrive in civilian life. From routines that act as lifelines, to the difference between external control and self-discipline, to adapting when everything shifts unexpectedly, this conversation explores what it really means to build order in the middle of chaos.

You’ll hear:

• • Why prison discipline is often born of necessity while civilian discipline is born of choice.
  • How routine becomes a declaration of survival on the inside—and a pathway to freedom on the outside.
  • The hidden danger of external discipline versus the power of self-discipline.
  • Why adaptability is just as important as structure.
  • How discipline becomes the true bridge between two worlds.

  
  

  This isn’t just about prison—it’s about life. Because whether you’re behind bars or building a life in freedom, the question is the same: how do you create order in the middle of structured chaos?

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  📚 Dive deeper into this journey with Antoine’s book No Turning Back: The Journey Home and the Work Within—available now on Amazon.

⏳ Time isn’t just hours on a clock — it’s the measure of your life.

In this solo episode of Conviction Fiction, Antoine Rivers explores the lessons of effective time management through the lens of two very different worlds: prison life and civilian life.

Inside, time is rigid, structured, and often wasted. Outside, time is free, unstructured, and just as easily squandered. Antoine compares these two realities and shares how discipline, prioritization, and intentional living can transform the way we approach each day.

From treating time as currency to building your own structure in freedom, this episode challenges you to stop letting hours slip away and start investing them in what really matters.

🎧 Tune in to Time on My Hands: Managing Life’s Most Valuable Resource and learn how to manage not just your schedule — but your life.