The Redemption Project Newsroom Podcast

The Redemption Project
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Documentary
  • Updated Daily

The Redemption Project tells real stories of change, accountability, and second chances. Hosted by Brandon Burley—a retired law enforcement detective, criminal justice educator, and journalist—this podcast features conversations with men and women who have lived on both sides of the justice system, along with the ministries, programs, and people helping them rebuild their lives. Each episode explores what redemption actually looks like after prison: recovery, faith, responsibility, failure, growth, and the long road back to trust and purpose. Some stories are quiet. Some are uncomfortable. newsroom.theredemptionproject.news

  1. May 14

    Federal marijuana classification changes

    by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project When federal marijuana classification changes, many people assume practical rules shift immediately. In reality, state law, workplace standards, and enforcement decisions often continue operating under separate timelines for much longer than headlines suggest. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe

    1 min
  2. New Opioids Move Unevenly

    May 5

    New Opioids Move Unevenly

    by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Federal detections of a new synthetic opioid show why drug markets do not spread state by state the way most people assume. Federal laboratory detections of a new synthetic opioid known as N-propionitrile chlorphine are raising broader questions about how emerging drug compounds move through U.S. supply networks. The compound was first confirmed by a DEA laboratory in 2024, with later detections reported in states including Texas, California, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee. New Mexico reports no confirmed identifications to date. State officials say the compound has not been detected in seized materials there, but that existing laboratory workflows would be capable of identifying it if it appeared. Forensic experts note that synthetic opioids do not spread state by state in a predictable pattern. They move through trafficking networks, wholesale relationships, and supply hubs, often appearing in one region while remaining absent in nearby states. That means the more important question is not whether a compound has reached a state yet. It is whether surveillance systems are prepared to recognize it when it does. Drug markets often follow relationships, logistics, and supply chains rather than geography. A compound may surface repeatedly in one region while remaining absent nearby for months or longer. That is why laboratory readiness often matters more than assumptions based on maps. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe

    1 min

  3. Apr 30

    Police Officers carry the weight of a call, long after it ends

    by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project A call may close operationally and still remain mentally active much longer than people realize. That is part of why officer wellness is often misunderstood: many burdens do not appear when the report is written. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe

    1 min

  4. Apr 30

    Human trafficking and tattoo studios?

    by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Human trafficking indicators do not always surface first where people expect. Sometimes they appear where trust forms naturally and people spend enough time for unusual patterns to become visible. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe

    1 min
  5. Alabama Watching: What Jefferson County Says About an Emerging Synthetic Opioid

    Apr 28

    Alabama Watching: What Jefferson County Says About an Emerging Synthetic Opioid

    by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Jefferson County officials say cychlorphine has not been detected locally, but the larger issue is how forensic laboratories decide what they are prepared to see. Jefferson County forensic officials say a newly engineered synthetic opioid known as cychlorphine has not been detected in local postmortem toxicology casework. Officials say the compound is not currently part of routine toxicology panels, although internal communications have already been issued to maintain awareness of the drug. Cychlorphine was first confirmed in a U.S. seizure by a DEA forensic laboratory in 2024, with later detections reported in states including Texas, California, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee. In Tennessee, forensic officials have linked the compound to multiple overdose deaths under investigation, including at least one fatal case where it was the only opioid identified. Laboratory experts say detection often depends on whether a compound is included in routine screening or whether expanded testing is required. For now, Jefferson County says no local detection has been confirmed. That does not necessarily mean laboratories are unconcerned. It means awareness often begins before routine identification becomes necessary. As synthetic opioid chemistry continues to evolve, toxicology readiness increasingly depends on whether laboratory systems are prepared before compounds appear regularly enough to demand broader response. For forensic systems, the question is rarely only whether a compound is present. It is whether laboratories are positioned to recognize it when it arrives. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe

    1 min

  6. Apr 28

    Social media as an investigative tool

    by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Investigative value online usually appears through patterns, not single posts. Repeated names, reaction behavior, deleted material, and timing often matter more than people realize. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe

    1 min

  7. Apr 23

    Ohio’s forensic system reflects a larger reality

    by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project Ohio’s forensic system reflects a larger reality: emerging synthetic compounds often arrive faster than older detection expectations were built to manage. Labs usually meet that pressure before the public sees the pattern clearly. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe

    1 min
  8. How Europe Spots New Opioids Early

    Apr 21

    How Europe Spots New Opioids Early

    by Brandon Burley and The Redemption Project European forensic systems are increasingly identifying synthetic opioids before those substances become fully visible in national overdose statistics, giving health authorities earlier warning as chemical markets evolve. Europe’s drug monitoring systems are increasingly relying on forensic laboratories to identify new synthetic opioids before those drugs appear clearly in national overdose statistics. One emerging compound, cychlorphine, has already been detected through laboratory and early warning systems in multiple jurisdictions, including Germany and the United Kingdom. The broader challenge is that synthetic opioid markets are evolving faster than many public reporting systems were designed to move. Through the European Union Early Warning System, forensic laboratories can report newly identified substances before they are widely reflected in mortality data, giving health agencies and policymakers an earlier signal that a new drug may be entering circulation. German authorities have already confirmed cychlorphine in seized-drug investigations and moved to regulate it under laws designed for rapid response to emerging synthetic substances. The larger question now is whether forensic detection can continue moving fast enough as synthetic opioid chemistry becomes more complex. Across much of Europe, laboratory alerts often arrive before mortality systems fully reflect emerging compounds. That makes forensic detection not simply a technical process, but an increasingly important part of public health readiness. I am a retired detective and criminal justice / government educator based in Tennessee. I am a commentary write for Tennessee Lookout and a weekly columnist with Knox TN Today. My work examines public policy, public safety systems and civic responsibility. My reporting and commentary have also appeared in Governing, The Arizona Capitol Times, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Police1, among other state and regional outlets. Get full access to The Redemption Project Newsroom at newsroom.theredemptionproject.news/subscribe

    1 min
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About

The Redemption Project tells real stories of change, accountability, and second chances. Hosted by Brandon Burley—a retired law enforcement detective, criminal justice educator, and journalist—this podcast features conversations with men and women who have lived on both sides of the justice system, along with the ministries, programs, and people helping them rebuild their lives. Each episode explores what redemption actually looks like after prison: recovery, faith, responsibility, failure, growth, and the long road back to trust and purpose. Some stories are quiet. Some are uncomfortable. newsroom.theredemptionproject.news

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