Light on Suitability
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Light on Suitability Podcast!
Discussion about California parole hearings. Empowering families of loved ones serving a life sentence. Forum where the loved ones of incarcerated persons have their questions answered about the parole hearing process.
Join me each Sunday at 10:00 AM PST alongside Joseph R. Haytas, author of 36 Strategies of Suitability and occasional guests, as we unpack one strategy at a time from this essential guide to parole readiness. These thoughtful, in-depth discussions go beyond explanation, offering real-world insight and practical direction rooted in lived experience and legal understanding.
Whether you’re facing a parole hearing or walking alongside someone who is, this series equips you with the clarity, confidence, and preparation the process demands. Every conversation is a step toward hope and a roadmap for change.
Strategy Twenty – Seven: Own Your Past
JANUARY 19, 2025Strategy 27: Own Your PastBefore you can move forward, you have to stop running from where you've been. Strategy 27 focuses on one of the most powerful turning points in the parole process: full ownership of your past. This isn’t about shame—it’s...
Strategy Twenty – Six: Consider the Hearing from the Commissioner’s Point of View
JANUARY 12, 2025Strategy 26: Consider the Hearing from the Commissioner’s Point of ViewIt’s easy to focus on your own nerves, your own preparation—but what if you saw the hearing through the eyes of the people deciding your future? Strategy 26 invites us to step...
Strategy Twenty – Five: Credibility—You must be Brutally Honest
DECEMBER 8, 2024 Strategy 25: Credibility—You must be Brutally HonestTrust is earned in the hearing room—not just by what you say, but by how truthfully you say it. Strategy 25 underscores the essential role of credibility in parole suitability,...
Strategy Twenty – Four: Fundamental Non-Verbal Communication Speaks Volumes about Who You Are—Ask your Mom
NOVEMBER 18, 2024 Strategy 24: Fundamental Non-Verbal Communication Speaks Volumes about Who You Are Ask your MomWhat you say matters—but how you carry yourself often says even more. Strategy 24 turns the spotlight on non-verbal communication, helping you...
Strategy Twenty – Three: Fundamental Hearing Testimony—Verbal Communication
OCTOBER 20, 2024 Strategy 23: Fundamental Hearing TestimonyVerbal CommunicationYour words carry more weight than you may realize. Strategy 23 centers on how verbal communication—what you say and how you say it—can deeply influence the Board’s perception of...
Strategy Twenty – Two: Presentation of Documents at the Hearing
OCTOBER 20, 2024 Strategy 22: Fundamental Hearing TestimonyVerbal CommunicationThe documents you bring to a parole hearing can either strengthen your presentation—or confuse it. Strategy 22 highlights how the thoughtful organization, timing, and delivery...
Strategy Twenty – One: The Only Thing to Minimize at a Parole Hearing — Your Fear
SEPTEMBER 29, 2024 Strategy 21: The Only Thing to Minimize at a Parole Hearing Your FearFear is natural in a parole hearing—but letting it take the lead can cost you everything. Strategy 21 encourages you to shift your relationship with fear so that it...
Strategy Twenty: Be Brutally Honest
SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 Strategy 20: Be Brutally HonestIn the parole process, honesty isn’t just a virtue—it’s a survival skill. Strategy 20 – Be Brutally Honest pushes past surface-level admissions and invites deep, unfiltered truth-telling about past choices,...
Strategy Nineteen: Fundamentals — from Preliminary Matters to Decision
SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 Strategy 19: Fundamentals from Preliminary Matters to DecisionA parole hearing is a legal proceeding with a beginning, middle, and end—and knowing what to expect at each stage can ease anxiety and increase effectiveness. Strategy 19 –...
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Every Sunday, we dive into a new chapter of 36 Strategies of Suitability, exploring how each one offers real, practical insight for navigating the parole process.
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Each week, we break down a chapter from 36 Strategies of Suitability and explain why it matters.