“Making Amends” is a podcast created by Steve Herbert, who teaches in the Law, Societies, and Justice Department at UW. The first season, released in early 2021, dives into the lives of men incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Over eight episodes, it explores how these individuals grapple with remorse and strive to atone for their past actions, even within the harsh confines of prison. Herbert, who taught a class called “Making Amends” at the penitentiary in 2020, uses interviews and discussions to highlight their stories, shedding light on themes like accountability, transformation, and the challenges of the American criminal justice system.

The podcast doesn’t just stop at personal narratives—it also questions whether the U.S. punishment system, with its heavy reliance on incarceration, actually fosters genuine accountability or change. Herbert brings perspectives from experts like Katherine Beckett (also from UW) and Linda Radzik (Texas A&M) to unpack ideas around restorative justice and what atonement could look like in a different framework.

Podcast Website is https://www.makingamendspodcast.com/

Steve Herbert is a professor at the University of Washington in the Law, Societies, and Justice Department. His university email is publicly listed through UW sources as skherb@uw.edu.

The Law, Societies, and Justice Department’s general contact is lsjadv@uw.edu or (206) 543-2396