YouSaid · the spoken record

Nneka Jones Tapia

lines on the record: 68
first: 2018-07-02
most recent: 2018-07-02
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Yes, you know, there are parallels between what we see happening at the border and what we see happening in Chicago every day. And while I'm cheerleading the voices that are sounding the alarm for the separation of families at the border, I also want us to be cognizant of what is happening here with the separation of families on the south and west side of Chicago in particular, and not forget that any separation of the family has detrimental impact to not just that person that you are trying to incarcerate, but to that family unit, particularly that child. So, you know, continue to ring the alarm, but also not let's not forget Chicago.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“That we have to do to be proactive about interrupting this cycle, target employment, target treatment, and continue to be there. That means a lot for those youth.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“You know, it made me more aware of how People can be positively impacted if they have enough resources. You know, if they have a support system, if they have the opportunities for a quality education, if they have the opportunities for quality employment, there's one organization that stands out to me that Chicago Beyond is supporting, and it's the story catcher's theater. And they work with justice involved youth, and they really help them post release. So these are individuals, again, that have experienced trauma, but they target that trauma treatment through a different angle. They help them write their life story, and then they commit that life story to original musical theater. And then they're paid for that. So they have post-release employment. You know, those are the things.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“It is fiscally responsible, and like you said, it's humane. I don't think any one of us would want our loved one incarcerated to get treatment. You know, that's not what we would want for our family members, so I don't understand why we would, you know, allow that to happen to the stranger.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“The community agency still struggle. They're trying to bounce back. It's very difficult, but we have a wonderful collaborative system where we've built coalitions. And, you know, and I say we now because I'm a part of this community through this leadership venture with Chicago Beyond, but those community agencies, they have so much demand that's put on them that they do need more resources. But they're working with what they have and they're doing a tremendous job.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes. I mean, we've been able to establish such wonderful partnerships with some of the community organizations that we had a wonderful referral system. Anyone leaving the jail, they were assessed before they left and they were given an appointment. And so one of those community agencies would follow up with them within 48 hours to be sure we helped them. We even had a van that was donated to the sheriff's office where we created transportation services for individuals to get to those appointments. And we also created community mental health centers in the community. So people that were in need of treatment could get it. Even if we were the ones to provide it. So yeah, it's”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“We'll call to say thank you. And you know, that was meaningful to me because we would have very tough days. And so to sit at my desk at 7 o'clock at night and get a voicemail from an inmate or his family saying thank you that meant a lot. That meant that what we were doing was not only impactful, but it was worth it. And, you know, a couple of them are now working. They're back with their families. And, you know, we just want to grow that experience for more people.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, yes. And so, you know, that is not a healthy system, but it was what we experienced. And then there were those that were able to get out and stay out. And some of them did reach back. So we had my executive director's office line was on the public facing website. So people could call me directly in many former inmates did. And so a couple of”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“It varied. The experience is varied. Some individuals, well, to answer your question, yes, there were many people that we saw cycle in and out. And, you know, some people we knew were homeless. We knew that they didn't have a job. We knew that they didn't have a support system. So we wanted to know that they were okay. And the only way we could really know that was by them coming back into the jail. And it got to a point where we would worry about people when they didn't come in, especially homeless individuals during the wintertime.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, we do. We 2.3 million people incarcerated, and most of them are incarcerated in state prisons, but a lot are incarcerated in jails. And what I think is most impactful, the number of people that cycle in and out of jails, about 10 million people every year cycle in and out of jails. And so that disrupts that family unit. And when children, again, are exposed to, you know, the trauma of seeing their loved one incarcerated and many of the traumas that occur, especially in economically fragile neighborhoods, then they're at increased risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. And so, yeah, the impact is real. And I've seen that cycle, you know, play out. It's important for us to do all we can to interrupt it. And that's why it just became this. Passion that evolved from my experiences, Liz's experiences.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Know some, so for example, we created a nice play area for the kids when they were coming to visit their loved one so that it didn't look so much like a jail. And they would appreciate it. And it was in the same building where my office was. So going in and out, that was the image that we were able to see. And that meant a lot to me and to those children. But there's still so much more that needs to be done, not just at the county jail, but on the state level.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Help them. Yes, yes. And not just help them, but also support the caretakers. You know, my mom, like I said, she struggled and she, you know, the strong woman that she is, we made it through. But I saw her struggle. And I know that those caretakers could benefit from support. Now there's great work that's already occurring with this population and great research that is being done. We want to add to that. We want to see where those gaps are and just be able to continue to create positive impact.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“It is. And we know that right now 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent. And we believe that that number is an underestimation. And that's across the United States. And so it would be who us to better understand what those real numbers are and to create that impact so that we don't have those 2.7 million children then entering into the criminal justice system.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“So, I really want to create something impactful for children with incarcerated parents. You know, we've talked about my experiences with children with incarcerated parents. Liz also has a similar experience. And so, you know, knowing that this is something that I in Chicago beyond. Want to engage families that have had parental incarceration or are currently going through parental incarceration and better understand what that impact is. Because like I didn't want to be a statistic, I'm sure they don't either. And so those are unique experiences that I think we owe it to ourselves to really disrupt this cycle of multi-generational incarceration.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“They invest in nonprofit organizations so that they can really help those organizations to impact the youth that are most left behind. And they thus far have invested $30 million in those 12 organizations, but more than that, they've invested their ideas and their people. And now their next pillar is a leadership venture.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Well, I have the fortunate experience of working with Chicago beyond. So Chicago Beyond is an organization that was created by Liz Dozier. She used to be a principal at a high school on the south side of Chicago. So many of the individuals that I was seeing at the jail that had had those histories of trauma, Liz was seeing in the high school on the front end of their involvement in the criminal justice system. So we had this, you know, this united passion for the youth that we were working with and the young adults we were working with. And, you know, when I thought about working in the community, it was important for me to work with someone that I had that connection with, someone that had that passion for really creating positive change for those youth. And so Liz created Chicago Beyond.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“You know what, we had gotten to a point where I felt like the team and I had created a national standard. We had done some great work for the first time in over 40 years. We were no longer monitored by the Department of Justice. You know, we created these wonderful programs. And I felt at that point I had done all I could do. And so it was important for me to then get back to my roots. And that was in the community.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes. So two years as the assistant executive director and two years and 10 months, but who's counting as the executive director?”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Something that we can do for him. And I met with him and he told me how he was just struggling. He was working two and three jobs and trying to go to school. And so thankfully, the sheriff created the second chance program where we hired him to work at the jail. And, you know, where he used to come to the jail in a brown DOC uniform, now he comes in a suit and tie. So he's proud of himself and we're proud of him.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“And what we found is that at a year after release, whereas a general population inmates that hadn't had the program, about 51% of them would return to the jail. With this mental health transition center, only 33% were returning. And we were able to help them better understand what some of those reasons were. But more to that, even when they returned, they were out longer. They were reuniting with their families. They were getting jobs. It was incredible. And one story I'll tell you is one gentleman was so successful and appreciated what we did there at the jail that he would send me his grades. When he got out of the jail, he started going to college and he said he wanted to study addiction and counseling. And so he would send his grades to me. And after about the third time, he sent his grades and showing me he made all A's. I said, you know, this.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Nice green area. It used to be our boot camp, and we offered therapy, educational resources, but we also wanted them to just enjoy life. So we would have drumming classes so that they could begin to express themselves through the art of drumming. We had horticulture and photography classes, things of that nature. And the most important piece, though, to this was that when they were released, we would continue to engage with them. For the very first time in any correctional institution that I know about, inmates would volunteer to come back to the jail for ongoing treatment. Because we said if you can't access treatment in your community, come back to us. And people tend to go to where they're familiar. And they were familiar with us. So we would have alumni programs. So on Mondays, you'll see a group of gentlemen coming back to the jail for ongoing mental health services.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, so right now we're working with the University of Chicago to study the impact of the supportive release center. So I don't have empirical data there, but I'll tell you what did work very well, that we created internal, that we do have empirical data on is the mental health transition center. So that was, we created that in 2014 because we had a number of people that were in our custody that were diagnosed with the mental illness and were charged with low level offenses and they kept cycling in and out of the jail. And so we said, we have to do more to support them when they're released from us so they don't continue to cycle in and out. So we started cognitive behavioral therapy and we took them to a separate area of the jail, I should say, as well. And it was an area that was more conducive to, I think, therapy.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, yes. And so we recognized That the most important piece once we had gotten the internal programs established was then to move to what they were going to receive on the outside. And so we worked with community partners to establish a transitional housing unit so that they could meet with caseworkers and social workers and really get a more comprehensive plan. Because at the jail, unlike a prison, we never knew when someone was going to leave. And so there was only so much preparation we can do. To give ourselves a wider time frame, we created this supportive release center so that we had the person for 24 hours. They could get a shower. They could get a meal, and they can meet with someone to really help them to navigate obstacles that they were going to encounter when they went into the community.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“We started job training programs. So we, of course, the jail having, well, now about 6,000 inmates, we would have to feed those inmates three times a day. So we ran a kitchen there and inmates would work in the kitchen, yet we weren't giving them a certification. So we worked with the restaurant association to get them their food handler certification so that when they were released, they were more likely to be able to be employed. skills like gardening and horticulture and housekeeping skills, building and construction, you know, trying to do as much as we could to increase the level of success for these men and women when they left our custody.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“You know, much like I think the story that has been portrayed about Chicago, I think the same thing happened with the jail. So many people focused on, you know, the violence and they thought that that's what, you know, we experienced every day. And that's really wasn't what it was. And much like Chicago, there was so much beauty going on there, even in the midst of this negative environment, you know, you would see officers that, you know, are meant to be this authoritative figure really being touted as more maternal and paternal figures to inmates. And you would see the connection that many of them would establish. And the officers really modeled wonderful behavior for the inmates. You know, we were able to establish some pretty incredible programs there. And so there was a lot about.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“You know, I think that historically, sexism was pretty prevalent. I decided I needed to just focus on the work. There was so much work that was needed that I just had tunnel vision. So all of those things, you know, racism, sexism, I tried not to focus on them because it would have taken away from my ability to do the work.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Ways that you know we could collaborate with our justice partners so that we could get the right people out quickly. You know, that was a challenge as well, but one that we were able to do.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes. You know, I had a great team. I still had my challenges, but they really educated me. And I had to be open to learning that I knew that had to come first. And so I had to hear from the experiences of the officers and better understand, you know, what they were contending with and not just look at things from the perspective of the inmate and really trying to balance, you know, what I did for the staff and what I did for the inmates. That was one challenge. And, you know, then I'll also say, you know, of course there was the challenge of trying to, you know, understand a system that I didn't understand. I saw all too often so many people that were incarcerated that really needed to be in a hospital. And so trying to explore”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Luckily for me as the psychologist there, I had established some pretty good relationships with many of the correctional staff and I appreciated the work that they did. I think when I was appointed as executive director, I landed a little softer because I already had established some of those good relationships.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, yes And so early on, even before I started at the jail, they would screen inmates, we really revamped the whole intake process at the jail so that they would have a more robust assessment and get treatment pretty quickly and early on. And so those were some of the changes that we made. And, you know, to go from tending to 30% to now 100% of the population and to also contend with the issues that the staff may present to you, those were all daunting, but I had.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, you know, it was definitely a learning curve for me because at that point, I had really only focused on mental health and the care of the inmates. So to take on the care of all of the inmates and then to...”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Are some people in this world that just commit evil acts to commit them, but the young men and women that I would engage with more oftentimes had histories of trauma that were left untreated and really had that spiral downward because those traumas were untreated.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Know any exposure to violence will increase our likelihood of acting out, but understand this, if I'm growing up in an environment where I have to live in fear, I'm either going to respond by fighting or I'm going to flee. If I can't flee, then I have to protect myself. You know, that's an innate human response to protect ourselves. And of course, when you live in fear and you act out of fear, there are bound to be mistakes. And, you know, many of the individuals that I would engage with that had committed those violent acts or were accused of committing those violent acts talked about how they didn't feel like they had a choice. And, you know, some people don't get me wrong acted on their own will and, you know, their”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Just can't get out because they don't have the money to pay their bond. And many people that had engaged in what we call crimes of survival, they would steal bread so that they could eat. They would trespass on a store's property because they didn't have a place to lay their head. Those are the stories that I think, you know, we talk about more often because those are the people that really shouldn't be incarcerated. Jails and prisons are meant for people that commit those violent acts, not for these individuals that, you know, had it not been for poverty or had it not been for a lack of education or had it not been for mental illness that they wouldn't be there.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, yes. You know, yes, there were individuals that were in our custody that were in for some of those more heinous crimes, and I'm definitely not talking about those individuals. But they have stories too. And they also, when you listen to those stories, you can envision the cycle that they endured that led to some of their behaviors. And I learned very early on not to pay attention to what someone was charged with and really pay attention to the person. I really did not want to reduce them to their charge. But yes, to your point of those nonviolent.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, yes. And you know, to see mothers and fathers that were in our custody for reasons that they couldn't control, it was heartbreaking, you know, because there is a hidden victim in all of that. And again, that's that family. So, not only were we incarcerating the individual, but as a byproduct, we were negatively impacting those families.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I think there were multiple reasons. You know, one of them was because we had improved our assessment tool to be able to identify more people. But I don't think that fully captures the essence of why those numbers went up. There were a number of mental health closures throughout the state that I do believe impacted that. And I do believe that because in engaging with many of the individuals that we were caring for, they would say, I couldn't get my medicine. I couldn't see my doctor. And so hearing those stories time and time again, you begin to wonder what opportunities they could have had had they had access to treatment before they were incarcerated.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes. So when I first started at the jail, I was working with the hospital system. And so I had a different perspective. And at that time, back in 2006, we had about 1,000 inmates that were cared for on our mental health caseload. And even just those 1,000 individuals seemed daunting. And to see the level of illness was incredible. But then when you look back over the years, those numbers quickly grew. And by 2010, 2011, we had doubled that number of people that were being treated for a mental illness. That's really when the light bulb went off for me.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, the largest single site jail in the country. You know, I think I thought I was pretty well reserved, but I think my fear showed on my face because I remember one of the female sergeants stopped me and she was all about 5'4 and she looked down at me. You know, I'm 5'10. So she's looking at me over her glasses. And she said, you know, baby, I don't know what you're gonna make it, but this ain't no Pacific Palisade, so get it together. At that moment, I recognize okay, the fear is showing on my face. Let me pull myself together and follow her. And so following her around and just watching her take control of situations, I was in awe. And I learned very quickly how to be comfortable in a correctional institution.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Oh my goodness, that was traumatic. You know, the first day on the job, there were, I believe, seven of us, the chief psychologist at the time called us to the conference room and he said, I'm sorry to tell you that your internship is canceled. The county doesn't have money to pay you. I mean, this is after I loaded everything up from North Carolina and moved to Chicago, actually from Virginia and moved to Chicago. I was devastated. And one of the psychologists there looked at me and he said, don't worry, we'll get you your job back.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I wanted to work at the Cook County Jail. I had never been to Chicago before. So it was a new experience. I had, you know, didn't know anything about Chicago other than what I had seen in the movies. And yeah, I just knew that if I was going to go into corrections that I wanted to have that experience at one of the largest correctional institutions.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, that was really the turning point that made me decide that I wanted to be a psychologist and I wanted to be a psychologist in correctional institutions because I recognize that so many people don't have that support system and I want it to still be I wanted them to still have that opportunity even if it didn't come from family.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“My sister is an assistic district attorney. And so she spoke the legalese and she engaged the jailers and we talked to them about what we could do to make sure he was going to be safe. And so they, you know, watched him closely and we were able to call the jail, make sure he was okay because this was in a different state. you know, seeing that resonated with me so much that it hit me that had he not had the supportive family, there's no telling what he would have done. And so now, you know, fast forward almost 20 years later, he's very successful. Know, I actually am very proud of the changes that he's been able to make, but we all recognize that a lot of that is due to the support that he had of his family.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“No, I'll tell you what was the pivotal moment. So, you know, my father had been incarcerated, yes, but it was really the incarceration of other people in my life that I loved. And there was one person in particular who had gotten incarcerated. And my family got the call that he wasn't doing well. And when we heard the distress in the person's voice, we were concerned then, you know, emotionally, mentally, they felt like he was not doing well. Just I'll just say that. And so we drove to the correctional facility where he was to visit him. And when I looked at that person, I recognized that he was a shell of who he used to be. And we then engaged.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, yes. And that did not, I didn't understand that though, at the time. The risk factors are what spoke to me. And I just, it angered me. It angered me to the point that I remember challenging my professor. And we talked a little bit after that class. And, you know, that was when she pointed out to me those resilience factors that I had that, you know, really set the stage for future success.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“So, in one class, it was risk and resiliency. And in reading one of the book chapters on risk, that was the first time that it hit me that I was an at-risk youth. Because like I said, I had all of these protective factors around me that I excelled and I didn't have trouble excelling. And so for me, I couldn't comprehend how I was still identified as an at-risk youth. I really, you know, it didn't sit well with me because I felt as if I was being degraded to a statistic and I never wanted to be a statistic.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“No, I didn't. I did not. So when I first started at UNC Chapel Hill, I was actually a biology major because in high school, in middle school, I loved science. But I'll tell you, when I took my first science class at UNC Chapel Hill, I thought, oh my gosh, I'm in weight over my head. I then quickly decided I needed to change my major. Psychology was the popular major at the time, and so that's just why I picked it”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yes, my sister did. My brother went into the military I knew that I was going to go to college and I knew I was going to UNC Chapel Hill.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“That is, that is. And again, I don't know the specifics of his case. We never talked about it again. I think my father wanted us to focus less on that period and that incident and more on the bond that we had. But yes, you're right. Our prisons are filled with individuals.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“That's a possibility, you know, at that age. I really didn't consider what that meant or what the possibility was and why he might have been a target. For me, it was just as simple as my father was gone.”
2018-07-02 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Ep. 256 — Nneka Jones Tapia · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source