TheAbolitionChristian℠

Aaron Edward Olson: Faith coach, fitness advisor, justice consultant, and host of The Abolition Christian Podcast.

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

FINISH THIS SEASON STRONG
Twice each week, I get the opportunity to speak at our facility's reentry workshops.

I work alongside a reentry navigator helping men prepare to return home after years -- sometimes decades -- inside prison.

And every time I stand in front of those men, I think about how strange life can be.

Because if you had met me at nineteen years old, you probably would not have imagined I would one day be speaking about leadership, discipline, healing, or reentry.

My name is Aaron Edward Olson

I’ve been incarcerated for twenty years.

I was sentenced to life for crimes I committed at 18 and 19

I turn 40 this year

Before prison, my life was chaos.

I was using drugs by age twelve.
I grew up outside Salishan in Tacoma -- a refugee housing project shaped by poverty, violence, instability, and survival.

My father was absent.
My mother was a single parent who struggled with mental health

I spent a lot of time on the streets, and some of that was homeless

When I entered the system, I could barely read.

Then I sat in county jail for four years fighting two cases.

Honestly, it was probably the darkest season of my life.

But from chaos to darkness, something started changing in me.

Not all at once.

Slowly.

The catalyst was surrendering my will and embracing God's plan for my life.

I started realizing I didn't want to be permanently defined by the worst decisions of my life.

I wanted to become something different.

Something better.

I started thinking about legacy.

And eventually I made a decision that changed everything:

If this is going to be my life
then I’m going to finish this season and every season afterward strong.

Not bitter.
Not reckless.
Not consumed by anger.

Strong, consistent, principled, accountable, with integrity.

That decision transformed the direction of my life.

When I finally reached prison, I started rebuilding myself piece by piece.

I earned every certificate and took every course
I earned a degree.
I started writing.
I published articles.
Built a podcast.
Launched a business from inside prison.
Worked with engineers and professionals
Filed a provisional patent with the USPTO.
Built relationships and projects I never could have imagined as a broken nineteen-year-old kid.

And I did all of it while navigating prison politics, lockdowns, mail delays, grief, disappointment, and the daily reality of incarceration.

And let me be honest with you:

None of this has been easy.

I’ve lost every appeal.
I spent years in solitary confinement.
I went through a divorce that nearly broke me emotionally and spiritually

I have failed more times than I can count.

But here is what I’ve learned:

Every obstacle carries the potential to become an opportunity.

Not automatically.

But if you choose to respond differently.

When my appeals failed, I could have collapsed into bitterness.

Instead, I redirected my energy.

I wrote.
I studied.
I created.
I started asking:
What can I build from this pain? Out of my unique experience?

And over time, I began realizing something deeper:

Transformation is real.

Not superficial change.
Not performative growth.

Real transformation.

The kind that changes the way you think
the way you speak
the way you carry yourself
the way you respond to suffering.

And personally, I believe God was present in that transformation even when I could not fully see it or understand it.

I believe there is something bigger than us moving through this world, willing to guide us, love us and walk with us.

Grace.
Purpose.
Calling.
Alignment.

Whatever language people choose to use, I believe human beings can tap into something greater through:
discipline
prayer
reflection
honesty
service
and intentional living.

That changed me.

Jesus changed me!

So here is what I want to leave you with today:

It does not matter how many years you have wasted.

It does not matter if you've been to prison once or ten times.

It does not matter how broken your past may feel.

What matters is what you choose to do next.

Finish THIS season strong.

Build discipline.
Develop structure.
Watch your words.
Protect your mind.
Learn emotional control.
Become dependable.
Become trustworthy.
Become someone your family can believe in again.

Because your life still matters.

Your family still matters.

Your community still needs healed people, and people willing to heal and help others heal.

And whether you fully realize it yet or not

people are counting on who you become next.

https://t.co/MYEyJLDDv9

[Type Investigations @typeinvestigate]

Aaron Edward Olson's @AaronOlson1986 investigation about discrimination against incarcerated immigrants in Washington state prisons won first place for Best News at the Stillwater Awards. https://t.co/j7M2BNpvjz

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Prison: Day 7,064
I've been busy from my 6x8 prison cell. Since I don't have a mortgage, car payment, normal bills or societal responsibilities, I'm going to share what your tax dollars are paying for, at least with this prisoner.

Each day I:
1. Mentor other prisoners and volunteer as a speaker in reentry workshops
2. Work on college courses (finishing my AA and already enrolled in a BA program, all thanks to a local foundation that is sponsoring my education)
3. Work on my next article (currently an investigative narrative about solitary confinement)
4. Work on my podcast, The Abolition Christian
5. Work late into the night on my start-up company (more to share on this in the coming weeks)
6. Exercise religiously
7. Pray and study the Bible with my wife
8. Harass my best friend Herman in South Africa. (Calls are relatively affordable
9. Attend numerous groups (CLO), appointments and institutional obligations and work programs.

In spite of the horrible design, some of us have managed to turn prison into a citizens university.

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Prison: Day 7,011
I spoke in church yesterday. It was the first time in months. I shared some of my testimony, and how God has blessed me during these 20 years in prison. 50 men were present. I asked, who knew how to meditate on God's word and to still their thoughts? 3 raised their hands. Who knows their created purpose/calling without a doubt? 2 raised their hands.

I wonder, is this an accurate reflection of the infancy of the Church in the free world too?

I spoke for about 15 minutes and it felt like getting back on the horse again. I've been ducking ministry in recent months, focused on getting my startup off the ground. Truthfully, things felt a bit off. Finally the other night my wife shared some wisdom. "If you want God to bless our business, then you need to be about His business and walk in your calling (preach and pastor) always." I wonder if this too is a common dysfunction in societal church? Knowing your calling and neglecting it.

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Prison: Day 6,998
Every legacy media outlet covered Mack Hollins' and his newsworthy wardrode during his arrival to games. Yet, his most newsworthy pregame outfit for the biggest game of the year drew silence, except from Fox for brief criticism.

I spent four years in jail shackled like Hollins before I was sentenced at age 23 to 51.5 years to life for my bad choices as a teenager. Washington, a "progressive" state, has no parole process, and therefore no review mechanism to determine who is and is not fit to return to the community. This is dangerous on the frontend with short-term prisoners releasing without a review, and a waste of human life on the back end as people, often incarcerated as youth and young adults, spend decades longer in prison than necessary after successful rehabilitation.

This is the public discourse birthed when mainstream media does its job and reports on newsworthy stories. Instead, censorship further empowers incompetent state leadership (Washington State Speaker Jenkins) to mismanage tax dollars to the tune of $16 billion in the red, responding not with better fiscal stewardship, but with the largest tax hike in state history. Washington residents are praying 80k+ per prisoner, per year, a massive gas tax, skyrocketing property tax, and the highest prices in the nation, all while driving over pothole roads, and past homeless encampments. It must be Trump's fault, right!

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Prison: Day 6,998
My heart breaks for the Guthrie family. Like millions across the nation and around the world, my community of life and long-term prisoners are horrified and heartbroken for the Guthrie family. We are praying for you, praying for Nancy, and believing Romans 8:28. God is able! Blessings! Peace! Love!
I made terrible choices as a teenager, and I was sentenced, alongside my co-defendant, to life with a minimum term of 51.5 years. I was a homeless addict with a childhood filled with trauma. No denial or do-overs! Only accountability. I have spent the past twenty years in prison making amends for my wrongs, living a transformed life, mentoring special needs prisoners, ministering, growing as a human being, and most recently trying to raise public awareness through publishing and podcasting.

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Reentry Is Not a Door - It’s a Lifeline
Host: Aaron Edward Olson

In this powerful episode, host Aaron Edward Olson shares his lived experience of nineteen years of incarcerationand the generational forces that shaped his journey. Sentenced to 51.5 years to life, Aaron offers a vulnerable, deeply human perspective on reentry - not as a bureaucratic process or a moment in time, but as a lifeline, a culture, and a collective moral responsibility.

This episode explores what reentry is NOT, what it must become, and the cost of getting it wrong. Aaron weaves together testimony, theology, social analysis, and hope, calling listeners - from legislators to faith communities to everyday civilians - into a shared vision of healing, accountability, and transformation.

This is not just a reentry conversation. This is a reimagining of public safety, human dignity, and the redemptive possibilities of community.

Episode Breakdown

Welcome and Introduction
Aaron reflects on 19 years of incarceration, his sentence structure, and why reentry remains a moving target - and a sacred calling.

Part I: Who I Am and Why Reentry Matters
A personal narrative from childhood to incarceration, accountability, healing, purpose, and the relationships that transformed Aaron’s life.

Part II: What Reentry Is Not
A redefinition:
Reentry is not paperwork, not a bus ticket, not good luck and try harder.
Reentry is not a slogan - its a culture.

Part III: What Reentry Actually Is
A blueprint for real reentry: identity reconstruction, digital literacy, trauma healing, opportunity, housing, healthy relationships, and hope.

Part IV: The Cost of Getting Reentry Wrong
What happens when we fail as a society: relapse, recidivism, family fracture, death, and lost human potential.

Part V: Living with a Life Sentence
Aaron shares the paradox of preparing for a future he may never reach and why his purpose remains anchored in creating pathways for others.

Part VI: What Reentry Should Be
A vision for humane, effective, trauma-informed, tech-supported reentry. Including the role of platforms like MyReentry in building long-term continuity of care.

Part VII: A Call to Action
A direct message to policymakers, nonprofits, faith communities, citizens, and the incarcerated: Reentry is a shared responsibility and a chance to build something better than what exists today.

Closing Reflections
Aaron shares his faith, his purpose, and his commitment to fighting for reentry even if he never gets to experience it himself.

Key Themes and Takeaways

Reentry is public safety, not charity.

Accountability and transformation require support, opportunity, and healing, not punishment.

Human beings change when they are seen, believed in, and invested in.

Recidivism is not failure of the individual - it is failure of systems and conditions.

Reentry must begin on day one of incarceration and extend beyond release.

Technology and human compassion must work together to build the future of reentry.

A life sentence does not eliminate purpose - it can deepen it.

Abolition is not destruction: it is building better systems rooted in human dignity.

Who This Episode Is For
Families of incarcerated loved ones
Formerly incarcerated people
Faith communities seeking to live out restorative values
Legislators and policymakers
Reentry organizations and case managers
Teachers, social workers, and community organizers
Anyone who believes in human dignity, redemption, or justice reform

Mentioned in This Episode
MyReentry a tech-driven, human-centered reentry platform built by system-impacted people, providing personalized digital tools, mentorship pathways, equity-driven algorithms, and long-term post-release support.

Call to Action
If this episode moved you:
1.Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.
https://t.co/byunJsgyp7 reentry organizations in your community.
3.Write to your legislators about fully funding and modernizing reentry systems.
4.Engage with incarcerated people through your faith community, a nonprofit, or a local advocacy group.
5.Subscribe to The Abolition Christian Podcast for upcoming episodes.

Together, we can build a world where no one returns to prison
because everyone has the support to return to life.

Connect With Us
Podcast: The Abolition Christian
Host: Aaron Edward Olson
Email: [email protected]
Follow for updates: (Insert podcast or social links)

Closing Note
Thank you for listening, caring, and believing in a future more humane than the one we inherited.
https://t.co/6DqFcxMZP3

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Jason and HermanJ have a video visit where we chat about PRISON VISITS. Jason only gets three (or is it four) hour long visits. Whereas our very good friend Aaron, incarcerated in Washington state has way longer visits, as well as Extended Family Visits (EFV's) that are two DAYS long and are unsupervised in a house on the grounds of the prison.

You have to be thankful for the time that is allowed in the company of your loved ones.
https://t.co/9mLcNcei95

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Reentry Begins at Reception
Host: Aaron Edward Olson — award-winning writer and journalist, and creator/host of The Abolition Christian Podcast
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Aaron challenges the way society — and Washington State in particular — defines reentry. Rather than viewing reentry as a brief checklist at the end of incarceration, he argues that true reentry begins the moment a person enters the system.
Through bold analysis and lived experience, Aaron exposes the failures of historically shallow reentry strategies and paints a compelling alternative: one rooted in preparation, connection, dignity, and opportunity from Day 1 of incarceration. When reentry is designed to prepare instead of release, individuals, families, and communities all win.
Aaron speaks not as an observer but as someone living inside the system — a writer, journalist, leader, and husband who built his voice and his advocacy in the one place designed to silence both. This episode stands as both indictment and inspiration, empowering listeners to reimagine what public safety and rehabilitation can look like when lived experience is centered.
Key Themes
• Reentry is not an end-of-sentence program — it’s a beginning-of-sentence responsibility.
• Systems often blame individuals for “failure” while failing to prepare them to succeed.
• True reentry must be:
o Technology-equipped
o Trauma-informed
o Employment-driven
o Housing-focused
o Family-centered
o Future-oriented
• Investing in people creates safer communities, stronger families, and economic benefit for the entire state.
• Rehabilitation is not theoretical — it’s lived.
Memorable Quotes
1. “Reentry doesn’t start 30 days before release — reentry begins at reception, Day 1.”
2. “When a person succeeds, a family succeeds. When a family succeeds, a community succeeds. When a community succeeds, the entire state succeeds.”
3. “We are not here to beg for second chances. We are here to build them.”
4. “The goal isn’t just to keep people from coming back — it’s to prepare them to love their communities, recognize opportunities, and be the best they can be.”

A Message to Listeners

To those who have been through the system:
You are not broken. You are not less than. You are not disqualified from building a life you’re proud of.

To those supporting someone inside:
You are seen. You matter. Your support might be the reason their story has a different ending.

About the Host
Aaron Edward Olson is an award-winning writer and journalist and the creator/host of The Abolition Christian Podcast. His work examines incarceration, redemption, faith, healing, and the future of reentry through lived experience and social insight.
https://t.co/mJgc6UlsIj

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Reentry Begins at Reception: 02 with Jason Burdett
Co-Host: Jason Aaron Burdett — 30-years into a LIFE sentence and co/host of The Abolition Christian Podcast
In this episode, Jason challenges the way reentry is practiced — in Idaho as well as in private prisons. Throughout this series, rather than viewing reentry as a brief checklist at the end of incarceration, Aaron and Jason will be arguing that true reentry begins the moment a person enters the system.
Through bold analysis and lived experience, Aaron exposes the failures of historically shallow reentry strategies and paints a compelling alternative: one rooted in preparation, connection, dignity, and opportunity from Day 1 of incarceration. When reentry is designed to prepare instead of release, individuals, families, and communities all win.
Key Themes
•           Reentry is not an end-of-sentence program — it’s a beginning-of-sentence responsibility.
•           Systems often blame individuals for “failure” while failing to prepare them to succeed.
•           True reentry must be:
o   Technology-equipped
o   Trauma-informed
o   Employment-driven
o   Housing-focused
o   Family-centered
o   Future-oriented
•           Investing in people creates safer communities, stronger families, and economic benefit for the entire state.
•           Rehabilitation is not theoretical — it’s lived.
Memorable Quotes
1.        “Reentry doesn’t start 30 days before release — reentry begins at reception, Day 1.”
2.        “When a person succeeds, a family succeeds. When a family succeeds, a community succeeds. When a community succeeds, the entire state succeeds.”
3.        “We are not here to beg for second chances. We are here to build them.”
4.        “The goal isn’t just to keep people from coming back — it’s to prepare them to love their communities, recognize opportunities, and be the best they can be.”

A Message to Listeners
To those who have been through the system:
You are not broken. You are not less than. You are not disqualified from building a life you’re proud of.
To those supporting someone inside:
You are seen. You matter. Your support might be the reason their story has a different ending.
https://t.co/6DqFcxMZP3

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Reentry Begins at Reception
Host: Aaron Edward Olson — award-winning writer and journalist, and creator/host of The Abolition Christian Podcast
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Aaron challenges the way society — and Washington State in particular — defines reentry. Rather than viewing reentry as a brief checklist at the end of incarceration, he argues that true reentry begins the moment a person enters the system.
Through bold analysis and lived experience, Aaron exposes the failures of historically shallow reentry strategies and paints a compelling alternative: one rooted in preparation, connection, dignity, and opportunity from Day 1 of incarceration. When reentry is designed to prepare instead of release, individuals, families, and communities all win.
Aaron speaks not as an observer but as someone living inside the system — a writer, journalist, leader, and husband who built his voice and his advocacy in the one place designed to silence both. This episode stands as both indictment and inspiration, empowering listeners to reimagine what public safety and rehabilitation can look like when lived experience is centered.
Key Themes
• Reentry is not an end-of-sentence program — it’s a beginning-of-sentence responsibility.
• Systems often blame individuals for “failure” while failing to prepare them to succeed.
• True reentry must be:
o Technology-equipped
o Trauma-informed
o Employment-driven
o Housing-focused
o Family-centered
o Future-oriented
• Investing in people creates safer communities, stronger families, and economic benefit for the entire state.
• Rehabilitation is not theoretical — it’s lived.
Memorable Quotes
1. “Reentry doesn’t start 30 days before release — reentry begins at reception, Day 1.”
2. “When a person succeeds, a family succeeds. When a family succeeds, a community succeeds. When a community succeeds, the entire state succeeds.”
3. “We are not here to beg for second chances. We are here to build them.”
4. “The goal isn’t just to keep people from coming back — it’s to prepare them to love their communities, recognize opportunities, and be the best they can be.”

A Message to Listeners

To those who have been through the system:
You are not broken. You are not less than. You are not disqualified from building a life you’re proud of.

To those supporting someone inside:
You are seen. You matter. Your support might be the reason their story has a different ending.

About the Host
Aaron Edward Olson is an award-winning writer and journalist and the creator/host of The Abolition Christian Podcast. His work examines incarceration, redemption, faith, healing, and the future of reentry through lived experience and social insight.
https://t.co/mJgc6UlsIj

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Jason and HermanJ have a video visit where we chat about PRISON VISITS. Jason only gets three (or is it four) hour long visits. Whereas our very good friend Aaron, incarcerated in Washington state has way longer visits, as well as Extended Family Visits (EFV's) that are two DAYS long and are unsupervised in a house on the grounds of the prison.

You have to be thankful for the time that is allowed in the company of your loved ones.
https://t.co/9mLcNcei95

[The Nation @thenation]

A new investigation from incarcerated journalist Aaron Edward Olson shows how Washington state discriminates against immigrants in prison.
https://t.co/B6UUpuuPS8

[Jack Mirkinson @jackmirkinson]

Today in @thenation: a powerful investigation from incarcerated journalist Aaron Edward Olson into the way that Washington State discriminates against immigrants in prison. Proud to have worked on this one with @typeinvestigate https://t.co/KfwuDj4SQO

[Type Investigations @typeinvestigate]

People with immigration detainers want to build a better life, but state policies make it difficult or impossible.

@AaronOlson1986 reports in partnership with @thenation: https://t.co/MxQq5N7fao

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Aaron's Birthday
https://t.co/E6sMjhSsdF

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

2nd VIDEO VISIT WITH JASON
Hi there all - well, it is turning out to be fun.
My (HermanJ) communication platform has moved on from purely telephonic calls to the all-new VIDEO VISITS. This is technically still the first call, as it was recorded minutes after the first call. All very experimental but it sure does shed some light on prison life – man, it noisy in there…
In this recording, we chatted about a whole bunch of things – a few of them being;
•Going to attend a Victim Impact Group
oParent of Murdered Children visiting the prison and talking to the prisoners
oThe parents of murdered children, Savannah, Chris and Maddie, interact with prisoners and request that they remember their children’s names and that the prisoners make something good of their live by positively impacting on the lives of fellow prisoners
•Toastmasters coming up, where the Idaho guys will be competing with the guys from Hawaii and Montana
•We also spoke about Jason’s video visits with the awesomely beautiful Erica. Jason, being a typical male, keeps missing out on complementing a lady. Typical ‘boy-child’!
•Chat moved to the upcoming visit by Erica’s parents, Terry and Karen – who are awesome supporters of Jason over the years.

https://t.co/r3xvowvU9q

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

Hi there all - well, this is going to be fun.
My (HermanJ here) communication platform has moved on from purely telephonic calls to the all-new VIDEO VISITS. What follows is the very first video call, where I take Jason on a tour of my tiny home and introduce him (kinda) to my dogs, Shadow and Mowgli and run him through the rest of the apartment.

There are the typical prison background interruptions, video cut-outs, weird messages, blurred background and two friends who don't mind all of the challenges and are all too happy to be able to see each other when we call.

https://t.co/f7zMQCBVHH

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

@wflower2001 HJ. Thanks Jackie ☺️

[TheAbolitionChristian℠ @AaronOlson1986]

@NotesFromThePen Welcome back, Bobby.