Lavern Rushin is so much more than Matthew Rushin’s mom—she’s a veteran, a government worker, an advocate, and leader in her community, locally and now also online. Lavern never thought that being a mother would mean becoming an advocate for her wrongfully incarcerated son, but that’s what happened. Her son, Matthew, is Black and Autistic, and after a seizure-induced car accident was tried and wrongly incarcerated. This week, we talk about getting justice for Matthew, which is an ongoing process, and what true justice for all could look like with significant reforms to our policing and legal systems. We talk about the problems in policing as it stands today, and what defunding the police really means to people like Matthew, Lavern, and now to me, as well. Lavern’s tireless advocacy and legislative work will mean that fewer mothers are in her place in the future, and that - together - we are able to make reforms that keep our Black men and neuro-divergent family safe from police brutality and mass incarceration. This week’s episode hits home, and I hope you listen so that you can learn about Lavern’s work and what you can do to help—not to mention where Matthew is today and what his bright future has in store for him! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.