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bf thames at a computer workstation at the Solano State Prison media center

bf thames

Uncuffed Producer

Brian “bf” Thames has published five non-fiction books while incarcerated over the last 30 years. A pending 6th book advocating self-reliance and better decision making in potentially dangerous encounters is on the way. Learning languages is an exciting pastime for him. He’s become reasonably fluent in French, conversational in Spanish, and learned ASL during the Covid-19 pandemic. His favorite animals are Great Danes, and any variation of parrots/parakeets. Acquiring general knowledge and education about the world and existence tends to make him giddy.

  • Francisco Magaña reckons with the fine line between his mother's love and his mother's rage.
    When A Mother's Love Becomes Violent
    bf thames
    As a child, Francisco Magaña was afraid of his mother. She would beat him, and he’s carried that pain with him for his entire life. But despite that, he managed to forgive her.

    Learn more, and donate to support the program: www.weareuncuffed.org.

    Follow us @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

    Transcripts are available within a week of the episode coming out, at www.kalw.org/podcast/uncuffed.
  • Wilbert Stoneham (L) had a cardiac arrest and was rescued by Officer Handy (L), a guard who he had previous trouble with.
    My Enemy Saved My Life
    Uncuffed
    Death is a normal part of life in prison, but it’s rare that someone can live to tell the tale. Wilbert Stoneham dropped to the floor one day after a cardiac arrest. He awoke to realize he was being brought back to life by a guard who was once his nemesis. How a near-death experience can change your perspective on everything, including someone you despised.

    Learn more, and donate to support the program: www.weareuncuffed.org.

    Follow us @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

    Transcripts are available within a week of the episode coming out, at www.kalw.org/podcast/uncuffed.
  • Vandrick Hamza Jones has two sons, both in their twenties. One is incarcerated, the other has had problems with the law. He shares his experience parenting both from prison.
    Uncuffed
    It's Never Too Late: Fatherhood From Inside Prison
    Uncuffed
    One of the many struggles of parenting from inside prison is the constant fear that your children may follow in your footsteps. Children of incarcerated parents are more likely to get in trouble at school, lack stable housing, and end up involved in the criminal legal system themselves. And breaking those cycles is not easy, especially when contact with your children is limited.
  • David Haqq
    The Unwritten Rules Of Prison
    bf thames
    When someone is sent to prison for the first time, how do they figure out all the little dos and don'ts?
  • Quinton Gray
    Living With The Stigma And Stereotypes Of Mental Illness
    bf thames
    Quinton Gray talks about his life-long struggle with mental illness—and the assumptions people make about him.
  • Alonzo Riley and Anthony King
    Processing A Brother's Suicide
    bf thames
    Two men discuss the pain of losing a sibling to suicide. And the struggle to process that pain, while inside prison.
  • For Peralta, even a trip to the grocery store meant facing a new and unfamiliar set of social rules.
    Re-Entering The Outside World After Prison Isn't Always So Easy
    bf thames
    From the series Uncuffed:After two decades in prison, Andrew Peralta's re-entry was going great ... until it wasn't.
  • bf thames, Steve Drown, Orlando Johnson, and Mayito Guzman
    What Mother's Day Means To Incarcerated Men
    Uncuffed
    Mother’s Day is marketed as a celebration of unconditional love, but many of us have complicated relationships with our moms, involving lots of different emotions. Uncuffed producers at Solano State Prison talked about what the day brings up for them.
  • Coping With Depression In Prison
    bf thames
    Raymond Jones is often debilitated by depression. Sometimes he doesn’t want to shower, eat, or even think. He also doesn’t like to take the drugs prescribed by the prison’s medical department, because of the way they make him feel.
  • Livin’ That Tree Life — An Arborist Goes To Prison
    bf thames
    A lighter, more entertaining story, about gangster arborist Jeffrey Mercado livin' that tree life.
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