A Guide to Purpose, Power, and Leadership After Incarceration
A practical blueprint for rebuilding your life, reclaiming your story, and leading with credibility after a life-altering setback.
About the Book
Released & Redeemed is a practical leadership guide for people rebuilding after a life-altering setback.
It is not a memoir. It is not a motivational comeback story.
This book focuses on what happens after release—after forgiveness, after opportunity, after the second chance—when credibility must be rebuilt and trust must be earned through action.
Drawing from lived experience and years of work inside workforce and leadership systems, Joshua Johnson offers a clear framework for:
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taking ownership without staying trapped in shame
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rebuilding trust through consistency rather than explanation
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communicating your story with strength, not apology
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leading in environments where your past may still be questioned
At its core, Released & Redeemed is about standards—the personal disciplines, behaviors, and decisions that quietly prove transformation over time.
This book is written for people who are done surviving, done explaining, and ready to lead.
Credibility Snapshot
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National workforce leader and former State Director of Apprenticeship
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Advisor to employers and state leaders on talent strategy and fair-chance hiring
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Creator of Pardon Me! and The Redemption Collective
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Speaker on leadership, second chances, and workforce transformation
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Why This Book
This is not a comeback story. It’s a leadership standard.
Too many people get labeled by their worst moment and then handed vague motivation instead of a real path forward. Released & Redeemed is for people who are done surviving and ready to build.
What You’ll Walk Away With
A Clear, Credible Narrative
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Learn how to own your past without being defined by it-and communicate your growth with confidence and control.
A Leadership Identity Built on Standards
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Stop seeking approval. Start leading with discipline, consistency, and self-trust.
A Blueprint for Sustained Progress
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Practical applications that build credibility, stability, and forward momentum-one day at a time.
Who This Book Is For
This book is written for people who are done surviving, done explaining, and ready to lead.
If you identify with any of these statements, this book is for you:
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You are justice-impacted and intentionally rebuilding your life—not just moving forward, but moving with purpose.
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You are a leader who has endured a setback and refuses to let it define your ceiling.
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You are done being reduced to your past and ready to operate from credibility, not explanation.
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You want language for your story that commands respect
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You want language for your story that earns respect in rooms that matter.
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You support returning citizens—as a mentor, practitioner, employer, or advocate—and believe opportunity requires structure, not sympathy.
Released & Redeemed doesn’t motivate you to feel better about your past—it equips you to build a life that proves your growth through ownership, discipline, and results.
Joshua Johnson is a national workforce leader and speaker who advises employers and state leaders on apprenticeship expansion and fair-chance hiring. Incarcerated at seventeen, he rebuilt his life through discipline and accountability—bringing lived experience and systems-level expertise to leadership after incarceration.
Book Interest Form
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“Before I met Joshua, I was very cautious of who and where I shared my story. Joshua shared his story with me without knowing that I too was formerly
incarcerated. His honesty gave me encouragement to share my story now regardless of the audience.”
Crystal Mourlas-Oregon DOC #13255604,Formerly Incarcerated
“Joshua’s story foregrounds the intersection of systemic impact and individual resilience, presenting a compelling case that structural adversity does not negate the
possibility of achievement or self-determination. Having worked with Josh in multiple capacities, I found his narrative deeply inspiring and affirming in my own efforts to leverage my lived experience for change.”
Daniel Webster-Federal Bureau of Prisons-#07258-089, Formerly Incarcerated
"Joshua helped me transition from a place of hesitation to one of intentionality. He empowered me to reframe my past, transforming what I once hid into a purposeful narrative that I now share with absolute confidence and zero reservation."
Dominic-Formerly Incarcerated