About Restored Voices

Restored Voices is a national storytelling and education initiative developed by 217 Recovery in collaboration with Before, During & After Incarceration (BDAI).

 

Together, we are building a platform to elevate the lived experiences of people in recovery, individuals impacted by incarceration, and those navigating both.

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Through personal narratives, community conversations, and educational outreach, Restored Voices seeks to change the way society understands addiction, incarceration, recovery, and reentry.

 

By centering the voices of those who have lived these journeys, we aim to foster compassion, reduce stigma, and create space for healing and systemic change.

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Our Mission

To challenge stigma and reframe public understanding of addiction and incarceration by sharing powerful, authentic stories of survival, transformation, and recovery.

 

What We Do

Restored Voices combines digital storytelling with in-person education and advocacy:

• Podcast and video production highlighting lived experiences of recovery and reentry.

• Educational presentations in schools, jails, treatment centers, and community spaces.

• Collaborative outreach that connects recovery services and justice reform efforts through real human stories.

• Resource creation that supports prevention, reentry planning, and recovery-informed community building.

 

Why It Matters

Far too often, people impacted by substance use and incarceration are met with judgment or silence. Restored Voices exists to speak into that silence—with truth, dignity, and hope.

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Stories are a powerful tool for social change. When told with honesty and purpose, they can challenge harmful narratives, create empathy, and inspire new solutions. This project is about more than media—it’s about changing lives and systems through the voices of those who’ve lived it.

 

Our Partnership

217 Recovery, based in Traverse City, Michigan, supports individuals in recovery through transportation, peer coaching, and community programming.

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BDAI (Before, During & After Incarceration) is a national movement rooted in lived experience, committed to transforming the lives of justice-impacted individuals, families, and communities through education, advocacy, and connection.

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Together, we are creating a storytelling initiative that bridges the worlds of recovery and reentry—because healing, justice, and second chances are deeply interconnected.