I Used & Sold Heroin — Then Ended Up In An Ohio Prison | Edward English

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 745 Ratings

🗓️ 25 November 2025

⏱️ 106 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Edward English grew up between Houston and Ohio in a turbulent home marked by an absent father and an abusive stepfather. Put on Ritalin from ages 7 to 17, he struggled with confidence and identity — eventually turning to drugs as a way to escape. What started as experimentation spiraled into an eight-year heroin addiction that led to his arrest in 2011 for possession, distribution, and trafficking. Sentenced to nearly eight years in prison, Edward served 4.5 before being released in 2016. Behind bars, everything changed. Through faith, mentorship, and personal growth programs, he transformed his mindset and rebuilt his life from the inside out — a journey he documents in his memoir Emersion. Today, Edward is 14 years clean, a husband, father, and commercial plumber in Columbus, Ohio, dedicated to helping others overcome addiction and find purpose after prison. His story is one of pain, perseverance, and the power of true transformation. #LockedInWithIanBick #PrisonStories #TrueCrime #AddictionRecovery #HeroinAddiction #OhioPrison #RedemptionStory #realstories Thank you to DAWS for sponsoring this episode: Go to http://www.daws.org/ to donate, adopt or send items from their wishlist. Connect with Edward English: Facebook: Edward Lee English TikTok: @emersion589 Instagram: @emersion589 Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro, Awkward Moments & Setting the Stage 00:36 – Host Announcements & Welcoming Lee 01:01 – Lee’s Childhood, Family & Early Upbringing 05:51 – Trauma, Emotional Struggles & Coping as a Kid 10:26 – Turning to Drugs: Early Addiction & First Experiences 13:41 – High School Achievements, Pressure & Fitting In 17:05 – Life After High School: Work, College & Substance Use 19:42 – College Years: Addiction Deepens & Escalation Begins 24:01 – Rock Bottom: Mugging, Desperation & Collapse 28:28 – Moving Back Home & Falling Into Old Patterns 32:40 – Heroin Addiction Intensifies & Selling to Survive 37:29 – Survivor’s Guilt, Dealing Drugs & Losing Control 43:41 – Spiritual Turning Point, Arrest & Reality Check 47:31 – Jail, Detox & The Mental Shift Toward Change 51:42 – Facing Trial, Sentencing & Harsh Consequences 56:07 – Family Impact, Regret & Self-Reflection Before Prison 01:00:32 – Prison Intake, Processing & First Impressions 01:05:05 – Prison Conditions, Programs & Daily Reality 01:10:10 – Marion Correctional: Adjusting, Programs & Growth 01:15:01 – Awkward Encounters, Prison Dynamics & Conflict 01:19:40 – Mentors, Guidance & Using Resources to Change 01:24:01 – Therapy, Recovery Work & Rebuilding the Mind 01:28:01 – Life Lessons, Release Preparation & Reentry 01:32:26 – Starting Over: Building a New Life & True Change 01:36:00 – Family, Healing Generational Trauma & Reflection 01:41:30 – Parenthood, Patience & Giving Back Through Kindness 01:43:07 – Hope, Redemption & Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	My most awkward situation was from a well-known serial ruckus that f*** smelled my feet in the middle of the night that I didn't even know about.
0:08.6	Do you ever worry that the drugs you sold led to someone's death?
0:11.3	I started bawling my eyes out.
0:13.5	Tell us about your prison experience.
0:14.9	Edward English spent nearly eight years addicted to heroin, a journey that took him from Houston to an Ohio prison. But behind bars,
0:22.9	everything changed. He found faith, mentors, and a new purpose that helped him rebuild his life
0:28.5	from the inside out. 14 years clean, a husband and a father today, this is how he turned prison
0:34.6	into transformation. Also, everyone, we are having a huge Black Friday sale this coming Friday.
0:41.7	The day after Thanksgiving, my whole locked-in store available at Eambic.com is 50% off.
0:48.0	So you could get a signed figure, which comes with wristbands and bracelets for 50% off.
0:53.5	And you can also get a hoodie and hats for 50% off. Go check it out. Lee, welcome to Lockton. Thanks so much for coming out here today. Yeah, thanks, Ian. I appreciate this opportunity, man. Yeah, I appreciate you reaching out. You're just telling me the story about how when you reached out, you never thought we'd respond, and now here we are. Yeah, it's kind of surreal. You know, I was just like,
1:16.4	up until this moment of reaching out to you, I didn't even know who you were. I just found a short
1:22.4	on TikTok, and I was like, man, I got to give this guy his credit where credits do, because
1:27.4	nobody really
1:28.1	wants to talk about awkward experiences in prison. And here I am writing a book and it's talking
1:34.1	about change and stuff. And, you know, come full circle. You know what it's like coming home.
1:39.5	And you've got this podcast and stuff. And I'm like, hey, man, I'm writing a book.
2:01.7	And, you know, I just appreciate the invite. Yeah, and we have the book right here today. You gave me a copy. I love when the guests bring me a book and then always write something. I got a nice shelf there where I've been displaying all of them. It's really cool. If you want to tell the audience about this. Yeah, so as complex as my life was, it's pretty simple.
2:02.5	You know, I just,
2:10.0	I wanted to document my journey. I had a rough childhood upbringing, subjected to, you know,
2:19.3	childhood traumas from a stepfather, an absent father, emotional, mental, physical abuse, and it led to addiction.
2:21.8	Ultimately, I ended up in prison.
	...

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