I Was a Professional Shoplifter — Then Survived New York’s Prison Shock Program | Joseph Schultze

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.9 • 606 Ratings

🗓️ 20 August 2025

⏱️ 147 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Joseph Schultze’s life looked nothing like the path that would eventually lead him toward prison. Growing up in Binghamton, New York, he had a loving home — but also parents battling cocaine addiction. Forced to take care of them while still a teenager, Joseph dropped out of high school and developed crippling anxiety. A car accident became the turning point that pulled him into painkillers, harder drugs, and a spiral of crime that racked up multiple larceny charges. Facing years behind bars, Joseph took a chance on New York’s infamous shock program — a grueling alternative to prison designed to break inmates down physically and mentally. #AddictionRecovery #PrisonStories #ShockProgram #OvercomingAddiction #TrueCrimePodcast #AddictionAwareness #LifeAfterPrison #RecoveryJourney Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Get 50% off the Magic Mind offer here: https://www.magicmind.com/IANB50. #magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance Presented by Tyson 2.0 & Wooooo Energy: https://tyson20.com/ https://woooooenergy.com/ Use code LOCKEDIN for 20% OFF Wooooo Energy Buy Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction & Early Addiction 00:50 Meet Joe: Hometown and Upbringing 02:00 Parents' Punk Rock Past & Family Struggles 04:04 Childhood Stories 07:00 Parents' Arrest 09:45 Family History & Normalcy Amidst Chaos 12:26 Dreams for the Future & Sports 13:51 Struggles in School and Dropping Out 14:44 Hitting Rock Bottom in High School 17:17 The GED, New School, and Finding Purpose 18:35 Early Jobs & Anxiety Takes Over 19:37 Battling Severe Anxiety and Isolation 21:18 Emerging from Anxiety 22:26 Family Crises and New Responsibilities 23:54 Balancing Business, Love, and Parental Care 27:32 Becoming a Parent: Breaking the Cycle? 32:30 The Accident That Changed Everything 36:56 Raising a Daughter 40:40 Understanding His Parents 42:58 Losing Prescription Access 45:39 Descent Into Heroin and Selling Possessions 47:59 From Using to Dealing & Living the Fast Life 52:40 Boosting: Shoplifting to Survive 57:07 Life of Boosting: Escalation and Arrests 01:04:04 Legal Trouble: Juggling Charges and Addiction 01:11:49 The Downward Spiral: High-Speed Chases & More Crime 01:18:19 Identity Theft & First Long Jail Stint 01:26:32 Jail, Withdrawal, and Hitting Bottom 01:36:08 Back to the Streets: Meth, Cars & Escalation 01:42:17 Caught Again: The End of Bonnie & Clyde 01:44:55 State Time: Programs & Military Boot Camp 01:56:41 Shock Program: Getting Broken Down to Build Up 02:08:08 Completing Shock & The Path to Recovery 02:13:13 Staying Sober, Rebuilding Life & Family 02:20:00 Lessons Learned & Final Thoughts 02:25:52 Outro & Gratitude Powered by: Just Media House : https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Creative direction, design, assets, support by FWRD: https://www.fwrd.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I get into a car accident where I get ejected out the back windshield, swerve to miss a deer,
0:04.7	get ejected out the back windshield, and before you know it, I'm getting pumped with fentanyl.
0:09.8	And I was in so much pain, but I loved the way it made me feel.
0:13.7	Man, I was just, I became addicted to opiose right there.
0:17.5	And the doctor overprescribed a shit out of me.
0:23.2	Joseph Schultz grew up in Binghamton, New York and a home filled with love, but also addiction. With both parents hooked on cocaine, Joseph learned
0:28.5	to care for them long before he was ready. After dropping out of high school and battling crippling
0:33.4	anxiety, a devastating car accident sent him down a dark path of painkillers, harder drugs,
0:39.2	and a string of larceny charges.
0:41.3	Facing prison, he took a gamble on New York's brutal shock program, a decision that would
0:46.5	change everything.
0:50.5	Joe, welcome to Lockton, man.
0:52.3	Thanks so much for driving out here from Binghamton, you said, right?
0:55.1	Yes, Binghamton, New York.
0:56.6	What is that, a couple hours from here?
0:58.5	Two hours and 50-something minutes, so not too far.
1:03.4	I had a lot of friends from high school that went to Binghamton.
1:06.2	Binghamton, yeah, Bighur.
1:08.4	Binghamton University is a decent-sized little college, upstate New York.
1:13.7	Hour south of Syracuse, like probably two and a half, three hours north-west of New York City.
1:22.2	Is that going towards like Buffalo?
1:24.3	Yeah.
	...

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