S20 Ep111: Crime And Unusual Punishment: The Psychological Realities Of Federal Prison w/Former Psychologist/Author, Paul Smith

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4.8 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2025

⏱️ 159 minutes

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Summary

True Crime Tuesday Presents Crime And Unusual Punishment: The Psychological Realities Of Federal Prison w/Former Psychologist/Author, Paul Smith!

Paul Smith was a clinical psychologist sentenced to 51 months for healthcare fraud and in his new book, confronts the harsh realities of federal prison. Incarcerated amid the chaos of the COVID pandemic, he endured a relentless odyssey through eight different prison facilities, caught in a near-perpetual cycle of transfer. Through his expert lens, CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT: A Memoir of the Psychological Realities of Federal Prison unveils the stark truth of an uncivilized, harsh, and insane system that erodes the very essence of humanity.

The author reveals a grim truth: extended exposure to the cruel environment of prison—crafted by government policy and the ruthless prisoner code—strips away humanity, pushing individuals toward savagery. Drawing from his own struggle to preserve his sense of self and the hard-earned wisdom of those who survived years of confinement, he offers a raw, introspective exploration of survival under psychological siege.

On today's episode, we sit down with Paul and talk to him about the psychological effects of the prison system on the average inmate, whether every inmate is redeemable, and changing over the prison system from a punitive system to a truly reformative one and what model should be used as an example. We also relive Paul's story and recall the pitfalls that led to his downfall...

PLUS DUMB CRIMES/STUPID CRIMINALS WITH JESSICA FREEBURG!

Get your copy of "Crime and Unusual Punishment" here: https://wildbluepress.com/cruel-unusual-punishment-true-crime-prison-memoir-paul-smith/

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Check out Jessica Freeburg's website and order her new books: https://jessicafreeburg.com/books/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome in to the best in True Crime Podcasting.
0:25.2	This is True Crime Tuesday.
0:26.2	I'm your host Tim Dennis.
0:27.8	Folks, I have an incredibly fascinating program loaded up for you today.
0:33.0	You know, we've had some really divisive things that have happened in our society lately.
0:39.0	And the one thing that we want to say automatically when a crime's committed is throw the book out.
0:45.0	It's the first thing we say, and we say he gets or she gets what they deserve.
0:50.1	Today's show, I think I might want to change your mind on that.
0:53.2	I have an incredibly interesting guest with me today who has a really good book out there
0:58.0	that I had the privilege of reading this weekend.
1:00.3	It's called Crime and Unusual Punishment, a memoir of the Psychological Realities of Federal Prison.
1:06.2	My guest is Dr. Paul Smith.
1:09.1	Eight prisons in 51 months.
1:13.2	And it is a unique look at the inside of the federal prison system.
1:18.5	And I'm going to bring in Dr. Smith here in just a moment.
1:21.6	We're going to talk about his experience within the federal prison system.
1:26.6	You know, it's easy for us to get callous and say the crime fits the punishment, the punishment
1:31.8	fits the crime, but does it?
1:33.8	It's one of the things we're going to explore today with Dr. Smith.
1:36.6	Paul Smith, Ph.D. was born in 1964 in rural Michigan, practiced as a clinical psychologist
1:42.1	for 23 years in hospitals, universities, outpatient clinics,
1:45.3	and a thriving private practice. In 2018, amid severe personal challenges, he committed health care
	...

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