Complete Picture with Rebecca Grace and John Gray

Stepping Into Truth: Conversations on Social Justice and How We Get Free

Rebecca Grace and John Gray

I can't believe that I've been doing this podcast since 2018! This season I have some remarkable people as guests on the show. Season 4 starts with Rebecca Grace and John Gray of Complete Picture.

Imagine that someone you love has been convicted of a non-violent felony and is awaiting sentencing. Typically the sentencing judge gets a dry document that talks about what is likely the worst thing this individual has ever done and that's all. That information is what they base their decision on.

Based on their own experience of John's prison term for a drug felony, they decided that they needed to find a way of showing that those awaiting sentencing were far more than the worst thing they had done, and Complete Picture was born.

Rebecca, John and their crew of formerly incarcerated people go into the homes of those awaiting sentencing and create a film that shows the scope of the individual, the complete picture. Presenting a judge with a full perspective makes all the difference as sentences have been reduced and even commuted.

This conversation brought me to tears. It can be so easy to harshly judge those who have been convicted of a crime. John and Rebecca reconnect us with the humanity of these people and, by extension, our own.

Have a listen.

For a written transcript of this conversation go here.

Action Steps:
1. Listen to peoples’ stories with curiosity rather than judgement.
2. If you are able, make a donation to completepicture.org.
3. If you have skills that would be useful to the work Rebecca and John are doing call them at 323.683.5689.

Connect with Complete Picture:
www.completepicture.org
https://www.instagram.com/completepictureproject/