Episodes

December 14, 2022

Karen
While she was in jail awaiting her sentence, Karen was housed with a pregnant cellie on the verge of giving birth. At the time, the experience barely registered. It took us a while to understand why. This episode contains references to suicide. Listener discretion is advised. You can reach out t...
ListenTranscript
November 30, 2022

What’s Dangerous About Trees
If you have to serve prison time, Norway is the place to do it … at least that’s what we’d heard. Incarcerated people in Norway wear their own clothes, cook delicious meals from scratch, and even take short leaves to re-acclimate to society. Are Norway’s prisons all they’re cracked up to be? Ear Hu...
ListenTranscript
November 16, 2022

Wishful Thinking
The Ear Hustle music episode returns! We catch up with some guys at San Quentin who are longing for love, and then, for the first time ever, we toss the mic to the ladies at the California Institution for Women. You can find out more about Musicambia here . Radiotopia’s fall fundraiser is he...
ListenTranscript
November 2, 2022

Fences
From 180s and 270s to “just one long-ass hallway,” different kinds of prison architecture leave different marks on the people who live there. In this episode, like the last one, we explore how architecture shapes the experience of incarceration, and how people push back to reclaim space for themsel...
ListenTranscript
October 19, 2022

Pockets
Prisons are built with one thing in mind: surveillance. The architecture is designed to assert control and diminish privacy. But even in these spaces, people find ways to claim just a bit of privacy. In this episode and the next, we explore how individuals adapt to prison architecture. First: carvi...
ListenTranscript
October 5, 2022

Some Darkness and Some Light
Stories from our first-ever international reporting trip! From the nightclubs of Oslo, to Norway’s first in-prison Pride parade, to an incarcerated Danish guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer: Ear Hustle goes abroad, mics on , baby. Each episode this season will feature new artwork by an inca...
ListenTranscript
September 21, 2022

Actual/Factual
Sam Brown spent 24 years in prison not just denying his crime, but lying about it, over and over again. Finally, he decided to come clean. Would the parole board believe him? Each episode this season will feature new artwork by an incarcerated artist. You can see their illustrations on our webs...
ListenTranscript
September 7, 2022

The Five Senses
Life in prison can mess with your senses. There are smells you can’t unsmell, and sounds you long to hear. Some tastes you forget about entirely, and some forms of touch are almost too evocative to bear. Five San Quentin residents reflect on the sights, tastes, touch, smells, and sounds of prison l...
ListenTranscript
August 24, 2022

Ear Hustle Presents: Uncuffed
A special episode from Uncuffed : During the COVID lockdown at San Quentin, Steve and Darren both got unexpected letters that changed their lives. This is the second episode of the new season of KALW’s Uncuffed , a podcast training program at San Quentin and California State Prison, Solano. Th...
ListenTranscript
August 3, 2022

Ear Hustle Presents: My Mother Made Me
The Ear Hustle team is hard at work on our next season, which launches September 7! In the meantime, we’d like to tell you about a new podcast, hosted by Jason Reynolds. Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author, and the Library of Congress' national ambassador for young people's literature...
ListenTranscript
June 8, 2022

Last Memory: Ryan and Earlonne
The jig was up for Ryan, so he told police he’d turn himself in. His mom had one request: a final family meal at Applebee’s. Plus, Earlonne and Nigel head to the intersection of Firmona and Marine Avenues in Lawndale, California, the scene of E's last memory before being locked up. As always, bi...
ListenTranscript
May 25, 2022

Last Memory: Michael
The day before committing the crime that sent him to prison, Michael stood in a parking lot in Bakersfield, California, and looked up at the sky. Twenty-two years later, Earlonne and Nigel visit that same parking lot, then return to San Quentin to tell Michael what they found. If you need help f...
ListenTranscript
May 11, 2022

Catch a Kite 7
This season we're flipping the script on our traditional Catch a Kite episodes, exploring questions asked and answered between San Quentin State Prison and the California Institution for Women. Do men in prison form unofficial families the way incarcerated women do? Do women sentenced for killing a...
ListenTranscript
April 27, 2022

What Is This?
Life in prison, without regular sex and intimacy, can cause all sorts of emotional and physical issues. Yep, we're going there — to explore the impact of this constraint inside prison, and for men and women seeking close relationships after they get out. As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson...
ListenTranscript
April 13, 2022

Gabrieleen Silver Queen
What happens to a prison town when its main prison closes? The residents of Susanville, in Northern California, are about to find out. Ear Hustle took a road trip to see how Susanvillers — both inside and outside the prison — are reacting to the news. As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson an...
ListenTranscript
March 30, 2022

Is Your Name Alfredo?
Six massive murals span hundreds of feet across the walls of a San Quentin chow hall, depicting the history of California in epic scale and detail. Residents of San Quentin eat their meals surrounded by this artwork, and thousands of people see it every year. The murals have inspired countless myth...
ListenTranscript
March 16, 2022

Boots and Max
We talk about love on Ear Hustle, plenty, but it’s hard to think of prison as a “romantic” place. What does dating look and feel like, on the inside? Against all odds, sometimes true love prevails. As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show....
ListenTranscript
March 2, 2022

15 Minutes
In California and many other states, calls from prison are limited to 15 minutes and are monitored, recorded, and often difficult to come by. But whether you’re trying to fix a marriage or a broken wall heater, these short conversations are a lifeline for family on the outside. As always, big th...
ListenTranscript
February 23, 2022

Ear Hustle Extra: Making Trouble
Sometimes, when you’re up against a big state institution, you have to make some trouble. For this mini-episode, part of Radiotopia’s winter fundraiser , we share a few stories about incarcerated people trying to effect small change but not always getting the results they want. This special epi...
ListenTranscript
January 26, 2022

Ear Hustle Extra: A Call from Sacramento
We’re between seasons but have an exciting update to share with listeners: Our friend and colleague Rahsaan “New York” Thomas’ prison sentence has been commuted by California Governor Gavin Newsom. What does this mean for Rahsaan’s release from San Quentin? As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robin...
ListenTranscript
December 29, 2021

Ear Hustle Presents: Written Off
While Ear Hustle works on its next season, which starts March 2, we wanted to introduce you to the podcast Written Off . It features formerly incarcerated young writers talking about their journeys and creative processes. In this episode, host Walter Thompson-Hernández talks with writer Candice Pr...
ListenTranscript
December 22, 2021

Camp Grace
This past fall, we followed a group of kids into Salinas Valley State Prison to spend two days with their dads, whom they hadn’t seen in years. Through music, crafts, and games, the idea behind Camp Grace is to put aside prison personas and reconnect with fatherhood. But relationships strained by i...
ListenTranscript
December 8, 2021

Tray, Tumbler, Spork
Earlier this year, some of the Ear Hustle team spent a month living under a specific set of constraints informed by the daily routines of our inside colleagues, changing the way we ate, got dressed, and exercised. The goal wasn’t to replicate prison life, but to see how constraint shapes the way we...
ListenTranscript
November 17, 2021

Yard of Dreams
Sports in prison are more than just games. They can be an outlet for stress, the realization of dreams deferred, or a positive way to prove oneself to peers and family. In this episode, one player battles for acceptance and a spot on the San Quentin baseball team, a two-time Super Bowl champion goe...
ListenTranscript
November 3, 2021

Counting Lines
Going to prison in your home country can be disorienting enough. What about when you’re new to the culture, don’t speak the language, and are thousands of miles from family and friends? Three Americans describe their experiences of incarceration in Japan, Thailand, and Iran. As always, big thank...
ListenTranscript
October 20, 2021

Taxx Is Tripping
What does it take to be bonnaroo in prison? We explore the creative ways people inside transform and beautify their physical selves and their living environment, using whatever they can find within prison walls. As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their suppor...
ListenTranscript
October 6, 2021

Stormy Monday
At Ear Hustle, we hear more from listeners about music than almost any other topic. In response, we bring you the Ear Hustle Mixtape, including stories about an unlikely instrument that’s been showing up on the yard at San Quentin, Native American sweat lodges and music, and getting the band back t...
ListenTranscript
September 22, 2021

Do It Movin’
We bring you stories about the ups and downs of making bail and the bittersweet taste of freedom when you know you’re about to lose it. Plus: Nigel confronts a man with no regrets, and Ear Hustle says goodbye to a friend of the show. To find out more about the Ear Hustle 30-Day Challenge, and to...
ListenTranscript
September 8, 2021

August 21, 1971
August 21, 1971 was the deadliest day in San Quentin history, and it’s still a painful topic, both inside the prison and out. At the center of the story was a Black revolutionary named George Jackson. Who was he, and what makes him so controversial, even today? As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam R...
ListenTranscript
August 25, 2021

Coming Soon: 50 Years After George Jackson
Ear Hustle’s eighth season launches on September 8th with a dramatic account of one of the most notorious days in San Quentin’s history: August 21st, 1971. By sundown, three guards and three incarcerated people lay dead. Fifty years later, the events of that day remain intensely contested, and emot...
ListenTranscript
August 11, 2021

Ear Hustle Presents: Life Jolt
With just a few weeks to go before Ear Hustle returns with Season 8, we wanted to introduce listeners to a new show that’s been in all of our headphones: Life Jolt . In this first episode, “The Before Times,” incarcerated women look back on the uncertainty and dread they experienced in those early...
ListenTranscript
June 9, 2021

Home for Me Is Really a Memory
Leslie has served more time in prison than anyone we’ve ever interviewed on the show: over half a century, for a crime committed when she was 19. Four times, the parole board has deemed her fit for release. Each time, California’s governor denied it. What does it mean to live a meaningful life when...
ListenTranscript
May 26, 2021

Cracked Windshield
A year after George Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer, the Ear Hustle team and friends talk about their first interactions with cops, the role of empathy, and whether those relationships can ever change. As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for ...
ListenTranscript
May 12, 2021

The Whole Shabang
Toothpaste, ramen noodles, sneakers, coffee creamer. If you want to shop from prison, it’s either the commissary or a prison-approved package catalog. These packages offer a connection to the outside world, but sometimes they make the distance seem even greater. As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam ...
ListenTranscript
April 28, 2021

Catch a Kite 6
Can you have an Xbox in your prison cell? Is it OK to say “inmate”? How have stimulus checks affected the prison economy? Ear Hustle listeners have questions about life behind bars. Our team went to find answers. Catch a Kite is back! You can find more information about Nigel’s forthcoming book,...
ListenTranscript
April 14, 2021

Lifer Bakery
A small Israeli bakery in downtown San Francisco has offered first jobs to dozens of lifers just out of prison. Four employees share their stories of adjusting to life on the outside while working at Frena Bakery . As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their...
ListenTranscript
March 31, 2021

Marcel and Angie
Marcel and Angie each spent years in prisons determined by the gender on their birth certificate, not the one they identify with. Being trans in prison comes with complications — from where you live to personal safety — and a whole lot of prison politics. As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinso...
ListenTranscript
March 17, 2021

Hot Trash
Visiting a loved one in prison is both emotionally intense and constrained by countless rules – from how much PDA is too much PDA, to what kind of candy you can eat inside. One year after California prison authorities suspended in-person visits due to COVID-19, we bring you stories from and about v...
ListenTranscript
March 3, 2021

Sugarbutt's a Snail
A lot has happened since we got behind the mics to record Ear Hustle’s first season. As we begin our seventh, we catch up with three people whom listeners first heard from inside San Quentin, and hear about the twists and turns their lives have taken since. Rauch first appeared in the episode L...
ListenTranscript
February 17, 2021

Ear Hustle Presents: Suave
While we work on our next season, launching March 3, we’re excited to introduce you to a new podcast series that we love, and think Ear Hustle fans will too. “Suave,” from Futuro Studios, tells the story of a man sentenced to life without parole when he was 17 years old, and his friendship with acc...
ListenTranscript
December 23, 2020

The Bells
One in five incarcerated people in the U.S. has tested positive for COVID-19, and here in California, more than 100 people have died in prison. In our final episode of Season 6, we hear three stories from the California outbreaks, and remember the lives of those in the San Quentin community lost to...
ListenTranscript
December 9, 2020

The Trail
In 1990, Leonard attacked a female hiker off a trail along the California coast. Three decades later, we hear the rest of the story, and explore what accountability and survival really look like. Warning : This episode contains a graphic description of a sex crime. Some listeners may want to sk...
ListenTranscript
November 25, 2020

Crew No. 7
Incarcerated people have long played an important role in firefighting in California. Now, in the middle of the state’s worst fire season on record, formerly incarcerated people are poised to play more of a role. We visit with a group of men just out of prison who are training to become professio...
ListenTranscript
November 11, 2020

On Stage in Chicago
Back before the pandemic, Nigel and Earlonne joined Jenn White (WAMU’s 1A, formerly WBEZ) on stage in Chicago for a conversation about how Ear Hustle came to be and some of the show’s most memorable moments. As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support...
ListenTranscript
October 21, 2020

Are You Listening?
Incarceration doesn’t just separate a parent from his or her child, it changes that relationship forever, often leaving wounds that may never heal. We talk with kids who have incarcerated parents, as well as a formerly incarcerated mom of four, and hear why sometimes acceptance is the only way forw...
ListenTranscript
October 7, 2020

The Great Ear Hustle Cook Off
For our first-annual Ear Hustle Cook Off, four formerly-incarcerated people replicate meals they used to make inside their cells, using only the tools and ingredients they would have had access to in prison. Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the ...
ListenTranscript
September 23, 2020

The Christmas Boxes
Six cubic feet. That’s how much stuff each incarcerated person in California is allowed to have in his or her cell. The few personal objects you keep with you in prison are precious. But what’s left behind can be just as meaningful, as relics of a former life. Now available on our website: Ear...
ListenTranscript
September 9, 2020

The Gray Goose
Being incarcerated doesn’t always mean staying in one place. Ear Hustle kicks off Season Six with stories from inside the vans and buses that carry people to and between prisons. Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radio...
ListenTranscript
July 22, 2020

Ear Hustle Extra: Summer Listening
Ear Hustle will be back with new episodes starting September 9. In the meantime, we talk with people experiencing the COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin and other California prisons, firsthand. Plus, we’re not the only podcast sharing stories and highlighting voices from prison and post-incarceration...
ListenTranscript
June 10, 2020

Nobody Comes Back
Getting out of prison means freedom, but this liberation often comes with caveats. In our final episode of the season, three formerly incarcerated people describe the unwelcome surprises that were waiting for them on the other side of the gates. Plus, Ear Hustlers respond to the murder of George Fl...
ListenTranscript
May 27, 2020

Tired of Running
Hollywood loves stories about fugitives on the run, but in reality that lifestyle is anything but glamorous, especially for those who get pulled in along the way. One woman reflects back on six years spent on the lam in Mexico, after her husband was charged with murder and their family fled south. ...
ListenTranscript
May 13, 2020

Catch a Kite 5
Every season we answer questions from listeners in our Catch a Kite episode. This time around, formerly incarcerated people lend their experiences and lessons learned to a group of kids currently incarcerated at a juvenile facility in Madison, Wisconsin. We’re in the middle of our first-ever sp...
ListenTranscript
April 29, 2020

Hold That Space
Four women share their stories of loving incarcerated men, and the challenges they face in maintaining their relationships, staying hopeful about an eventual reunion, and carrying on with their lives on the outside. We just launched a month-long fundraiser. If you can spare a little to support ...
ListenTranscript
April 15, 2020

Sorry Means Nothing
One crime is treated differently than all others, both inside and outside prison. People who commit sex crimes against children are often ostracized, abused by fellow inmates, and deemed beyond rehabilitation. On this episode, we talk to victims and perpetrators about the causes for, and impacts of...
ListenTranscript
April 1, 2020

Us and Them
The relationships between incarcerated people and the correctional officers who guard their prisons are often as bad as you might expect. But sometimes, they’re a lot more complicated. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com , where you can also sign up for our newsletter or send...
ListenTranscript
March 18, 2020

Locked Down Again
As the Coronavirus pandemic locks down parts of America and the world, we revisit an episode from 2018 about how the San Quentin community manages a prison lockdown. During a San Quentin lockdown, the prison grinds to a halt, and men are confined to their cells 24 hours a day. What causes a lo...
ListenTranscript
March 4, 2020

Myths & Monikers
In prison, almost everyone has a nickname, and whether true or not, nearly every nickname has a story behind it. If that story is good enough, it might just become the stuff of legend. A heads-up: This episode contains discussion of sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised. Find a fu...
ListenTranscript
February 20, 2020

Ear Hustle Extra: In It for the Long Haul
In honor of the launch of “Over the Road,” Radiotopia’s new show about long-haul trucking, Earlonne and Nigel talk with a formerly incarcerated truck driver about being a woman in a male-dominated profession, and about how she stays safe on the open road. This episode is part of a network-wide p...
ListenTranscript
November 27, 2019

A Message from Ear Hustle
Back in 2016, our podcast network, Radiotopia, made the Ear Hustle dream a reality. In honor of Radiotopia’s annual fundraiser, Nigel and Earlonne dream a little about what other podcasts they might make one day. To support the network that supports Ear Hustle’s dreams, visit radiotopia.fm t...
ListenTranscript
November 15, 2019

Ear Hustle Extra: Antwan Williams, Journeyist
Surprise! In this season four bonus episode, Earlonne sits down with Ear Hustle co-founder and sound design contributor, Antwan “Banks” Williams, who was recently released from San Quentin after serving 13 years in prison. The two talk about Antwan’s time inside, the person he’s become during those...
ListenTranscript
October 16, 2019

Tell Christy I Love Her
Tom was a cop; Jason was a teenager in a gang. One night in 1997, they had a violent encounter that Tom describes as “inevitable.” In our season finale, Tom and Jason relate the story of that night, and the series of events that unfolded in the years afterward. Find a full list of episode credit...
ListenTranscript
October 2, 2019

Chicken on the Bone
Historically, death sentences in California have led to eventual execution by the state. But these days, public opinion and state protocol are in flux, and the future is uncertain for those on death row at San Quentin. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com , where you can also ...
ListenTranscript
September 11, 2019

Catch a Kite 4
Sleep, soundtracks and signing in prison — the Ear Hustle crew tackles questions from listeners about these topics and more, in this season’s “Catch a Kite” episode. Plus, we’ll share some of our favorite listener-generated Ear Hustle theme remixes. Spoiler alert: harps ahead. Find a full list o...
ListenTranscript
August 28, 2019

Life Shows Up
Getting a job after serving time is crucial to rebuilding your life, but a criminal record inevitably gets in the way. Four people share stories about how their time inside both helped prep them for jobs outside and impacted their getting back to work. Find a full list of episode credits at ear...
ListenTranscript
August 14, 2019

Snack Money
Running a prison takes a lot of work, and not just by the staff running the place. At San Quentin inmates work regular jobs, earn pennies on the hour and often supplement their income with a side hustle. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com , where you can also download and r...
ListenTranscript
August 1, 2019

Inside Music
I think we can all agree: It’s high time we devoted a full episode to the music of San Quentin. Thanks to all of the musicians who talked with us for this episode, and shared their songs. Find a full list of credits at earhustlesq.com , where you can also download and remix our theme song (do...
ListenTranscript
July 17, 2019

I Want the Fairy Tale
How does dating work in your 30s when you’ve been locked up since you were 15? How soon do you share your incarceration history with new love interests? And how the hell does online dating work? Recently released men and women muse about all of it, and one former San Quentin inmate tries to make a ...
ListenTranscript
July 3, 2019

Kissing the Concrete
Serving a prison sentence is hard, but getting out isn’t exactly a cakewalk, either. A lot depends on who’s waiting for you, what you have lined up on the outside and how you handle the regular pressures of life after incarceration. Thanks to Article and the American Red Cross for sponsoring...
ListenTranscript
June 20, 2019

Respect the Paper
Hardly anyone writes letters anymore. On the streets it’s all texting, posting, sharing and liking. But in prison, pens, paper, envelopes and stamps are highly prized, and still considered an essential lifeline to the outside world. Thanks to Article for sponsoring this episode. For a full ...
ListenTranscript
June 5, 2019

Excuse Me on the Tier
Ear Hustle is back with season four! Let’s get oriented: to a new format and a new inside host, and through the stories of guys learning the prison ropes in Reception, while they wait to find out where they’ll serve their time. A heads-up: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence...
ListenTranscript
May 29, 2019

Season four preview
Ear Hustle is back with season four, starting June 5. Mark your calendars and tell your friends!
ListenTranscript
January 16, 2019

Road Trip
Ear Hustle will return with season four later this year, but in the meantime, here’s a timely bonus episode. Nigel and Earlonne hit the road and drive south to interview the man who commuted Earlonne’s sentence in November: Governor Jerry Brown. Thanks to Governor Jerry Brown and Evan Westrup, G...
ListenTranscript
December 17, 2018

P.S. Asking and Giving
As the annual Radiotopia fundraiser wraps up, we bring you one final missive of the year, including an appeal for support, a chance encounter and a musical offering from the inside. What a season! Deep thanks to our listeners, to Dwight Krizman, Richie Morris and the other guys from Quentin Blue...
ListenTranscript
December 12, 2018

Bittersweet
In prison, life’s major milestones usually pass at a distance. In our season three finale, Earlonne gets up close to a big one, while his brother’s family struggles with having missed out on too many. A heads-up: This episode contains discussion of suicidal thoughts. Listener discretion is adv...
ListenTranscript
November 24, 2018

Big News: It's Time
Earlonne and Nigel got some big news earlier this week, from the office of California Governor Jerry Brown. Stay tuned for more information about what’s next for Earlonne, and Ear Hustle, in our next episode.
ListenTranscript
November 21, 2018

Prime Real Estate
Despite the additional hurdles involved, daters in prison fall into the same categories as daters on the outside: romantics, hopefuls and players. Thanks to Charlie Srey, Sincere Carter, Kevin Turner, Mo, Allyson West and Jessie Ayers for talking to us for this story. Ear Hustle is produced b...
ListenTranscript
November 8, 2018

The Big No No
When you’re incarcerated, falling in love with prison staff or volunteers is prohibited. But… it happens. And it happened to Erin and Lisa, who then had to negotiate the joys and pitfalls of romance inside San Quentin. A heads-up: this episode contains discussion of domestic violence — listene...
ListenTranscript
October 24, 2018

Catch a Kite 3
A “kite” is prison slang for a written note, and since Ear Hustle launched we’ve encouraged listeners to send in their questions about daily life inside San Quentin, via postcards, or kites. In this episode, we answer a handful of kites received via voice messages from listeners, touching on specta...
ListenTranscript
October 10, 2018

This Place
This time on Ear Hustle we’re trying something different: we’re diving into San Quentin’s 166-year history. Normally, we get the guys inside to tell stories. But this place itself does speak, and it’s not always through words. A heads-up: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence ...
ListenTranscript
September 26, 2018

Future on Ice
Being an immigrant in an American prison can pose unique challenges, like deciding which racial group you’ll identify with. But sometimes the biggest hurdles don’t become apparent until the day you are released. Thanks to Martin Gomez, Miguel Sifuentes, Wayne Boatwright, Phoeun You, David Jassy,...
ListenTranscript
September 12, 2018

Birdbaths and a Lockbox
During a San Quentin lockdown, the prison grinds to a halt, and men are confined to their cells 24 hours a day. On the heels of a summer lockdown, we’re kicking off season three by looking into what causes one, and how guys survive the wait when boredom, uncertainty, hunger and isolation can push t...
ListenTranscript
September 5, 2018

Season three preview
Ready for more stories about life inside? We bet. Season three of Ear Hustle drops September 12. In the meantime, enjoy this taste of what’s to come. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com , including how to send us a question (by postcard) that might get answered in a future episode...
ListenTranscript
June 20, 2018

So Long
Leaving an organization or community often calls for an exit strategy – even in prison. In this final episode of season two, four men who are preparing to leave San Quentin share stories about what they’ve learned on the inside, and their aspirations, big and small, for life on the outside. Than...
ListenTranscript
June 6, 2018

Down Low
Of the thousands of people incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, no one is openly gay. No one. And only a few people are comfortable enough to talk about LGBTQ life inside. In this episode we dive in: Lady Jae returns to talk about living as a woman in SQ, and another inmate, who identifies as ...
ListenTranscript
May 23, 2018

The Row
San Quentin houses California’s only death row for male inmates. And though it’s technically not far from the media lab, access to this area of the prison is highly restricted. Still, Earlonne and Nigel figured out a way to reach out to the guys there, and interviewed three men about daily life on ...
ListenTranscript
May 9, 2018

Catch a Kite 2
A “kite” is prison slang for a written note. Since Ear Hustle launched, we’ve encouraged listeners to send in their questions about the show and life inside via postcards, or “kites.” In this episode, Earlonne and Nigel dig into the pile of 1021 (!) postcards that have arrived from all over the wor...
ListenTranscript
April 25, 2018

Thick Glass
Parenting is never easy, but from prison it's especially challenging. In this episode, incarcerated fathers share their stories of striving to be present in their children's lives. One inmate reconnects with his son after 20 years. Another stays very involved through letters and visits. And a third...
ListenTranscript
April 11, 2018

The Workaround
Looking good and feeling good matters just as much on the inside, as on the outside. But in prison, you can't just walk to the barbershop, or stop by the store for the products you need, to accomplish either. In this episode, guys share their favorite workarounds that help them feel more human in p...
ListenTranscript
March 28, 2018

Dirty Water
Sex trafficking crimes are hard to talk about. In this episode, Sara and LA share their individual experiences of being “in the life,” at the same time demonstrating the difficult, yet important work of restorative justice. Thanks to Sara Kruzan and Anthony Avil Scott (aka LA) for sharing their ...
ListenTranscript
March 14, 2018

Firsts
“Firsts” in prison can be especially memorable: the first time you meet your cellie, or leave the prison for medical treatment, or run your first marathon. Alongside these tales, Adnan Khan shares the story of his first visit from his mom, 13 years after he was incarcerated. Thanks to Adnan Khan...
ListenTranscript
February 28, 2018

Season two preview
Ear Hustle is back March 14th! To tide you over until then, here’s a taste of season two. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com , including how to send us a question (by postcard) that might get answered in a future episode. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia , from PRX.
ListenTranscript
December 20, 2017

Ear Hustle Bonus: Songs From S1
Music is an important part of Ear Hustle, and there are many talented musicians in the San Quentin community. Listeners responded so enthusiastically to the music in season one, we’ve highlighted a few of the songs and musicians who performed them, in this bonus episode – just in time for the holid...
ListenTranscript
October 25, 2017

Getting a Date
There are only a few ways to leave prison: serve your time, get out early on parole... or escape. Steve, Danny, Phillip and Ron are all trying to make their way out of prison. In our final episode of the season, these men share their stories of going through the parole hearing process, and conte...
ListenTranscript
October 11, 2017

Gold Coats and OGs
Dealing with aging and death is never easy. But in prison, these issues are fraught with extra challenges, both emotional and physical. Meet two inmates serving extended sentences who grapple with the idea of dying in prison, and have also stepped up to take care of their fellow aging prisoners. ...
ListenTranscript
September 27, 2017

Left Behind
“I’m a stupid idiot who stole some money.” Curtis Roberts was sentenced to 50 years to life, under the three strikes law, for committing three non-violent robberies. Over the years he has struggled to maintain a sense of hope in a situation many would consider untenable. Big thanks to Curtis R...
ListenTranscript
September 13, 2017

Unwritten
The color of your skin influences your life in prison, from sharing food to celebrating birthdays. Meet Andrew Sabatino (Drew Down) and Arthur Snowden (AR), two guys whose close friendship often challenges the unwritten rules of race relations on the inside. Thanks to Drew Down and AR for sharin...
ListenTranscript
August 30, 2017

The Boom Boom Room
Being married in prison is common. Opportunities to get intimate with your spouse are not, and – like everything else inside – are governed by both official and unofficial rules. In this episode of Ear Hustle, Greg and Maverick share stories about keeping their relationships strong, and getting clo...
ListenTranscript
August 9, 2017

Catch a Kite
“Kite” is a common term in prison for a written note. Over the course of the season, listeners have been encouraged to send in their questions about Ear Hustle via postcards, or “kites.” In this episode, Earlonne and Nigel dig into the pile of postcards that have arrived from all corners of the wor...
ListenTranscript
July 26, 2017

The SHU
The hole, the box, solitary confinement. It doesn’t matter what you call it; doing time in the SHU (Security Housing Unit) means you are alone and segregated from the general prison population. In this episode, four men who served between 8 and 28 years in the SHU share their memories of that time....
ListenTranscript
July 12, 2017

Looking Out
The need to nurture and show love for another living being (or, in San Quentin parlance, “looking out”) is an essential human impulse. Away from your family and friends in prison this can be difficult, if not impossible. Sure, guys create strong bonds among themselves that help to alleviate the pai...
ListenTranscript
June 28, 2017

Misguided Loyalty
Tommy Shakur Ross grew up in South Central Los Angles in the 1980’s. As a boy, he was seduced by what he saw as the “glamour” of gang life. Thirty years later, he is still paying the price for giving his most to a gang that ultimately brought the kind of fame he wishes he’d never earned. Ear Hus...
ListenTranscript
June 14, 2017

Cellies
At San Quentin State Prison, the typical cell measures approximately 4’ x 9’ and contains a bunk bed, toilet, sink, two men, and their six cubic feet of belongings. In our first episode of Ear Hustle, hear stories of negotiating this space and the relationships that come with living in such close q...
ListenTranscript
May 25, 2017

Meet Ear Hustle
Ear Hustle brings you stories of life inside prison, shared and produced by those living it. The podcast is a partnership between Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, currently incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, and Nigel Poor, a Bay Area artist. The team works in San Quentin’s media lab to p...
ListenTranscript