Over at San Quentin, a new preacher has started drawing crowds on the yard. He’s charismatic, soft-spoken, and devout. He says he’s a different man than he was when he committed the crimes that put him in prison. But how can he, or anyone else, really know?

Big thanks to Guim'Mara Berry and Acting Warden Oak Smith for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

Donate today to help us explore more stories from beyond San Quentin: on.prx.org/EH.

Imagine you’re an archaeologist tasked with going through someone’s garbage. What will you learn about their habits and desires, their values, and how they spend their resources? For seven days, the entire Ear Hustle team, both inside and outside San Quentin, stashed our trash, revealing some new and surprising things about each other.

Big thanks to Guim'Mara Berry and Acting Warden Oak Smith for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

Donate today to help us explore more stories from beyond San Quentin: on.prx.org/EH.

Can incarcerated women dye their hair? Do they have enough tampons and pads? What makes them happy, and how realistic is “Orange Is the New Black”? Ear Hustle listeners have questions about life inside a women’s prison, so we head to the California Institution for Women for answers.

To learn more about donating books to the library at the California Institution for Women, contact Ricky Dela Cruz or Ashleigh Lewis at CIW. To learn more about donating books to San Quentin, visit the Friends of the San Quentin Prison Library. To learn more about donating books to other prisons, visit the Prisoners Literature Project, or this list of organizations from the American Library Association.

Big thanks to Guim’Mara Berry and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show, as well as to Lieutenant William Newborg at the California Institution for Women for welcoming our team inside.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

Will you be one of 1,000 listeners to donate during our fundraiser? Join us today: https://on.prx.org/EH.

For years, we’ve asked incarcerated people to speculate on the difference between life inside a men’s prison and inside a women’s. Now we’re finally getting answers, thanks to a 2021 law allowing transgender, intersex, and non-binary people to transfer to prisons that match their gender identity. For some, the law has been life-changing; for others… not so much.

Big thanks to Guim'Mara Berry and Acting Warden Oak Smith for their support of the show, and to Lt. William Newborg and everyone else at the California Institution for Women for welcoming our team.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

What’s the difference between an over-under and a lower-lower? How many pairs of underwear do you get in prison? And how long does a bar of soap last? We spend an entire episode with one San Quentin OG who schools us on the history of prison and what 46 years inside will do to a man.

Big thanks to Guim'Mara Berry and Warden Oak Smith for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

San Quentin’s population is changing, and a lot of the old ways are dying out. But some prison OGs don’t want to let go of the past.

Big thanks to Lieutenant Guim'Mara Berry and Acting Warden Oak Smith for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

When you’re incarcerated, are your dreams set outside prison walls? Or out on the prison yard? Are they a comforting space to escape to? Or a painful reminder of what you no longer have? From lucid dreams to wet dreams to dreams of freedom, we ask how incarceration changes what you see when you sleep.

Big thanks to Guim'Mara Berry and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

After 22 years in prison, our inside colleague Rahsaan “New York” Thomas is now a free man. We meet him at the gates of San Quentin, and tag along for his first meal outside and a trip to Target.

Big thanks to Lieutenant Guim'Mara Berry and Acting Warden Oak Smith for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

Lieutenant Sam Robinson has been with Ear Hustle since day one. As he retires from his post as Public Information Officer at San Quentin, we pay tribute to the man behind the mic.

Big thanks to Lt. Guim'Mara Berry and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

Radiotopia’s fall fundraiser is under way! Donate today to support Ear Hustle and help us reach our goal of 1,000 supporters. Thank you. on.prx.org/3NQBrDp

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 Hustle takes you inside to find out.

Radiotopia’s fall fundraiser is here! Donate today to support Ear Hustle and help us reach our goal of 1,000 supporters. Thank you. on.prx.org/3NQBrDp

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. Thanks also to Knut Eric, Joacim, Mina, Martine, and everyone else at Norwegian prison radio Røverradion who helped us out while we were in Norway.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 here! Donate today to support Ear Hustle and help us reach our goal of 1,000 supporters. Thank you! https://on.prx.org/3NQBrDp

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson, Lt. Berry, and Warden Ron Broomfield at San Quentin, and to Lt. Newborg, Mr. Mumm, Acting Chief Deputy Lewis, and Acting Warden Core at CIW.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 themselves.

Learn more about the San Francisco Public Library’s 2022 One City One Book, This Is Ear Hustle, at sfpl.org/onecityonebook. And find out how you can watch the main event — Nigel and Earlonne live in conversation with Piper Kerman on November 3 — here.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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: carving out pockets of privacy, real and imagined.

Listen to Earlonne guest hosting the podcast Wrongful Conviction here.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 incarcerated artist. You can see their illustrations on our website.

Hear the full episode of the “San Quentin Prison Report” that we mention in this episode, here.

Is this your first time listening to Ear Hustle? Are you trying to convince a friend to start listening? For our tenth season, we’ve chosen 10 essential Ear Hustle episodes. Find those here.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 website.

Is this your first time listening to Ear Hustle? Are you trying to convince a friend to start listening? For our tenth season, we’ve chosen 10 essential Ear Hustle episodes. Find those here.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 life.

Each episode this season will feature new artwork by an incarcerated artist. You can see their illustrations on our website.

Is this your first time listening to Ear Hustle? Are you trying to convince a friend to start listening? For our tenth season, we’ve chosen 10 essential Ear Hustle episodes. Find those here.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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. They’re in the middle of an emergency fundraiser right now, trying to keep their training and broadcast programs going after their main funder rescinded a grant because of a bureaucratic error.

You can learn more and support Uncuffed’s work here. Uncuffed is a production of KALW public radio in San Francisco.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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. He’s ambitious, he says yes to everything, and he’s feeling overwhelmed. On the first episode of My Mother Made Me, his new podcast with Radiotopia Presents, Jason turns to his mother for advice, and discovers that overwhelmed is a feeling she knows very well.

Find out more about My Mother Made Me here.

Also mentioned in this episode:

The latest season of Motive, from WBEZ Chicago, explores the culture and secrets of prisons in small-town Illinois.

And the podcast series Deliberate Indifference examines how the Alabama prison system became one of the most dangerous in the country.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

We did it! Thanks to your generosity, we reached our goal of 1,000 donors and unlocked the $25,000 matching gift. Thank you! If you wanted to donate but haven’t yet, you can still chip in and help us explore more beyond San Quentin.

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 for yourself or someone else, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

We’re more than halfway to our goal of 1,000 donors! Donate to help us get there and unlock a matching gift of $25,000.

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 an abusive spouse receive fair sentences? Which candies from the prison package catalog appeal the most in both places? All of this, and more, in Catch a Kite 7.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

Give us a boost and help us reach our goal of 1,000 donors by June 8! Learn more and donate today, at https://on.prx.org/3KMxzRw. Tell us what Ear Hustle has helped YOU explore and why you're supporting the show. Leave us a voicemail at 1-510-906-1569, or send a voice memo to info@earhustlesq.com. Thanks!

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 and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

Support the show and become one of 1,000 listeners to donate before June 8. Learn more and donate at https://on.prx.org/3KMxzRw.

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 and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 myths and mysteries, but for a long time, little was known about the artist who painted them. In this episode, we go in search of Alfredo Santos.

You can see photos of the the San Quentin murals at our website.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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.

Thanks also to everyone who called in to tell us their one-minute love stories.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 episode of Ear Hustle is a part of Radiotopia’s winter fundraiser. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. Donate today at radiotopia.fm. Thank you!

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 Price, and actor Keke Palmer performs one of Price’s pieces.

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact one of the resources below for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Crisis Text line: Text “Connect” to 741-741

The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 incarceration can be hard to fix.

Find out more about Camp Grace here.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 experience the world. We report back on what was hard, what was surprising, and what we discovered along the way.

You can learn more about the Ear Hustle Challenge here and about Tehching Hsieh’s performance art that inspired it here.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 goes from partying with the Patriots to living in a 5x9 cell, and resident sports reporter Rahsaan “New York” Thomas attempts to win a one-on-one basketball game on behalf of all the nerds.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 together post-incarceration.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 participate with us, visit earhustlesq.com/challenge.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

More on George Jackson and the Adjustment Center incident:

Freedom Archives’ 99 Books project

50th anniversary article by Kevin Sawyer, an editor at the San Quentin News

“Soledad Brother” 40 years later

“Day of the Gun” documentary from Bay Area news station KRON4

Making Contact’s radio documentary “The Struggle Inside”

New York Times narrative of August 21st

Los Angeles Times looks back at the day, and the trial of the San Quentin Six

British documentary about the weeks after August 21, 1971

Dick Nelson remembers August 21st, 1971

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 emotions raw. We break down what happened, and why it still matters today.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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 days while they waited to receive their sentences.

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 nearly all of it is spent behind bars?

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

You can find out more about Nigel and Earlonne’s forthcoming book, This Is Ear Hustle, at thisisearhustlebook.com.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits, sign up for our newsletter, and shop for merch at earhustlesq.com.

It’s the Radiotopia Spring Fundraiser! Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. Please donate today, at radiotopia.fm.

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 their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits, sign up for our newsletter, and shop for merch at earhustlesq.com.

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 Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits, sign up for our newsletter, and shop for merch at earhustlesq.com.

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, “The San Quentin Project,” here.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 visiting rooms, and hear how families are adjusting to video “visits.”

As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 Looking Out.

Ronnie first appeared in the episode Kissing the Concrete.

Curtis first appeared in the episode Left Behind, and later in the episode I Want the Fairy Tale.

As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 acclaimed journalist Maria Hinojosa.

You can find more information about “Suave” here.

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 COVID-19.

As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. You can find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX, a listener-supported network of independent, artist-owned podcasts. To support Ear Hustle directly, go to earhustlesq.com/donate. Thanks so much, and wishing you happy holidays from the whole team.

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 skip this one.

If you or someone you know have been affected by sexual assault, you can get help by calling the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 800.656.HOPE.

As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 professional firefighters.

As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com

Get some Ear Hustle masks, shirts, and other merch, now in time for the holidays. 25% of all proceeds go to Mount Tamalpais College (formerly the Prison University Project). Check out our store at earhustlesq.com/shop

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 of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com

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 forward.

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 show. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at  earhustlesq.com.

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 Hustle face masks! Bonus: 100% of profits from merch sales through September 30th will go to the Prison University Project.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at  earhustlesq.com.

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 Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

The National Suicide Prevention Line can be reached at 800-273-8255.

Aly Tamboura, who appears in this episode, now works for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which financially supports the production of Ear Hustle.

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. Here are a few other shows to check out over the summer:

The Secret Life of Prisons, from the Prison Radio Association in the UK

Featured in this episode: “The Arrival”

Birds Eye View, made by women in the Darwin Correctional Centre in Australia

Featured in this episode: “Making HERstory”

Uncuffed, produced by men incarcerated at Solano and San Quentin state prisons in California for KALW

Featured in this episode: “Sky Boii” and “Maserati-E”

More songs by Remus Sam Langi at the bottom of the page here

Life on the Outside, produced by Lucy Copp

Featured in this episode: “Mother California”

Snap Judgment’s story “The Officer”

Voices of San Quentin on Instagram @VoicesofSanQuentin

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits, and a list of more shows about life inside and post-incarceration, at earhustlesq.com.

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 Floyd and recent protests.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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.

We’re nearing the end of our first-ever spring fundraiser, and we need your help. If you can spare a little to support the show, go to earhustlesq.com/donate. Thank you!

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 spring fundraiser. If you can spare a little to support the show, go to earhustlesq.com/donate. Thank you!

And check out our new, limited-edition T-shirt, featuring an illustration by listener Anna Hicks.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.

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 the show, go to earhustlesq.com/donate. Thank you!

And check out our new, limited-edition T-shirt, featuring an illustration by listener Anna Hicks.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support.

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, these crimes.

A note: This episode includes disturbing content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Please use discretion in listening.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support.

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 a question (by postcard) that might get answered in a future episode.

We particularly want to hear from incarcerated people and their families about how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting them. Information on how to get in touch is on our website.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support, and to CBSi’s “The Lost Tapes” for sponsoring this episode.

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 lockdown, and how do guys survive the wait when boredom, uncertainty, hunger and isolation can push them over the edge?

A heads-up: this episode contains discussion of suicide and self-harm — listener discretion is advised. You can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also sign up for our newsletter and or send a question (by postcard) that might get answered in a future episode. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support.

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 full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also sign up for our newsletter and get the details on our T-shirt design contest. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the new season, and to Native, Article, Sony Music Entertainment, Wrongful Conviction and Stanford Children’s Hospital for sponsoring this episode.

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 project to welcome “Over the Road” into the Radiotopia family. Head to overtheroad.fm for more information about the show.

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 today.

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 years, his work with Ear Hustle and his musical ambitions for the future.

Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson, Warden Ron Davis and Krissi Khokhobashvili for their support of the show. And thanks to you, as ever, for listening.

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 credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Native, EPIX and BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode. And thanks to you for tuning in through all of season four!

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 sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Native, EPIX and BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode. And stay tuned for our season four finale, in two weeks!

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 of episode credits at earhustlesq.com, where you can also sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Lantigua Williams & Co. and BetterHelp for sponsoring this episode.

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 earhustlesq.com, where you can also download and remix our theme song (remixes are due Aug. 31, so get yours in soon!!), sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Lantigua Williams & Co. and Audible for sponsoring this episode.

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 remix our theme song (do it!), sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks also to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Article, Lantigua Williams & Co. and Native for sponsoring this episode.

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 it!), sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Thanks also to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show, and Article and Lantigua Williams & Co. for sponsoring this episode.

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 beeline from the gates to the altar.

Thanks to Article and the American Red Cross for sponsoring this episode.

For a full list of credits and to find out more about the show, head to earhustlesq.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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 this episode.

For a full list of credits and to find out more about the show, head to earhustlesq.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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 list of credits and to find out more about the show, head to earhustlesq.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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. Listener discretion is advised.

Thanks to HelloFresh for sponsoring this episode.

For a full list of credits and to find out more about the show, head to earhustlesq.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter and order a T-shirt, sticker pack or mug. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Ear Hustle is back with season four, starting June 5. Mark your calendars and tell your friends!

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, Governor Brown’s press secretary, for sitting down with us.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode included music by David Jassy and Antwan Williams. And, a big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their continued support of the show.

Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, including where to get one of our awesome mugs. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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, and as always, to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their epic support of Ear Hustle. And to Radiotopia, the network that brought Ear Hustle to life! Donate here to support Radiotopia, and all of the shows it helps make possible.

Happy holidays to all, and we’ll catch up with you in 2019. In the meantime, sign up for the Lowdown to stay informed about all things Ear Hustle.

Love,
Team Ear Hustle (Nigel, Earlonne, Pat, Curtis, Julie and Erin)

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 advised. You can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Thanks to Trevor Woods, Tyra Woodson and Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper) for sharing their stories with us.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode includes music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, E. Phil Phillips, Gregg Sayers, Eric “Maserati E” Abercrombie and Lee Jaspar. And a big end-of-season thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show.

Thanks to Nectar for supporting this episode. And lastly — a standing ovation for you, our amazing listeners around the world who have shown so much support for Ear Hustle since day one. We’ll be taking some time to work out what comes next for the show, but rest assured we’ll be back in 2019 and can’t wait to share S4 and beyond with you!

Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, and get an Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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.

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 by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, E. Phil Phillips, Eric “Maserati E” Abercrombie and Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper). Eternal thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show.

Thanks to Nectar and Bombas for supporting this episode. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, where you can also buy an Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt! Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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 — listener discretion is advised.

Thanks to Allyson West for talking with us, and to Erin for talking twice.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper), E. Phil Phillips, Dwight Krizman and Gregg Sayers. Eternal thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show.

You can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.

Thanks to Nectar and Bombas for supporting this episode. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, where you can also buy an Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt! Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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 spectacle, humor, mental health, laundry and more.

A heads-up: this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence — listener discretion is advised.

Thanks to Rahsaan “New York” Thomas for helping out with this episode, and check out earhustlesq.com for a full list of the guys who helped answer questions.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy and E. Phil Phillips. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, digital producer is Erin Wade and our executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. We’re grateful to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show. And thanks to Nectar for supporting this episode.

Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, including how to buy a handsome Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt. And, check out the San Quentin News, who work in the media lab with us. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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 — listener discretion is advised.

Thanks to George “Mesro” Coles-El, Richard Richardson aka Bonaru, John Robb, Norman Willhoite, Gregg Sayers, Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper), Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Clinton T. Duffy for sharing their stories.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode includes music by David Jassy, with contributions from Antwan WIlliams. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, digital producer is Erin Wade and our executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. We’re grateful to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of the show.

See the photos the guys describe in this episode on our website. You can find out more about the San Quentin Archive project on Nigel’s website, and information about Nigel’s show in Milwaukee through the Milwaukee Art Museum. Plus, learn more about Warden Clinton T. Duffy and check out his book.

Thanks to Nectar for supporting this episode. You can find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, where you can also buy an Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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, Borey Ai (aka PJ) and Marco Villa for sharing their stories with us. And thanks to Jose Diaz, Vicente Gomez and Gerardo Sanchez-Muratalla, the Three Guitarists.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, with contributions from Antwan Williams. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, digital producer is Erin Wade, and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Thanks also to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support.

Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, where you can also buy an Ear Hustle mug to go with your T-shirt. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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 them over the edge.

A heads-up: this episode contains discussion of suicide and self-harm — listener discretion is advised. You can reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Thanks to Michael Williams, Jason Perry, Aaron Taylor, Jessie Vasquez and Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper) for sharing their stories with us. Thanks also to Gregg Sayers for performing his song “Lost in Time,” with additional vocals by Eric Abercrombie, aka Maserati E.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Lee Jaspar, E. Phil Phillips and Earlonne Woods. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, Erin Wade is our digital producer and our executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. We also want to thank Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their continued support of the show.

Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, where you can now buy an Ear Hustle mug to go with your t-shirt! Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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.

Thanks to Chayne Hampton, Gus Lumumba Edwards, Michael Thompson, and Anouthinh Pangthong, aka Choy, for sharing their stories with us.

Learn more about Re:store Justice, the organization that Choy now works for.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help from outside produce Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams and contributions from David Jassy.  Our story editor is Curtis Fox and our executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Finally, here’s one last shout out to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis, for their support of the show.

And… that’s a wrap! For now. Thanks so much for hanging with us through season two; we’ll be back with season three and more stories this fall. In the meantime, stay current on all things Ear Hustle by signing up for up for our monthly newsletter, The Lowdown. Or tell us what you want to hear more about next season, by sending a kite.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

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 bi-sexual, shares his story.

Thanks to: Lady Jae and Mike Adams for sharing their perspectives on LGBTQ issues, all the guys who talked to us in the yard, and to White Eagle for telling us about the sweat lodge at SQ, and sharing his friendship song.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller who comes in to lead the sound design team. *Down Low *was scored and sound designed by Antwan Williams with contributions from David Jassy. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Thanks to Nectar Sleep for supporting the show, thank you for listening, and happy Pride Month!

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 death row.

Thanks to: Kevin Sawyer for recounting his memory of the execution that took place at San Quentin in 1999, Father George Williams and Rabbi Paul Shleffar for sitting down with us in the media lab, Steve Champion, Joseph Manuel Montes and Daniel Wozniak for speaking to us from death row, and Mesro Coles-El for his poem during Count Time. And as always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for supporting the show.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, with help from outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller who comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored and sound designed by Antwan Williams with contributions from David Jassy. Our story editor is Curtis Fox, and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Thank you for listening.

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 world.

So many people contributed to this episode: Thanks to all the men in blue and volunteers who tried to guess the most common question we get asked. Thanks to Kevin Sawyer for talking books; Adnan Khan, Eddie Herera, Khalifa Christensen and Shadeed Wallace-Stepter for talking TV; Luke Colondres, Antwan Williams, Kevin Sawyer, Greg Eskridge, E Phil Phillips and Jason Jones for singing TV theme songs; Bruce Brew Fowler for explaining his tattoos; Rodney Card Man Wiley for performing his magic; Maserati E for performing music for us, and big thanks for Officer Girard for being the first Corrections Officer to get on the mic. Now and always: thanks to Lt Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their support of Ear Hustle.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods with help outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller, who also comes in to lead the sound design team. This episode was scored and sound designed with music by David Jassy and Antwan Williams. Our consulting editor is Curtis Fox and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro.

Thanks also to NECTAR Sleep for supporting the show.

Find out more at earhustlesq.com, including how to send a kite that might get answered in a future episode — just like this one. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

p.s. That answer to your question about whether we have t-shirts for sale? Yes, we do.

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 gets the opportunity to give his teenaged son a haircut.

Thanks to the fathers who shared their stories: Derrick, John and Maverick, and to Derrick Jr. for talking with us.

Thick Glass was scored and sound designed by David Jassy and Antwan Williams, with contributions from Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper), Eric “Maserati E” Abercrombie and Charlie Spencer. You can download Thick Glass here. 

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.

p.s. Speaking of parenting, have you ordered your children (or parents) an Ear Hustle t-shirt yet?

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 prison, both physically and mentally.

Thanks to David Jassy, Wall Street, Jason Jones, Jesse Vasquez, Andres Yancey, Lady Jae, Eric Durr, Mesro Coles-El and Nicola Bucci for sharing their workarounds. This episode included music by David Jassy, Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper) and Antwan Williams.

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.

p.s. Speaking of looking good…have you ordered your Ear Hustle t-shirt yet?

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 stories and for coming together to talk. You can read more about restorative justice and Sara’s work, here.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, with help from outside produce Pat Mesiti-Miller who also leads the sound design team. This episode was scored by David Jassy with contributions from Antwan Williams. Our story editor is Curtis Fox and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro.

Big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for supporting the show. Thanks also to our sponsor NECTAR Sleep.

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.

“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 for sharing his story and Shane, Michael Thompson, Rahsaan Thomas, Jason Jones and Antwan Williams for also sharing their firsts.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods. Outside producer Pat Mesiti-Miller comes inside to lead the sound design team. This episode includes music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Joshua Burton & Dwight Krizman Our story editor is Curtis Fox and executive producer for Radiotopia is Julie Shapiro.

Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com where you can also buy a brand new EH t-shirt! Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

Eternal thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for supporting the show, and to our sponsors Burrow and NECTAR Sleep.

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.

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 holidays.

Thanks to the these guys for contributing their musical talents to season one of Ear Hustle:

“Trying to Carrying On” was written by Richie Morris and performed by Richie Morris, Dwight Krizman and Charlie Spencer of Quentin Blue.

“Darn that Dream” was performed by Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper) (original song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Eddie DeLange).

“Worth It” was written and performed by Jovon aka Scoob Stacks aka Novoj Mills.

“Jingle Bell Rock San Quentin” was written by Antwan Williams and performed by Antwan Williams, AJ aka Amador Gonzales and Maserati-E aka Eric Abercrombie.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro. Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @earhustlesq. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Happy holidays, thanks for listening, and stay tuned for season two, coming next March!

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 contemplate life on the outside after being incarcerated for decades.

Big thanks to Steve Wilson for telling his story, and to  Danny Plunket, Phillip Melendez and Ron Self for sharing their parole board experiences.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro. Music used in this episode was contributed by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, E. “Phil” Phillips and Earlonne Woods.

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.

Yet more thanks to our this season’s sponsors: Mail Chimp, Squarespace, Texture, Casper and Bombas, for supporting the show.

p.s. It’s hard to believe this is our final episode of Season One! Thanks tons to our amazing listeners all over the place, who have sent thousands of postcards and photos of where they listen.Your support and responsiveness has meant the world to us. Stay tuned for Season Two coming up in March, 2018! And in the meantime we’ll drop a few surprises in this feed, so stay with us.

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.

Thanks to Lonnie Morris, Richard Lathan and Andres Eric Watson, for sharing their stories. And special thanks to Anthony Marzett for being on the receiving end of of Andres’ shit talk.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro. Sound design for this episode is by Antwan Williams, with extra music tracks supplied by JB Burton.

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.

Lastly! Yet more thanks to Mail Chimp, Squarespace and Texture for supporting the show.

“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 Roberts for sharing his story. And shout-outs to the many guys who showed up in yard talk: Michael Hudley, Stacy Bullock, Douglas Abado. Kevin Schrubb, Fanon Figgers Demitris McGee, James King, Mark Barger, Richard “Wembe” Johnson, Daniel Smith, John “Yahya” Johnson, Forrest Jones, Juan Haynes, Tommy Wickerd, Robert Richie (sang Amazing Grace).

Special thanks to Richie Morris, Dwight Krizman & Charles Spencer of Quentin Blue for performing "Trying to Carry On."

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro. Sound design in this episode is by Earlonne Woods, with contributing beats from Antwan Williams, JB Burton and David Jassy.

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.

Lastly! Yet more thanks to Mail Chimp and Squarespace for supporting the show.

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 sharing the story of their friendship. It’s a big deal to talk about race in prison, so thanks also to Lonnie Morris, Lemar, Phil Melendez, Wayne Boatwright, Charlie and George “Mesro” Coles-El for stepping up.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro. Sound design in this episode is by Earlonne Woods, with contributing beats from Antwan Williams.

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.

Big thanks to Mail Chimp, Squarespace and Texture for supporting the show.

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 close with their wives.

Thanks to Maverick and Greg Eskridge for sharing such personal stories with us, and to our guest sound designer, the “Swedish Phenom,” David Jassy.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro.

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.

Big thanks to Mail Chimp, Square Space and Casper for supporting the show.

“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 world, with some help from guys in the yard. You’ll also hear from a familiar Ear Hustle voice — the man who approves all stories for publication, Lt. Sam Robinson.

Thanks to the following San Quentin inmates for helping catch these kites: Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll, Miguel Fuentes, E. Phil Phillips, Joshua Burton, Luke Colondres, Michael Mackey, Louis A Scott, Tommy Shakur Ross, Eddie Herena, Sha Wallace-Stepter, Rahsaan Thomas.

And to San Quentin staff: Officer Reyes and Lt. Sam Robinson

And to music contributors: Jovan Mills (“Worth It”) and Lee Jaspar (aka Matthew Lee Jasper) (“Darn that Dream”)

Thanks also to listeners who have sent postcards. We can't answer them all, but please know each is read, archived and deeply appreciated. In this episode we tackled questions from: Lucy from New Jersey, Dan from Canada, Adam from the United Kingdom, and one listener who wishes to remain anonymous.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro.

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.

Big thanks to Mail Chimp and Texture for supporting the show.

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.

Thanks to Armando Flores, Gus Lamumba Edwards, Richard Johnson and Isaac Flores for telling their stories, and to John YaYa Johnson for assisting with this episode.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro.

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. Big thanks to Mail Chimp, Bombas and Casper for supporting the show.

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 pain of missing family. But like on the outside, some people inside just relate better to animals than people.

Thanks to Rauch (aka Ronell Draper) for sharing his story, and to the guys who contributed to the Yard Talk segments in this episode: Jovon Mills, Kao Chung, Henry Charles, Rahsaan Thomas, Sha Wallace-Stepter, Arnulfo Garcia, Aly Tamboura, Emile DeWeaver, Antwan Williams, E. Phil Phillips, Curtis "WallStreet" Carroll, Donte Smith and Noah. The song "Worth It" was written and performed by Jovan Mills, and Sister Maria is played by Sandy Claire.

Ear Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro.

Find out more about the show at earhustlesq.com including how to send us a question (by postcard) that might get answered on a future episode. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Big thanks to Mail Chimp and Bombas for supporting the show.

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 Hustle is produced by Nigel Poor, Antwan Williams and Earlonne Woods with consulting editor Curtis Fox, outside production advisor Pat Mesiti-Miller and executive producer Julie Shapiro.

Thanks to Tommy Shakur Ross for telling his story. The excerpt from Larry Davis’s book, “America’s Conduct: Inner City Escort” was read by Joshua Burton. Additional music in this episode was provided by Jeff Atkins, who is also incarcerated at San Quentin.

Find out more at earhustlesq.com where you can also find out how to send us a question (by postcard) that might get answered on a future episode. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Thanks to Mail Chimp and Bombas for supporting the show.

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 quarters.

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 produce stories that are sometimes difficult, often funny and always honest, offering a nuanced view of people living within the American prison system.