Ear Hustle brings you the daily realities of life inside prison shared by those living it, and stories from the outside, post-incarceration. The podcast is a partnership between Nigel Poor, a Bay Area visual artist, and Earlonne Woods, formerly incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, and was co-founded with former San Quentin resident Antwan Williams. The Ear Hustle team works in the San Francisco Bay Area, both in San Quentin State Prison’s media lab and from offices on the outside, to produce stories that are sometimes difficult, often funny and always honest. Episodes offer a nuanced view of people involved with the American prison system and those reintegrating into society after serving time.
Ear Hustle Extra: A Sneak Peek at "Cellies, with Commentary"
Season 13 is coming soon; in the meantime, here’s a glimpse of what’s going on in Ear Hustle Plus, our new subscription feed. In this excerpt, Nigel and Earlonne listen back to their very first episode, “Cellies,” and chat with executive producer Bruce Wallace about what life was like behind the scenes when Ear Hustle first stepped into the world, what’s changed since then, and the question in that episode that drove Earlonne nuts.
To hear the rest of the Cellies commentary episode, sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus. You’ll also get access to more bonus content, including monthly Ask Me Anything episodes, where Nigel and Earlonne take on listener questions — the weirder, the better!
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
2/14/2024 • 11 minutes, 20 seconds
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 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!
5/11/2022 • 37 minutes, 47 seconds
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 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.
3/30/2022 • 36 minutes, 12 seconds
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 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.
8/25/2021 • 2 minutes, 11 seconds
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 days while they waited to receive their sentences.
