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Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle & Radiotopia

Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that’s what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into the reality of life inside prison.

Hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods co-created the show that launched in 2017 while Earlonne was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where Nigel was a volunteer teaching photography. Since Earlonne’s release in 2018, the show has expanded to include stories from prisons across the state, including the California Institution for Women, as well as stories about getting out of prison and starting over, post-incarceration.

From finding romance, to grappling with a life sentence, to trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, Ear Hustle stories deliver what This American Life host Ira Glass calls a “"very real” and “untragic” take on prison life.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm and learn more about Ear Hustle at earhustlesq.com.

Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that’s what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into the reality of life inside prison.

Hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods co-created the show that launched in 2017 while Earlonne was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where Nigel was a volunteer teaching photography. Since Earlonne’s release in 2018, the show has expanded to include stories from prisons across the state, including the California Institution for Women, as well as stories about getting out of prison and starting over, post-incarceration.

From finding romance, to grappling with a life sentence, to trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, Ear Hustle stories deliver what This American Life host Ira Glass calls a “"very real” and “untragic” take on prison life.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm and learn more about Ear Hustle at earhustlesq.com.

83hr 14min
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite Nationwide".
Incarcerated people around the country answer listener questions about life in prison.
May 15, 202432min 21sec
Thumbnail for "Daughters".
Facing a long-term prison sentence … with your mom.
June 12, 202443min 30sec
Thumbnail for "Crocasacks".
An OG Crip talks about leaving the life behind.
May 29, 202449min 41sec
Thumbnail for "Moms".
Let’s give the moms their due.
May 1, 202442min 18sec
Thumbnail for "Hope Lacquer".
Give the objects some respect.
April 17, 202449min 36sec
Thumbnail for "Five Mirrors".
Nigel surprises Earlonne with a story about one of their long-time colleagues inside San Quentin.
April 3, 202444min 55sec
Thumbnail for "What's Up, Michael Freeman? ".
Facing the end of life at a prison hospice.
March 20, 202451min 18sec
Thumbnail for "A Rock Across a Lake".
The many things you long for from prison and the compromises you’re willing to make.
March 6, 202428min 9sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: A Sneak Peek at "Cellies, with Commentary"".
Nigel and Earlonne look back at their first episode.
February 14, 202411min 20sec
Thumbnail for "Bunkies".
Ear Hustle turns 100!
December 20, 202346min 22sec
Thumbnail for "Shine Some Light".
A violent crime and its aftermath.
November 29, 202342min 19sec
Thumbnail for "That World ".
Five stories from the Central California Women’s Facility.
November 15, 202347min 18sec
Thumbnail for "Do You Think There Are Ghosts Here?".
Three stories of the paranormal, from San Quentin and the California Institution for Women.
November 1, 202338min
Thumbnail for "San Quentin: The Magazine ".
Five stories from our new producing team inside San Quentin
October 18, 20231hr
Thumbnail for "Transitional".
Where you live when you’re fresh out of prison.
October 4, 202338min 19sec
Thumbnail for "Once You're in the Ocean, You're Going Everywhere".
Older residents at a women’s prison grapple with their regrets and dreams for the future.
September 20, 202354min 22sec
Thumbnail for "12 Hours on the Yard ".
Sunup to sundown on San Quentin Prison’s lower yard.
September 6, 202349min 19sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: Violation".
While we're at work on Season 12, we bring you an episode from one of our favorite new shows.
July 5, 202335min 50sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Pride Month Special".
Stories about LGBTQ life behind bars.
June 21, 202350min 25sec
Thumbnail for "Articles of Hustle".
Is there such a thing as a prison uniform? An Ear Hustle collab explores.
June 7, 202352min 34sec
Thumbnail for "The Preacher".
How can you tell if someone’s really changed?
May 24, 202344min 33sec
Thumbnail for "Abundant and Passionate Trash".
The Ear Hustle Trash Challenge
May 10, 20231hr 5min
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 8".
Residents of the California Institution for Women answer listeners’ questions about life inside a women’s prison.
April 26, 202333min 11sec
Thumbnail for "Do You Know Who I Am?".
A new law shakes things up for trans men and trans women in prison.
April 12, 202331min 35sec
Thumbnail for "Saber-Toothed Cat".
What 46 years in prison will do to a man.
March 29, 202338min 48sec
Thumbnail for "OGs Got Hella Tricks".
Change is hard.
March 15, 202334min 39sec
Thumbnail for "Dream On".
How does incarceration shape your dreams?
March 1, 202345min 42sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Welcome Home, New York".
We meet Rahsaan “New York” Thomas at the gates of San Quentin.
February 22, 202315min 40sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Sam Quentin".
Ear Hustle says goodbye to dear friend and “approver” extraordinaire, Lieutenant Sam Robinson.
January 11, 202327min 38sec
Thumbnail for "Karen".
An interview takes an unexpected turn.
December 14, 202237min 55sec
Thumbnail for "What’s Dangerous About Trees".
Ear Hustle goes inside Norway’s famed prisons.
November 30, 202243min 31sec
Thumbnail for "Wishful Thinking".
The music episode is back!
November 16, 202244min 11sec
Thumbnail for "Fences".
The architecture of prison shapes how you do your time.
November 2, 202240min 49sec
Thumbnail for "Pockets".
Privacy is a glimmer of freedom.
October 19, 202244min 8sec
Thumbnail for "Some Darkness and Some Light ".
Postcards from our first-ever international reporting trip.
October 5, 202254min 9sec
Thumbnail for "Actual/Factual".
Lots of people lie about their crimes. Sam kept lying, for 23 years.
September 21, 202244min 47sec
Thumbnail for "The Five Senses".
Life in prison sure can mess with your senses.
September 7, 202236min 21sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: Uncuffed".
From the show "Uncuffed": Two unexpected letters arrive at San Quentin.
August 24, 202225min 33sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: My Mother Made Me".
In My Mother Made Me, the new series from Radiotopia Presents, a mother and son consider what each has learned from the other.
August 3, 202233min 13sec
Thumbnail for "Last Memory: Ryan and Earlonne".
From a booth at Applebee’s and the corner of Firmona and Marine Avenues in Lawndale, Ryan and Earlonne share memories of their final moments before heading to prison.
June 8, 202250min 59sec
Thumbnail for "Last Memory: Michael".
Michael’s last memory before going to prison is set in a parking lot in Bakersfield, California.
May 25, 202229min 26sec
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 7".
Incarcerated men are from Mars; incarcerated women are from Venus.
May 11, 202237min 47sec
Thumbnail for "What Is This?".
What’s it like to go years, even decades, without intimate physical contact with another person?
April 27, 202238min 41sec
Thumbnail for "Gabrieleen Silver Queen".
In a remote part of Northern California, a prison town is losing its oldest prison. Ear Hustle took a road trip to hear how Susanvillers are reacting to the news.
April 13, 202242min 31sec
Thumbnail for "Is Your Name Alfredo?".
The mysteries behind San Quentin’s epic murals.
March 30, 202236min 12sec
Thumbnail for "Boots and Max".
Falling in love, in prison.
March 16, 202227min 17sec
Thumbnail for "15 Minutes".
Life lived through 15-minute phone calls.
March 2, 202219min 47sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Making Trouble".
Stories about trying to get what you want, inside prison.
February 23, 20226min 20sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: A Call from Sacramento".
Our inside colleague Rahsaan “New York” Thomas’ prison sentence has been commuted by California Governor Gavin Newsom. What does that mean for him?
January 26, 20224min 46sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: Written Off".
Introducing Written Off, a podcast featuring formerly incarcerated young writers.
December 29, 202133min 45sec
Thumbnail for "Camp Grace".
The roses and thorns of being a dad from prison.
December 22, 202139min 59sec
Thumbnail for "Tray, Tumbler, Spork".
Behind the scenes of the 30-Day Ear Hustle Challenge.
December 8, 202154min 48sec
Thumbnail for "Yard of Dreams".
The promise of sports starting up post-pandemic brings new people, new possibilities, and new heartbreak onto the fields of San Quentin.
November 17, 202153min 34sec
Thumbnail for "Counting Lines".
Three stories about surviving the intense isolation and disorientation of imprisonment in a foreign country.
November 3, 202154min 4sec
Thumbnail for "Taxx Is Tripping".
“The definition of bonnaroo is to elevate the evolution of everything in existence.”
October 20, 202155min 6sec
Thumbnail for "Stormy Monday".
The Ear Hustle music episode returns!
October 6, 202156min 32sec
Thumbnail for "Do It Movin’".
Stories about bail, bail bonds, and the strange purgatory of waiting to get locked up.
September 22, 202149min 37sec
Thumbnail for "August 21, 1971".
The 50-year legacy of San Quentin’s deadliest day.
September 8, 202155min 20sec
Thumbnail for "Coming Soon: 50 Years After George Jackson".
Season eight of Ear Hustle kicks off Sept 8th with the story of one of the most notorious days in San Quentin’s history: August 21st, 1971.
August 25, 20212min 11sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: Life Jolt".
Introducing Life Jolt, a new podcast series about the experiences of currently and formerly incarcerated women in Ontario, Canada.
August 11, 202137min 52sec
Thumbnail for "Home for Me Is Really a Memory".
How do you live a meaningful life when nearly all of it is spent behind bars?
June 9, 20211hr 7min
Thumbnail for "Cracked Windshield".
Cops, citizens, and the power of empathy.
May 26, 202141min 44sec
Thumbnail for "The Whole Shabang".
Stories from the pages of the prison catalogs.
May 12, 202144min 11sec
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 6".
Listeners have questions; our team found answers. Catch a Kite is back!
April 28, 202145min 31sec
Thumbnail for "Lifer Bakery".
A small Israeli bakery in San Francisco has become a lifeline for people just out of prison.
April 14, 202141min 38sec
Thumbnail for "Marcel and Angie".
Two stories about being a transgender person, in prison.
March 31, 202130min 1sec
Thumbnail for "Hot Trash".
Stories from prison visiting rooms
March 17, 202148min 50sec
Thumbnail for "Sugarbutt's a Snail".
Three Ear Hustlers, revisited
March 3, 202146min 54sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: Suave".
Introducing “Suave,” a podcast series about the system that sentences juveniles to life in prison, told through one man’s story.
February 17, 202137min 18sec
Thumbnail for "The Bells".
Stories from the COVID outbreak in California’s prisons
December 23, 20201hr
Thumbnail for "The Trail".
In the wake of a violent crime, a perpetrator and victim ask what accountability and survival really look like.
December 9, 202052min 26sec
Thumbnail for "Crew No. 7".
In the middle of California’s worst fire season on record, we meet a few formerly incarcerated people training to become firefighters.
November 25, 202045min 26sec
Thumbnail for "On Stage in Chicago".
Nigel and Earlonne sit down with 1A’s Jenn White and WBEZ for one of our favorite on-stage events ever.
November 11, 20201hr 35min
Thumbnail for "Are You Listening?".
When a parent is incarcerated, the relationship with their kid is changed forever.
October 21, 202044min 27sec
Thumbnail for "The Great Ear Hustle Cook Off".
Four formerly-incarcerated contestants put their cooking skills to the test.
October 7, 202045min 37sec
Thumbnail for "The Christmas Boxes".
Stories about the things you keep with you in prison and the stuff you leave behind
September 23, 202052min 14sec
Thumbnail for "The Gray Goose".
Stories from when you’re locked up and on the road.
September 9, 202051min 26sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Summer Listening".
Ear Hustle isn’t the only podcast out there telling stories of life in prison and post-incarceration.
July 22, 202033min 6sec
Thumbnail for "Nobody Comes Back".
Some people walk out of prison and straight into a whole new type of incarceration.
June 10, 202056min 17sec
Thumbnail for "Tired of Running".
Running from the law to avoid incarceration can become its own kind of prison.
May 27, 202046min 11sec
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 5".
Ear Hustle answers questions from kids incarcerated at a juvenile facility in Madison, Wisconsin.
May 13, 202043min 12sec
Thumbnail for "Hold That Space".
Four women share stories of trying to love across prison walls.
April 29, 202046min 24sec
Thumbnail for "Sorry Means Nothing".
One crime is treated differently than all others, both inside and outside of prison.
April 15, 202053min
Thumbnail for "Us and Them".
Relationships between incarcerated people and correctional officers are… complicated.
April 1, 202056min 8sec
Thumbnail for "Locked Down Again".
As lockdowns loom worldwide, we revisit and update a 2018 episode all about surviving prison lockdowns.
March 18, 202041min 32sec
Thumbnail for "Myths & Monikers".
Gator, Razor, Kill Switch, Mother Dearest — Ear Hustle is back with the stories and legends behind prison nicknames.
March 4, 202039min 35sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: In It for the Long Haul".
A formerly incarcerated woman tells Earlonne and Nigel about the joys and dangers of being a commercial truck driver.
February 20, 202011min 12sec
Thumbnail for "A Message from Ear Hustle".
Our network, Radiotopia, lets producers like us dream big.
November 27, 20195min 59sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Antwan Williams, Journeyist".
Ear Hustle team update: Antwan is out!
November 15, 201922min 49sec
Thumbnail for "Tell Christy I Love Her".
The violent encounter in 1997 between Tom, a cop, and Jason, a teenager in a gang, was inevitable. The decades-long aftermath was anything but.
October 16, 201943min 55sec
Thumbnail for "Chicken on the Bone".
Receiving a death sentence in California doesn’t always mean you’ve reached the end of the road.
October 2, 201941min 11sec
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 4".
By now an Ear Hustle tradition, this season’s “Catch a Kite” episode tackles questions and shares theme remixes from listeners around the world.
September 11, 201932min 26sec
Thumbnail for "Life Shows Up".
Getting a job post-incarceration, with a criminal record trailing you, is all kinds of challenging.
August 28, 201937min 55sec
Thumbnail for "Snack Money".
Believe it or not, there’s more to prison jobs than pounding out license plates and slinging cafeteria food.
August 14, 201940min 55sec
Thumbnail for "Inside Music".
I think we can all agree: It’s high time we devoted a full episode to the music of San Quentin.
August 1, 201944min 31sec
Thumbnail for "I Want the Fairy Tale".
After serving a long prison sentence, it can take a while to get your mack back.
July 17, 201941min 57sec
Thumbnail for "Kissing the Concrete".
Everyone in prison dreams about the moment they’ll get out, but it’s the days, weeks and months after that make or break you.
July 3, 201930min 20sec
Thumbnail for "Respect the Paper".
Hardly anyone writes letters anymore... except in (and to) prison.
June 20, 201935min 36sec
Thumbnail for "Excuse Me on the Tier".
In the Reception Center at San Quentin, guys learn the prison ropes while waiting to find out where they’ll serve time.
June 5, 201935min 21sec
Thumbnail for "Season four preview".
Ear Hustle is back with season four, starting June 5.
May 29, 20194min 17sec
Thumbnail for "Road Trip".
Bonus episode! Earlonne’s out, and the crew drives to Sacramento to interview the man who made that happen: Governor Jerry Brown.
January 16, 201914min 29sec
Thumbnail for "P.S. Asking and Giving".
Earlonne meets a fan, Quentin Blue strikes a chord and one last Radiotopia plug.
December 17, 20186min 1sec
Thumbnail for "Bittersweet".
In prison, life’s major milestones usually pass at a distance.
December 12, 201845min 8sec
Thumbnail for "Big News: It's Time".
Earlonne and Nigel got some big news earlier this week, from the office of California Governor Jerry Brown.
November 24, 20184min 59sec
Thumbnail for "Prime Real Estate".
Stories of romance, dating, and playing the field in prison.
November 21, 201837min 21sec
Thumbnail for "The Big No No".
When you’re incarcerated, falling in love with prison staff or volunteers is prohibited. But... it happens.
November 8, 201836min 27sec
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 3".
Ear Hustle responds to a gang of questions from listeners about daily life in San Quentin.
October 24, 201830min 4sec
Thumbnail for "This Place".
Built in 1852, San Quentin has its own story to tell.
October 10, 201838min 35sec
Thumbnail for "Future on Ice".
Being an immigrant in an American prison can pose unique challenges.
September 26, 201840min 2sec
Thumbnail for "Birdbaths and a Lockbox".
On the heels of a summer lockdown, season three of Ear Hustle launches with an episode about... lockdowns.
September 12, 201838min 21sec
Thumbnail for "Season three preview".
Ear Hustle is back September 12! In the meantime, enjoy this preview of season three.
September 5, 20185min 54sec
Thumbnail for "So Long".
Leaving an organization or community often calls for an exit strategy – even in prison.
June 20, 201841min 36sec
Thumbnail for "Down Low".
Inside San Quentin, if you’re gay you hide it. But if you’re trans you can’t hide it.
June 6, 201833min 22sec
Thumbnail for "The Row".
Death row is almost like a prison within a prison.
May 23, 201842min 22sec
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 2".
You've asked (via postcard) and we have answers!
May 9, 201832min 14sec
Thumbnail for "Thick Glass".
Parenting is never easy, but from prison it's especially challenging.
April 25, 201835min 39sec
Thumbnail for "The Workaround".
Looking good and feeling good matters just as much on the inside, as on the outside.
April 11, 201832min 51sec
Thumbnail for "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.”
March 28, 201836min 2sec
Thumbnail for "Firsts".
“Firsts” in prison can be especially memorable.
March 14, 201839min 3sec
Thumbnail for "Season two preview ".
Coming March 14: Season two of Ear Hustle!
February 28, 20185min 6sec
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Bonus: Songs From S1".
Just in time for the holidays, meet some of the musicians of San Quentin, whose songs were featured in season one.
December 20, 201722min 35sec
Thumbnail for "Getting a Date".
There are only a few ways to leave prison: serve your time, get out early on parole... or escape.
October 25, 201733min 27sec
Thumbnail for "Gold Coats and OGs".
Dealing with aging and death is never easy. In prison, it's especially challenging.
October 11, 201724min 5sec
Thumbnail for "Left Behind".
How do inmates with profoundly long sentences cope with their realities, and maintain a sense of hope and well-being as the years pass?
September 27, 201735min 19sec
Thumbnail for "Unwritten".
The color of your skin influences your life on the inside, from sharing food to celebrating birthdays.
September 13, 201730min
Thumbnail for "The Boom Boom Room".
Being married in prison is common. Opportunities to get intimate with your spouse are not.
August 30, 201728min 19sec
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite".
Earlonne and Nigel answer questions mailed in via postcard, aka "kites," from listeners around the world.
August 9, 201728min 3sec
Thumbnail for "The SHU".
The hole, the box, solitary confinement… stories from four men who spent years completely isolated in prison.
July 26, 201728min 26sec
Thumbnail for "Looking Out".
Meet Rauch, a man incarcerated at San Quentin who has figured out how to “look out” for dozens of critters around the place.
July 12, 201723min 47sec
Thumbnail for "Misguided Loyalty".
While the perceived thrill and glamour of gang life are often too strong to resist, the hard consequences of this seduction can last a lifetime.
June 28, 201727min 36sec
Thumbnail for "Cellies ".
Finding a roommate can be tough. Finding someone to share a 4' x 9' space with is a whole 'nother story.
June 14, 201723min 33sec
Thumbnail for "Meet Ear Hustle ".
Ear Hustle brings you the stories of life inside prison, shared and produced by those living it.
May 25, 20174min 1sec

Catch a Kite Nationwide

Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite Nationwide".
May 15, 202432min 21sec

For our latest Catch a Kite episode, we’re taking advantage of a new tool: the electronic tablets that recently became available in 400+ jails and prisons across the nation. Using their tablets, incarcerated Ear Hustlers from around the country responded to listener questions, including: What do people in prison hide from their families? And what’s something that you can only learn from being in prison?

Thanks to Alvin, at Muskegon Correctional Facility in Michigan; Silk, at Chautauqua County Jail in New York; Cortez, at Ashland County Jail in Ohio; Darrell, at Pruntytown Correctional Center in West Virginia; Alexis, at Pamunkey Regional Jail in Virginia; Owen, at North Central Regional Jail in West Virginia; Damian, at Neuse Correctional Institution in North Carolina; Chris, at Washington Correctional Center in Washington; Krista, at Leath Correctional Institution in South Carolina; Brandon, at Montana State Prison in Montana; Kelly, at Omaha Correctional Center in Nebraska; Demetrius, at Richard Handlon Correctional Facility in Michigan; Donald, at Two Rivers Correctional Facility in Oregon; Ruby, at Western Correctional Center for Women in North Carolina; and Andres, at Mount Olive Correctional Complex in West Virginia, for listening to Ear Hustle on their tablets and speaking with us for the episode.

Thanks to Sophia, John, and Manuel from Los Angeles; Cameron from Boston; Gail from St. Augustine, Florida; and Erica from Centerville, Massachusetts, for calling in with their questions.

Thanks also to John Timpone and Meghan Tobin of Edovo for helping us expand our Catch a Kite reach to people incarcerated across the nation.

This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams.

As always, we’re grateful to Lt. Berry at San Quentin State Prison for her support of the show.

Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or right in Apple Podcasts.

Our spring fundraiser is here! Learn more and donate: on.prx.org/4d5WnCm

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