Logo for Ear Hustle

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.

118hr 16min
Thumbnail for "I See the Castle".
The photos we keep
May 28, 20251hr 3min84.45 MB
Thumbnail for "My Favorite Color".
What does Domonica want her dad to know about her? Just the simple things.
April 1, 202642min 3sec80.75 MB
Thumbnail for "Dear Ear Hustle".
The stories that come in the mail
March 18, 202646min 39sec89.57 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: Blood Will Tell".
March 12, 202647min 58sec92.1 MB
Thumbnail for "Songs of San Quentin".
From blues to beatboxing: some of our favorite inside songs.
March 4, 202640min 13sec77.24 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting “Gold Coats and OGs”".
E reconsiders an OG episode
February 11, 202634min 43sec66.68 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting “Saber-Toothed Cat”".
Nigel reconsiders a favorite from the archives.
January 14, 202651min 3sec98.02 MB
Thumbnail for "The Loop Ep. 6: Make Your Partner Look Good".
An afternoon off Rikers
December 17, 202559min 29sec114.24 MB
Thumbnail for "The Loop Ep. 5: Yes, And ...".
Kaysha's story
December 3, 202522min 28sec110.22 MB
Thumbnail for "The Loop Ep. 4: Where’s the Conflict?".
Life on Crossroads’ girls unit
November 19, 202547min 3sec90.36 MB
Thumbnail for "The Loop Ep. 3: No Violence".
When fights break out at Crossroads
November 5, 202546min 56sec90.12 MB
Thumbnail for "The Loop Ep. 2: Who What Where".
The unwritten rules of Crossroads
October 22, 202548min 41sec93.5 MB
Thumbnail for "The Loop Ep. 1: The Five Rules of Drama Club".
Zip zap zop
October 8, 20251hr 2min119.62 MB
Thumbnail for "Starting Next Week: The Loop".
A year spent with kids caught up in New York City’s criminal justice system
October 1, 20252min 40sec5.14 MB
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite: On Tour".
Women incarcerated in Ohio and Oklahoma answer listeners' questions about life inside prison.
September 17, 202533min 23sec64.13 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Live! 2023".
Ear Hustle, live in Los Angeles
September 3, 20251hr 12min138.96 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting “Future on Ice”".
Immigrants in prison, 2018
August 21, 202547min 49sec91.84 MB
Thumbnail for "San Quentin: The Magazine, Issue 3".
What’s going at San Quentin these days?
July 30, 202542min 26sec81.49 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting “12 Hours on the Yard”".
Sunup to sundown on San Quentin Prison’s lower yard.
July 9, 20251hr 16min145 MB
Thumbnail for "30 Days".
Some days, Tam feels like he’s gonna lose his sh*t.
June 11, 202548min 1sec92.22 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting "Cracked Windshield"".
Cops, citizens, and the power of empathy.
May 23, 20251hr 15min72.45 MB
Thumbnail for "No Other Word for It".
There’s no manual for being a DUI offender in prison.
May 14, 202534min 42sec45.24 MB
Thumbnail for "Bell Pepper".
Earlonne’s back with another “mystery” episode — and a new co-host.
April 30, 202550min 42sec97.37 MB
Thumbnail for "Why Doesn't Ear Hustle Talk About People's Crimes?".
The team responds to recent listener feedback.
April 25, 202548min 1sec92.22 MB
Thumbnail for "Different Sides of the Earth".
Life on California’s only death row for women
April 16, 202553min 1sec101.82 MB
Thumbnail for "Slam That Door".
What remains of San Quentin's death row
April 2, 202547min 10sec90.56 MB
Thumbnail for "Super Fun Birthday Story".
Plus: The world premiere of the Ear Hustle Birthday Song
March 19, 202543min 3sec82.67 MB
Thumbnail for "Spark Plug".
A former bank robber looks back on his glory days.
March 5, 202549min 56sec95.87 MB
Thumbnail for "New Episodes Start Next Week!".
New stories from inside, headed your way starting March 5
February 26, 20255min 46sec11.1 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting “Camp Grace”".
The roses and thorns of being a dad from prison.
February 12, 20251hr 15min99.86 MB
Thumbnail for "From the Vault: Crew No. 7".
The terrible fires in SoCal have us thinking about incarcerated firefighters and dusting off this episode from the archives.
January 17, 202544min 48sec86.02 MB
Thumbnail for "Revisiting “August 21, 1971”".
Earlonne looks back at one of his favorite episodes.
January 8, 20251hr 20min154.32 MB
Thumbnail for "Last Memory: Linda".
The day before she committed her crime, Linda went to Mass with her mother.
December 11, 202438min 23sec36.86 MB
Thumbnail for "Last Memory: Leisha".
Two red lines and the Philosopher of 7-Eleven.
November 27, 202431min 54sec61.26 MB
Thumbnail for "The Wrong Line of Business".
We’re sorry, Julie.
November 13, 202445min 50sec88.03 MB
Thumbnail for "My Understanding of This Place: Nigel & Earlonne".
Nigel and Earlonne’s San Quentin memory places.
November 6, 202415min 30sec29.77 MB
Thumbnail for "My Understanding of This Place, Part 2".
The final stops of Nigel’s San Quentin mystery tour.
October 30, 202442min40.33 MB
Thumbnail for "My Understanding of This Place, Part 1".
Nigel takes Earlonne on a mystery tour of San Quentin.
October 16, 202448min 49sec93.76 MB
Thumbnail for "Election! ".
If San Quentin could vote.
October 2, 202446min 43sec44.85 MB
Thumbnail for "A Little Streets, a Little Romance, a Little Deception".
What books can do in prison.
September 18, 202453min 9sec51.03 MB
Thumbnail for "Comfortable Inside".
What does it mean to be comfortable inside prison?
September 4, 202447min 34sec45.67 MB
Thumbnail for "Coming Up This Season ".
A little preview of the upcoming season.
August 29, 20244min 31sec4.35 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: San Quentin: The Magazine, Issue 2".
What’s new in SQ.
August 21, 202445min 57sec44.12 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Revisiting “This Place”".
An episode from the vaults makes San Quentin the main character.
July 31, 20241hr 9min66.64 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: The Moth".
A true story, told live.
July 10, 202436min 4sec34.63 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: You Didn’t See Nothin".
A 1997 hate crime and its long aftermath.
June 26, 202433min 6sec31.78 MB
Thumbnail for "Daughters".
Facing a long-term prison sentence … with your mom.
June 12, 202443min 30sec41.77 MB
Thumbnail for "Crocasacks".
An OG Crip talks about leaving the life behind.
May 29, 202449min 38sec47.66 MB
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite Nationwide".
Incarcerated people around the country answer listener questions about life in prison.
May 15, 202432min 21sec31.07 MB
Thumbnail for "Moms".
Let’s give the moms their due.
May 1, 202442min 18sec40.62 MB
Thumbnail for "Hope Lacquer".
Give the objects some respect.
April 17, 202449min 36sec47.62 MB
Thumbnail for "Five Mirrors".
Nigel surprises Earlonne with a story about one of their long-time colleagues inside San Quentin.
April 3, 202444min 55sec43.13 MB
Thumbnail for "What's Up, Michael Freeman? ".
Facing the end of life at a prison hospice.
March 20, 202451min 18sec49.26 MB
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 9sec27.02 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: A Sneak Peek at "Cellies, with Commentary"".
Nigel and Earlonne look back at their first episode.
February 14, 202411min 20sec10.89 MB
Thumbnail for "Bunkies".
Ear Hustle turns 100!
December 20, 202346min 22sec44.52 MB
Thumbnail for "Shine Some Light".
A violent crime and its aftermath.
November 29, 202342min 19sec40.63 MB
Thumbnail for "That World ".
Five stories from the Central California Women’s Facility.
November 15, 202347min 18sec45.41 MB
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, 202338min36.48 MB
Thumbnail for "San Quentin: The Magazine ".
Five stories from our new producing team inside San Quentin
October 18, 20231hr57.73 MB
Thumbnail for "Transitional".
Where you live when you’re fresh out of prison.
October 4, 202338min 19sec36.79 MB
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 22sec52.21 MB
Thumbnail for "12 Hours on the Yard ".
Sunup to sundown on San Quentin Prison’s lower yard.
September 6, 202349min 19sec47.36 MB
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 50sec34.41 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Pride Month Special".
Stories about LGBTQ life behind bars.
June 21, 202350min 25sec48.41 MB
Thumbnail for "Articles of Hustle".
Is there such a thing as a prison uniform? An Ear Hustle collab explores.
June 7, 202352min 34sec50.48 MB
Thumbnail for "The Preacher".
How can you tell if someone’s really changed?
May 24, 202344min 33sec42.78 MB
Thumbnail for "Abundant and Passionate Trash".
The Ear Hustle Trash Challenge
May 10, 20231hr 5min62.47 MB
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 11sec31.87 MB
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 35sec30.33 MB
Thumbnail for "Saber-Toothed Cat".
What 46 years in prison will do to a man.
March 29, 202338min 48sec37.25 MB
Thumbnail for "OGs Got Hella Tricks".
Change is hard.
March 15, 202334min 39sec33.27 MB
Thumbnail for "Dream On".
How does incarceration shape your dreams?
March 1, 202345min 42sec43.88 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Welcome Home, New York".
We meet Rahsaan “New York” Thomas at the gates of San Quentin.
February 22, 202315min 40sec15.05 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Sam Quentin".
Ear Hustle says goodbye to dear friend and “approver” extraordinaire, Lieutenant Sam Robinson.
January 11, 202327min 38sec26.53 MB
Thumbnail for "Karen".
An interview takes an unexpected turn.
December 14, 202237min 55sec36.4 MB
Thumbnail for "What’s Dangerous About Trees".
Ear Hustle goes inside Norway’s famed prisons.
November 30, 202243min 31sec41.78 MB
Thumbnail for "Wishful Thinking".
The music episode is back!
November 16, 202244min 11sec42.43 MB
Thumbnail for "Fences".
The architecture of prison shapes how you do your time.
November 2, 202240min 49sec39.19 MB
Thumbnail for "Pockets".
Privacy is a glimmer of freedom.
October 19, 202244min 8sec42.38 MB
Thumbnail for "Some Darkness and Some Light ".
Postcards from our first-ever international reporting trip.
October 5, 202254min 9sec51.99 MB
Thumbnail for "Actual/Factual".
Lots of people lie about their crimes. Sam kept lying, for 23 years.
September 21, 202244min 47sec43 MB
Thumbnail for "The Five Senses".
Life in prison sure can mess with your senses.
September 7, 202236min 21sec34.91 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: Uncuffed".
From the show "Uncuffed": Two unexpected letters arrive at San Quentin.
August 24, 202225min 33sec24.53 MB
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 13sec31.9 MB
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 59sec48.95 MB
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 26sec28.26 MB
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 7".
Incarcerated men are from Mars; incarcerated women are from Venus.
May 11, 202237min 47sec36.28 MB
Thumbnail for "What Is This?".
What’s it like to go years, even decades, without intimate physical contact with another person?
April 27, 202238min 41sec37.15 MB
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 31sec40.82 MB
Thumbnail for "Is Your Name Alfredo?".
The mysteries behind San Quentin’s epic murals.
March 30, 202236min 12sec34.77 MB
Thumbnail for "Boots and Max".
Falling in love, in prison.
March 16, 202227min 17sec26.2 MB
Thumbnail for "15 Minutes".
Life lived through 15-minute phone calls.
March 2, 202219min 47sec19 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Making Trouble".
Stories about trying to get what you want, inside prison.
February 23, 20226min 20sec6.09 MB
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 46sec4.58 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Presents: Written Off".
Introducing Written Off, a podcast featuring formerly incarcerated young writers.
December 29, 202133min 45sec32.4 MB
Thumbnail for "Camp Grace".
The roses and thorns of being a dad from prison.
December 22, 202139min 59sec38.4 MB
Thumbnail for "Tray, Tumbler, Spork".
Behind the scenes of the 30-Day Ear Hustle Challenge.
December 8, 202154min 48sec52.61 MB
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 34sec51.42 MB
Thumbnail for "Counting Lines".
Three stories about surviving the intense isolation and disorientation of imprisonment in a foreign country.
November 3, 202154min 4sec51.92 MB
Thumbnail for "Taxx Is Tripping".
“The definition of bonnaroo is to elevate the evolution of everything in existence.”
October 20, 202155min 6sec52.9 MB
Thumbnail for "Stormy Monday".
The Ear Hustle music episode returns!
October 6, 202156min 32sec54.29 MB
Thumbnail for "Do It Movin’".
Stories about bail, bail bonds, and the strange purgatory of waiting to get locked up.
September 22, 202149min 37sec47.64 MB
Thumbnail for "August 21, 1971".
The 50-year legacy of San Quentin’s deadliest day.
September 8, 202155min 20sec53.13 MB
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 11sec2.1 MB
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 52sec36.35 MB
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 7min64.05 MB
Thumbnail for "Cracked Windshield".
Cops, citizens, and the power of empathy.
May 26, 202141min 44sec40.06 MB
Thumbnail for "The Whole Shabang".
Stories from the pages of the prison catalogs.
May 12, 202144min 11sec42.42 MB
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 6".
Listeners have questions; our team found answers. Catch a Kite is back!
April 28, 202145min 31sec43.71 MB
Thumbnail for "Lifer Bakery".
A small Israeli bakery in San Francisco has become a lifeline for people just out of prison.
April 14, 202141min 38sec39.97 MB
Thumbnail for "Marcel and Angie".
Two stories about being a transgender person, in prison.
March 31, 202130min 1sec28.83 MB
Thumbnail for "Hot Trash".
Stories from prison visiting rooms
March 17, 202148min 50sec46.89 MB
Thumbnail for "Sugarbutt's a Snail".
Three Ear Hustlers, revisited
March 3, 202146min 54sec45.03 MB
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 18sec35.82 MB
Thumbnail for "The Bells".
Stories from the COVID outbreak in California’s prisons
December 23, 20201hr57.73 MB
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 26sec50.35 MB
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 26sec43.62 MB
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 35min91.31 MB
Thumbnail for "Are You Listening?".
When a parent is incarcerated, the relationship with their kid is changed forever.
October 21, 202044min 27sec42.68 MB
Thumbnail for "The Great Ear Hustle Cook Off".
Four formerly-incarcerated contestants put their cooking skills to the test.
October 7, 202045min 37sec43.8 MB
Thumbnail for "The Christmas Boxes".
Stories about the things you keep with you in prison and the stuff you leave behind
September 23, 202052min 14sec50.15 MB
Thumbnail for "The Gray Goose".
Stories from when you’re locked up and on the road.
September 9, 202051min 26sec49.38 MB
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 6sec31.79 MB
Thumbnail for "Nobody Comes Back".
Some people walk out of prison and straight into a whole new type of incarceration.
June 10, 202056min 17sec54.05 MB
Thumbnail for "Tired of Running".
Running from the law to avoid incarceration can become its own kind of prison.
May 27, 202046min 11sec44.35 MB
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 5".
Ear Hustle answers questions from kids incarcerated at a juvenile facility in Madison, Wisconsin.
May 13, 202043min 12sec41.48 MB
Thumbnail for "Hold That Space".
Four women share stories of trying to love across prison walls.
April 29, 202046min 24sec44.56 MB
Thumbnail for "Sorry Means Nothing".
One crime is treated differently than all others, both inside and outside of prison.
April 15, 202053min50.88 MB
Thumbnail for "Us and Them".
Relationships between incarcerated people and correctional officers are… complicated.
April 1, 202056min 8sec53.9 MB
Thumbnail for "Locked Down Again".
As lockdowns loom worldwide, we revisit and update a 2018 episode all about surviving prison lockdowns.
March 18, 202041min 32sec39.87 MB
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 35sec38 MB
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 12sec10.76 MB
Thumbnail for "A Message from Ear Hustle".
Our network, Radiotopia, lets producers like us dream big.
November 27, 20195min 59sec5.75 MB
Thumbnail for "Ear Hustle Extra: Antwan Williams, Journeyist".
Ear Hustle team update: Antwan is out!
November 15, 201922min 49sec21.9 MB
Thumbnail for "Tell Christy I Loved 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 55sec42.17 MB
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 11sec39.55 MB
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 26sec31.14 MB
Thumbnail for "Life Shows Up".
Getting a job post-incarceration, with a criminal record trailing you, is all kinds of challenging.
August 28, 201937min 55sec36.41 MB
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 55sec39.28 MB
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 31sec42.74 MB
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 57sec40.28 MB
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 20sec29.14 MB
Thumbnail for "Respect the Paper".
Hardly anyone writes letters anymore... except in (and to) prison.
June 20, 201935min 36sec34.18 MB
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 21sec33.95 MB
Thumbnail for "Season four preview".
Ear Hustle is back with season four, starting June 5.
May 29, 20194min 17sec4.12 MB
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 29sec13.91 MB
Thumbnail for "P.S. Asking and Giving".
Earlonne meets a fan, Quentin Blue strikes a chord and one last Radiotopia plug.
December 17, 20186min 1sec5.79 MB
Thumbnail for "Bittersweet".
In prison, life’s major milestones usually pass at a distance.
December 12, 201845min 8sec43.34 MB
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 59sec4.79 MB
Thumbnail for "Prime Real Estate".
Stories of romance, dating, and playing the field in prison.
November 21, 201837min 21sec35.86 MB
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 27sec35 MB
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 4sec28.88 MB
Thumbnail for "This Place".
Built in 1852, San Quentin has its own story to tell.
October 10, 201838min 35sec37.06 MB
Thumbnail for "Future on Ice".
Being an immigrant in an American prison can pose unique challenges.
September 26, 201840min 2sec38.43 MB
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 21sec36.83 MB
Thumbnail for "Season three preview".
Ear Hustle is back September 12! In the meantime, enjoy this preview of season three.
September 5, 20185min 54sec5.67 MB
Thumbnail for "So Long".
Leaving an organization or community often calls for an exit strategy – even in prison.
June 20, 201841min 36sec39.95 MB
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 22sec32.04 MB
Thumbnail for "The Row".
Death row is almost like a prison within a prison.
May 23, 201842min 22sec40.68 MB
Thumbnail for "Catch a Kite 2".
You've asked (via postcard) and we have answers!
May 9, 201832min 14sec30.95 MB
Thumbnail for "Thick Glass".
Parenting is never easy, but from prison it's especially challenging.
April 25, 201835min 39sec34.23 MB
Thumbnail for "The Workaround".
Looking good and feeling good matters just as much on the inside, as on the outside.
April 11, 201832min 51sec31.54 MB
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 2sec34.61 MB
Thumbnail for "Firsts".
“Firsts” in prison can be especially memorable.
March 14, 201839min 3sec37.5 MB
Thumbnail for "Season two preview ".
Coming March 14: Season two of Ear Hustle!
February 28, 20185min 6sec4.91 MB
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Just in time for the holidays, meet some of the musicians of San Quentin, whose songs were featured in season one.
December 20, 201722min 35sec21.7 MB
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There are only a few ways to leave prison: serve your time, get out early on parole... or escape.
October 25, 201733min 27sec32.11 MB
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Dealing with aging and death is never easy. In prison, it's especially challenging.
October 11, 201724min 5sec23.12 MB
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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 19sec33.9 MB
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The color of your skin influences your life on the inside, from sharing food to celebrating birthdays.
September 13, 201730min28.81 MB
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Being married in prison is common. Opportunities to get intimate with your spouse are not.
August 30, 201728min 19sec27.19 MB
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Earlonne and Nigel answer questions mailed in via postcard, aka "kites," from listeners around the world.
August 9, 201728min 3sec26.94 MB
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The hole, the box, solitary confinement… stories from four men who spent years completely isolated in prison.
July 26, 201728min 26sec27.3 MB
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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 47sec22.84 MB
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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 36sec26.5 MB
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Finding a roommate can be tough. Finding someone to share a 4' x 9' space with is a whole 'nother story.
June 14, 201723min 33sec22.62 MB
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Ear Hustle brings you the stories of life inside prison, shared and produced by those living it.
May 25, 20174min 1sec3.87 MB

I See the Castle

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May 28, 20251hr 3min

Recently, Earlonne was drafted for a mysterious task: to pose for a photo with Nigel — wearing Minnie Mouse ears — while waving a fake “churro” in the air. (Earlonne, always a good sport, didn’t ask too many questions.) Here, in Nigel’s first-ever listener-inspired mystery episode, he finally learns what that was all about. 

Special thanks to Becky Bach for suggesting this subject and for joining Earlonne and Nigel in the studio, and to our inside team — Derrell Sadiq Davis, Tony Tafoya, and Tam Nguyen — for sharing their photographs and stories with us.

This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Lee Jaspar, Earlonne Woods, Antwan Williams, Fernando Arruda, and Derrell Sadiq Davis.

Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Newborg at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.

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

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. 
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I See the Castle
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