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Uncuffed

KALW

Uncuffed is a show made by people behind bars in California prisons. We share intimate stories of our struggles and triumphs, and of the heartache and forgiveness taking place within these walls. Uncuffed is vulnerable and personal. If you can see the humanity in us, you can see the humanity in everyone.

WeAreUncuffed.org

Uncuffed is a show made by people behind bars in California prisons. We share intimate stories of our struggles and triumphs, and of the heartache and forgiveness taking place within these walls. Uncuffed is vulnerable and personal. If you can see the humanity in us, you can see the humanity in everyone.

WeAreUncuffed.org

20hr 29min
Thumbnail for "S4, E1 - Day One".
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed Season 4: Back With New Stories!".
KALW's award-winning podcast Uncuffed is back with a brand new season! First…
Thumbnail for "The doctor said he’d never walk again. He was wrong.".
A message from Uncuffed alum Anthony Ivy:After 12 years behind bars, I’m now…
Thumbnail for "People in California prisons can't vote. Your vote will change their lives.".
The Uncuffed producers can't vote. But you better believe they still have…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed Presents: Track Change".
Uncuffed is pleased to share the new podcast, Track Change. Follow a group of…
Thumbnail for "Prison Jobs: Working Hard, Hardly Paid".
In California, incarcerated people legally have to work. One thing the jobs…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: All My Life".
Brian Asey at San Quentin on "All My Life," by K-Ci & JoJo. It's the Uncuffed…
Thumbnail for "Opening Up After Getting Out: Stories From Re-Entry".
Childhood trauma, embracing differences, and putting your heart out there -…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: Locked Up And Grinding All My Life".
Anthony Ivy and Timothy Hicks on “Locked Up” by Lil Durk and "Grinding All My…
Thumbnail for "Goodbye, Solano State Prison — Welcome Home, Luis".
Meet an Uncuffed producer as he leaves prison. Luis shares his hopes for a new…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: Ambitionz Az A Ridah".
Steve Brooks at San Quentin on “Ambitionz Az A Ridah,” by Tupac Shakur. It’s…
Thumbnail for "Got Nothin' On The Chow Line: Navigating Life Outside Of Prison".
A founding Uncuffed producer visits prison again, this time as a free man.…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: The World I Know".
Bryan Mazza at Solano on "The World I Know," by Collective Soul. It's the…
Thumbnail for "Striking Out Stigma: A Prison Team Goes Beyond Baseball".
People in prison are no stranger to stereotypes. This week, stories about…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: Mama Tried".
Ryan Pagan at San Quentin on “Mama Tried” by Merle Haggard. It’s the Uncuffed…
Thumbnail for "Lavell's Choice: Healing Or Revenge?".
When violence has been normal for so long, it can be difficult to give it up.…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: Take Me To Church".
bf thames at Solano on "Take Me To Church" by Hozier. It's the Uncuffed My…
Thumbnail for "Grieving, Interrupted".
Prison conditions make it difficult to grieve inside. How do you process loss…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: This Christmas".
Greg Eskridge at San Quentin on “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway. It’s the…
Thumbnail for "Who Let The Dogs In? Dog Training In Prison".
Can pets in prison create healing? Uncuffed goes inside a special dog training…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: Stomp!".
Jay Evans at Solano on "Stomp!" by The Brothers Johnson. It's the Uncuffed My…
Thumbnail for "Art Saved My Life".
San Quentin producers reflect on the lessons –– both good and bad –– that are…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: Love, Me".
Anthony Caravalho at San Quentin on "Love, Me" by Collin Raye. It's the…
Thumbnail for "Hole In The Heart: A Love Stronger Than Prison Walls".
The Solano team shares their stories of maintaining love from behind bars, and…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed My Mixtape: Dear Mama".
Juan Haines at San Quentin on "Dear Mama" by Tupac Shakur. It's the Uncuffed My…
Thumbnail for "Pickleball: Can A Game Change Prison Culture?".
Earlier this year, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced an ambitious goal…
Thumbnail for "Season 3: Uncuffed Is Back!".
Uncuffed, the award-winning podcast hosted by people in San Quentin and Solano…
Thumbnail for "What Can California Learn From Norway’s Prisons?".
In our previous episode, a team of formerly incarcerated producers visited a…
Thumbnail for "A Prison From Another Planet".
Last summer, some formerly incarcerated graduates of the Uncuffed program…
Thumbnail for "Prison Radio International".
Last summer, the Uncuffed team was invited to the world’s first International…
Thumbnail for "Prison’s Secret Santas (2019)".
For people in prison, the holiday season can be a painful time. Many miss their…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed Presents: Becoming Muslim".
At Folsom State Prison, Wendell El-Amin James gravitated towards incarcerated…
Thumbnail for "An Uncuffed Thank You".
In this season of gratitude, two founding co-hosts of Uncuffed, Tommy "Shakur"…
Thumbnail for "I'm Somebody's Hero".
Growing up, Uncuffed Producer Thanh Tran never truly felt like he had a home.…
Thumbnail for "When A Mother's Love Becomes Violent".
As a child, Francisco Magaña was afraid of his mother. She would beat him, and…
Thumbnail for "You're Invited To An Uncuffed Wedding".
We joyfully request the honor of your presence at an extra special wedding. Our…
Thumbnail for "My Enemy Saved My Life".
Death is a normal part of life in prison, but it’s rare that someone can live…
Thumbnail for "Humor As Medicine: Aging And Compassion In Prison".
California's prison population is aging. Between 2000 and 2017, the share of…
Thumbnail for "It's Never Too Late: Fatherhood From Inside Prison".
One of the many struggles of parenting from inside prison is the constant fear…
Thumbnail for "You've Got Mail: Surprise Letters During Lockdown".
Letter writing is an art, and the Uncuffed producers at San Quentin State…
Thumbnail for "Man Down: COVID Strikes At San Quentin".
In June 2020, San Quentin had one of the biggest COVID-19 outbreaks in a…
Thumbnail for "Uncuffed Season 2: Coming Soon!".
It's been a wild couple of years, and in California prisons, it was no…
Thumbnail for "I Can See You As My Neighbor".
Tommy "Shakur" Ross has been incarcerated for over 36 years. In those decades,…
Thumbnail for "Nate's Going Home".
After over 20 years of incarceration, Uncuffed producer Nate McKinney is going…
Thumbnail for "Unconfined: The Trials Of Re-Entry".
After serving a sentence in prison, re-entry into the free world can come with…
Thumbnail for "Pandemic Playlist: Songs For A Year On Lockdown".
For most of us in prisons, the pandemic has meant a year of even more…
Thumbnail for "Special: Letters From The Outside, Almost One Year Into The Pandemic".
It's been almost a year since friends and family have been able to visit their…
Thumbnail for "Unconfined: Joe Kirk".
Unconfined is a new series of special episodes that feature Uncuffed producers…
Thumbnail for "Unconfined: Chanthon Bun".
Chanthon Bun caught the coronavirus at San Quentin Prison during one of the…
Thumbnail for "Special: Letters From The Outside As COVID Rages Inside".
The COVID-19 outbreak in prisons across California is taking an incredible toll…
Thumbnail for "Special: Prisoners Face Coronavirus".
Disease can spread quickly in prisons. In this special conversation from…
Thumbnail for "Episode 5: Prison’s Secret Santas".
For the finale, we’re coming together for the holidays. You’ll hear from the…
Thumbnail for "Episode 4: Maserati-E".
In 2012, Eric "Maserati-E" Abercrombie picked up the guitar and has been…
Thumbnail for "Episode 3: Yoga".
Gordon Melvin learned how to do yoga by watching TV. Soon, he was leading…
Thumbnail for "Special: A Wild Turkey On The Prison Yard".
Thanksgiving is coming, and while a lot of turkeys end up on plates, there are…
Thumbnail for "Episode 2: Rebuilding Family Relationships".
Cleo Cloman grew up in a two-parent household and had dreams of playing pro…
Thumbnail for "Episode 1: Sky Boii".
Remus Sam Langi is serving 38 years to life on a second-degree murder…
Thumbnail for "Introducing Uncuffed, a storytelling project made behind prison walls".
Uncuffed is made inside prison walls at San Quentin Prison and Solano State…

S4, E1 - Day One

Thumbnail for "S4, E1 - Day One".
January 30, 20257min 38sec

Last summer, something monumental happened. One of Uncuffed's founding producers, Greg Eskridge, came home after more than 30 years in prison. In this episode we’ll bring you back to that emotional day last summer when he walked out of the San Quentin gates, free at last.

Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, independent foundations, and donations from listeners like you.

Learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and support the program at www.weareuncuffed.org

Follow us @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram and Facebook

Transcripts are available within a week of the episode coming out at www.kalw.org/podcast/uncuffed


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S4, E1 - Day One
00:00
07:38