Ear Hustle

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.