Life in prison, without regular sex and intimacy, can cause all sorts of emotional and physical issues. Yep, we're going there — to explore the impact of this constraint inside prison, and for men and women seeking close relationships after they get out. 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 . Support the show and become one of...
Apr 27, 2022•39 min•Season 9Ep. 5
What happens to a prison town when its main prison closes? The residents of Susanville, in Northern California, are about to find out. Ear Hustle took a road trip to see how Susanvillers — both inside and outside the prison — are reacting to the news. 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 . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail...
Apr 13, 2022•43 min•Season 9Ep. 4
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 web...
Mar 30, 2022•36 min
We talk about love on Ear Hustle, plenty, but it’s hard to think of prison as a “romantic” place. What does dating look and feel like, on the inside? Against all odds, sometimes true love prevails. As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. Thanks also to everyone who called in to tell us their one-minute love stories. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia , from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com . Learn about...
Mar 16, 2022•27 min•Season 9Ep. 2
In California and many other states, calls from prison are limited to 15 minutes and are monitored, recorded, and often difficult to come by. But whether you’re trying to fix a marriage or a broken wall heater, these short conversations are a lifeline for family on the outside. 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 . Learn abou...
Mar 02, 2022•20 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Sometimes, when you’re up against a big state institution, you have to make some trouble. For this mini-episode, part of Radiotopia’s winter fundraiser , we share a few stories about incarcerated people trying to effect small change but not always getting the results they want. This special episode of Ear Hustle is a part of Radiotopia’s winter fundraiser. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. Donate today at radiotopia.fm . Thank you! As always,...
Feb 23, 2022•6 min•Season 8Ep. 11
We’re between seasons but have an exciting update to share with listeners: Our friend and colleague Rahsaan “New York” Thomas’ prison sentence has been commuted by California Governor Gavin Newsom. What does this mean for Rahsaan’s release from San Quentin? 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 . Learn about your ad choices: do...
Jan 26, 2022•5 min•Season 8Ep. 10
While Ear Hustle works on its next season, which starts March 2, we wanted to introduce you to the podcast Written Off . It features formerly incarcerated young writers talking about their journeys and creative processes. In this episode, host Walter Thompson-Hernández talks with writer Candice Price, and actor Keke Palmer performs one of Price’s pieces. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact one of the resources below for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor...
Dec 29, 2021•34 min•Season 8Ep. 9
This past fall, we followed a group of kids into Salinas Valley State Prison to spend two days with their dads, whom they hadn’t seen in years. Through music, crafts, and games, the idea behind Camp Grace is to put aside prison personas and reconnect with fatherhood. But relationships strained by incarceration can be hard to fix. Find out more about Camp Grace here . 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...
Dec 22, 2021•40 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Earlier this year, some of the Ear Hustle team spent a month living under a specific set of constraints informed by the daily routines of our inside colleagues, changing the way we ate, got dressed, and exercised. The goal wasn’t to replicate prison life, but to see how constraint shapes the way we experience the world. We report back on what was hard, what was surprising, and what we discovered along the way. You can learn more about the Ear Hustle Challenge here and about Tehching Hsieh’s perf...
Dec 08, 2021•55 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Sports in prison are more than just games. They can be an outlet for stress, the realization of dreams deferred, or a positive way to prove oneself to peers and family. In this episode, one player battles for acceptance and a spot on the San Quentin baseball team, a two-time Super Bowl champion goes from partying with the Patriots to living in a 5x9 cell, and resident sports reporter Rahsaan “New York” Thomas attempts to win a one-on-one basketball game on behalf of all the nerds. As always, big...
Nov 17, 2021•54 min•Season 8Ep. 6
Going to prison in your home country can be disorienting enough. What about when you’re new to the culture, don’t speak the language, and are thousands of miles from family and friends? Three Americans describe their experiences of incarceration in Japan, Thailand, and Iran. 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 . Learn about y...
Nov 03, 2021•54 min•Season 8Ep. 5
What does it take to be bonnaroo in prison? We explore the creative ways people inside transform and beautify their physical selves and their living environment, using whatever they can find within prison walls. 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 . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Oct 20, 2021•55 min•Season 8Ep. 4
At Ear Hustle, we hear more from listeners about music than almost any other topic. In response, we bring you the Ear Hustle Mixtape, including stories about an unlikely instrument that’s been showing up on the yard at San Quentin, Native American sweat lodges and music, and getting the band back together post-incarceration. 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...
Oct 06, 2021•57 min•Season 8Ep. 3
We bring you stories about the ups and downs of making bail and the bittersweet taste of freedom when you know you’re about to lose it. Plus: Nigel confronts a man with no regrets, and Ear Hustle says goodbye to a friend of the show. To find out more about the Ear Hustle 30-Day Challenge, and to participate with us, visit earhustlesq.com/challenge . 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...
Sep 22, 2021•50 min•Season 8Ep. 2
August 21, 1971 was the deadliest day in San Quentin history, and it’s still a painful topic, both inside the prison and out. At the center of the story was a Black revolutionary named George Jackson. Who was he, and what makes him so controversial, even 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. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com . More on George Jacks...
Sep 08, 2021•55 min•Season 8Ep. 1
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 me...
Aug 25, 2021•2 min
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. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Aug 11, 2021•38 min
Leslie has served more time in prison than anyone we’ve ever interviewed on the show: over half a century, for a crime committed when she was 19. Four times, the parole board has deemed her fit for release. Each time, California’s governor denied it. What does it mean to live a meaningful life when nearly all of it is spent behind bars? As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. You can find out more about Nigel and Earlonne’s forthc...
Jun 09, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 7Ep. 8
A year after George Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer, the Ear Hustle team and friends talk about their first interactions with cops, the role of empathy, and whether those relationships can ever change. 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. Find a full list of episode credits, sign up for our newsletter, and shop for merch at earhustlesq.com . Find out how Tali...
May 26, 2021•42 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Toothpaste, ramen noodles, sneakers, coffee creamer. If you want to shop from prison, it’s either the commissary or a prison-approved package catalog. These packages offer a connection to the outside world, but sometimes they make the distance seem even greater. 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 . Find a full list of episode credits, sign up for our newsletter, and shop fo...
May 12, 2021•44 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Can you have an Xbox in your prison cell? Is it OK to say “inmate”? How have stimulus checks affected the prison economy? Ear Hustle listeners have questions about life behind bars. Our team went to find answers. Catch a Kite is back! You can find more information about Nigel’s forthcoming book, “The San Quentin Project,” here . 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. Find a f...
Apr 28, 2021•46 min•Season 7Ep. 5
A small Israeli bakery in downtown San Francisco has offered first jobs to dozens of lifers just out of prison. Four employees share their stories of adjusting to life on the outside while working at Frena Bakery . 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 . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Apr 14, 2021•42 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Marcel and Angie each spent years in prisons determined by the gender on their birth certificate, not the one they identify with. Being trans in prison comes with complications — from where you live to personal safety — and a whole lot of prison politics. 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. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com . Learn about your ad choice...
Mar 31, 2021•30 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Visiting a loved one in prison is both emotionally intense and constrained by countless rules – from how much PDA is too much PDA, to what kind of candy you can eat inside. One year after California prison authorities suspended in-person visits due to COVID-19, we bring you stories from and about visiting rooms, and hear how families are adjusting to video “visits.” As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is a proud member ...
Mar 17, 2021•49 min•Season 7Ep. 2
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 Rob...
Mar 03, 2021•47 min•Season 7Ep. 1
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 . Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Feb 17, 2021•37 min•Season 6Ep. 9
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 m...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 8
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 Act...
Dec 09, 2020•52 min•Season 6Ep. 7
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 ...
Nov 25, 2020•45 min•Season 6Ep. 6
