Ear Hustle

Nigel and Earlonne get a peek inside one of Crossroad’s residential halls, and hear from kids and staff about what it’s like to live and work here. Along the way, they cause some drama of their own.  This is the second episode of “The Loop,” Ear Hustle’s six-part series about kids in New York City who are caught up, one way or another, in the criminal justice system.  Ear Hustle would like to than...

In the first episode of Ear Hustle’s all-new, all-New-York series, Nigel and Earlonne head to Brooklyn to hang out with incarcerated kids and staff at the Crossroads Juvenile Center.  For Earlonne, it’s a trip down memory lane. For Nigel, it’s a crash course in interviewing teenagers. For listeners, it’s a window into the world of incarcerated young people and an innovative program called Drama Cl...

Next week we’re dropping the first episode of our six-part series about kids who are involved, one way or another, in New York City’s criminal justice system, and an innovative program that’s teaching them the skills of theatrical improv. We’re calling it “The Loop.” Here’s a sneak peek.  You can find the series, starting October 8, wherever you listen to Ear Hustle.  Ear Hustle is a proud member...

What textures do you miss in prison? How is menopause handled behind bars? What makes you feel dignified? These are just some of the questions we collected from listeners on our live tour this summer through the South and Midwest. But instead of taking these questions back to California, we got them answered on the road.  Thank you to everyone we talked to in Oklahoma: Angelica, Dusti, Sharee, Ash...

At the end of 2023, Ear Hustle embarked on its first live tour — a celebration of our 100th episode. Nigel and Earlonne shared favorite moments from the show’s history, and a few of our talented friends performed live. On the heels of our second live tour, we bring you a never-before-heard recording from that first tour: a show we did at the Lodge Room in Earlonne’s hometown of Los Angeles.  And W...

Revisiting our 2018 episode “Future on Ice,” about the lives of immigrants in San Quentin. Being an immigrant in an American prison can pose unique challenges, like deciding which racial group you’ll identify with. But sometimes the biggest hurdles don’t become apparent until the day you are released. Thanks to Martin Gomez, Miguel Sifuentes, Wayne Boatwright, Phoeun You, David Jassy, Ai Borey (ak...

The candy craze that’s sweeping the prison. What happens when your cellie dies? An update to our continuing coverage on jeans. And, why some people like sharing a cell. Four stories from our inside team: Derrell Sadiq Davis, Aristeo Sampablo, Tam Nguyen, and Tony Tafoya.  This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Derrell Sadiq Davis, and Tam Nguyen. Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berr...

Cat Schuknecht, Ear Hustle’s Senior Producer at the California Institution for Women, listens back to our 2023 episode “12 Hours on the Yard.” Inspired by the classic This American Life episode “24 Hours at the Golden Apple,” the Ear Hustle team documents one day in the life of San Quentin’s lower yard, from Haka dancing to dominoes; gospel to geese; and weight-lifting to waiting to get out. Thank...

Tam has been in prison for two decades, and is facing a third. But now, there’s a small chance a judge could send him home, time served. For one month, we follow Ear Hustle’s inside producer as he prepares for his day in court. Thank you to Star, Lan, Thai Chi, Ai Linh, Lance, and everyone else we spoke to for this story.   This episode was scored with music by Earlonne Woods, Antwan Williams, Dav...

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...

For the fifth anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, Rahsaan revisits “Cracked Windshield,” an episode we did for the first anniversary. The Ear Hustle team and friends talk about their first interactions with cops, the role of empathy, and whether those relationships can ever change. And Rahsaan reflects on his own relationship with police, and what has and hasn’t changed in the five years since F...

Women serving serious time for having killed someone while driving drunk form a distinct culture in prison, and often struggle to fit in. We visit two California prisons to meet women who are still grappling with a life that’s very different than the one they’d expected. Thank you to Olivia, Grace, Jessica, Theresa, Tatanisha, Michelle, Hannah, Sopehia, Pamela, and everyone else we spoke to at the...

It’s our first-ever listener-inspired “mystery” episode! This time, Nigel's in the dark — and Earlonne has a new co-host. They hope you enjoy this cutting-edge, occasionally unruly Ear Hustle episode that braids together many questions about life in prison.  This episode was scored with music by Eric "Maserati E" Abercrombie, David Jassy, Earlonne Woods, Antwan Williams, and Derrell Sadiq Davis. ...

Listeners had a lot to say about two recent episodes featuring residents of California’s death row, especially “ Different Sides of the Earth ,” which focused on condemned women. “It was hard to hear the joy, laughing, etc.” wrote one listener, “when you know about some of their crimes.”  Your messages and comments gave us a great excuse to dive into some of the thorny editorial issues our team wr...

Twenty women are currently serving a death sentence at the Central California Women’s Facility. Like the men we met at San Quentin in our previous episode, these women are now living with the mainline prison population. For some, it hasn’t been an easy change.  This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Earlonne Woods, and Derrell Sadiq Davis. Big thanks to Warden Andes an...

San Quentin's death row has been cleared out; soon it'll be renovated into an honor dorm. We make one last visit with four men who, between them, spent over 130 years on the row. We see the solitary cells where they spent decades of their lives, and hear what it's been like to leave those cells and join the "mainline" prison population. This episode was scored with music by Antwan "Banks" Williams...

For some, it’s a weeklong bonanza; others keep it on the down-low. Whether you’re in prison or not, how you celebrate your birthday says a lot about who you are. The New Official Ear Hustle Birthday Song was written by Tam Nguyen, with variations on the theme by Tam Nguyen, Earlonne Woods, Derrell Sadiq Davis, Bruce Wallace, and Antwan Williams, plus trumpet playing by Brian Conroy.  Big thanks to...

Spark Plug wanted a life straight out of a Hollywood movie: Live fast and die a legend. But that’s not quite how things worked out. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Earlonne Woods, Antwan Williams, 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...

The Ear Hustle team has been hard at work on a whole batch of new stories from San Quentin, the California Institution for Women, the Central California Women’s Facility, and beyond. They’ll be in your feed starting next Wednesday, March 5 — but Nigel and Earlonne are here now with a little sneak peek.  Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Pa...

Next up in our “sleeper hits” series, our editor Amy listens back to “Camp Grace,” a 2021 episode that she had started producing until she was sidelined by COVID. In it, we follow a group of kids to 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...

California relies on incarcerated firefighters to fight fires like the ones that have engulfed Southern California this month. But once these men and women are released from prison, they can have a hard time finding jobs on civilian firefighting crews. Back in 2020, Nigel and Earlonne spent time at a Ventura fire camp designed to help bridge that gap. In light of the recent fires, we’re sharing th...

In the next installment in our “sleeper hits” series, Earlonne listens back to the episode “August 21, 1971,” about George Jackson and one of the most significant days in San Quentin’s history. E talks about why this was an essential story for Ear Hustle to tell, why it was a tricky one to tackle, and reflects on his personal connections to this history and its long aftermath.  Mentioned in the ep...

Linda’s mom brought her to a Catholic Mass because she had a sense her daughter was on the verge of something, and needed help. Thirty-seven years into her prison sentence, Linda wonders what would have happened if she had listened to her mom, and Nigel and Earlonne visit the same chapel to see the place through Linda’s memory.  This episode was scored with music by Derrell Sadiq Davis, Antwan Wil...

Leisha didn't plan on getting pregnant. And she certainly didn't plan on giving birth in prison. But on the day those two red lines showed up, Leisha found kindness in an unexpected place. Thanks to Katie Turner and Samantha Bhatia at Poetic Justice for connecting us with Leisha.  This episode was scored with music by Darrell Sadiq Davis, Antwan Williams, Fernando Arruda, David Jassy, and Earlonne...

Earlonne's here with his "mystery" episode, and it's a doozy. He tells Nigel a redemption story wrapped in a drug-trafficking story, and, along the way, dives deep into several subjects we swore we'd never touch. Buckle up.  Thanks to George for telling his story. He co-authored a book about moving past gangs and criminal thinking; you can find that here . Thanks also to Tanaya for the rap and lis...