Uncuffed

We usually think of coming home from prison as a joyous time to reunite with loved ones and celebrate freedom. For a specific group of people, that might not be the case. They finish their time in prison only to get locked up again by the immigration system, facing deportation. In this episode, Uncuffed alum Thanh Tran speaks to Eddy Zheng, who went through this experience. We also hear from a man...

When you're separated from the people you love, getting a visit in prison is huge. It can make or break your whole week, month, even a year. On this episode, you'll hear about all the complicated feelings that come with a visit: the good and the difficult. Uncuffed shares two new stories from the California Institution for Women about memorable visits with family, and a vulnerable discussion from...

Blue scrubs, state-issued slides, hard mattresses and inadequate dental care are just some of the things Uncuffed producers say make it hard for them to feel beautiful inside prison. And aging isn't easy on the body, or the mind, when you're locked up. But incarceration can force you to find beauty in other ways. Uncuffed alum Daphnye Taylor joins host Greg Eskridge for a conversation about beauty...

One of the unfortunate stereotypes about men's prisons is that they are full of bad dads and absent fathers. But if you spent any time with the people host Greg Eskridge did, it's clear that it's not true. Today on the show, we'll hear uplifting stories and positive memories of fathers and foster parents, and a special conversation about how fatherhood defines so many prison experiences — from bei...

Uncuffed is excited to present an episode from our friends at Concrete Mama, a prison podcast from Unincarcerated Productions inside the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Concrete Mama just wrapped up their second season, and they’ve done episodes on everything from solitary confinement to foster care, to restorative justice. This episode, called "One Day At A Time," is all about addic...

Family can mean a lot of different things. It can be the people we grew up with or the community we choose to keep close. Sometimes, we find family in unexpected places. In this episode, our producers discover long-lost relatives, learn about siblings they didn’t know they had, and even meet family members who surprisingly came back into their lives. Learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and supp...

The saying tells us that we should “dance like no-one is watching.” That’s easier said than done in prison, where lots of people are watching and many of them are judging. In this episode, we’re talking about it anyway. We’re breaking it down, busting a move, cutting a rug; we’ll hear stories about how dancing in prison can be a bridge between cultures or a way to connect with your kids. Dancing c...

In sports, even when the game is extremely physical, sometimes the biggest tests happen in our own minds. In this episode, we'll hear pieces from San Quentin and The California Institution for Women that show how healthy competition can help us connect us to other people and push us to do better ourselves. And even with a special chess match or a middle school track meet, those challenges can be w...

We're kicking off Season 5 by going back in time to the defining childhood experiences of Uncuffed producers inside three California Prisons. Host Greg Eskridge introduces us to new storytellers at The California Institution for Women, San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, and Solano State Prison. We’ll hear how an accusation changed the course of one girl’s life, about a kid’s misguided dream to go...

Uncuffed is back for Season 5! Stay tuned for powerful and personal stories made by people in California prisons. Host Greg Eskridge will introduce us to a talented group of storytellers stepping up to the mic for the first time at the California Institution for Women, San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, and Solano State Prison. New episodes drop July 15. 

It’s been just over a year since Greg Eskridge walked out of the San Quentin gates after spending 30 years in prison, and he has been busy! Greg has spent the year reconnecting with family, navigating parole, and finding new meaning in the concept of home. He is also settling into a new role at work, where he's helping to direct the Uncuffed program. It’s a dream job, but it can be exhausting. In...

All season long, host Greg Eskridge has been sharing his story — from experiencing homelessness in his childhood, to the decades he spent in prison. He’s also sharing what his freedom looks like – starting a new life on the outside and having hard conversations with family. Now, he’s sharing another very personal part of his story. Normally, on Uncuffed, we don’t talk about people’s crimes. We bel...

The federal government just cut all support for public media. KALW, which brings you Uncuffed, will lose about $400,000 a year — money that helps us teach people in prison and bring their stories to you. Now is the time to stand with KALW, to stand with Uncuffed, and to stand with people in prison whose stories need to be heard.  Become a member of KALW by making a monthly donation. Join us at KAL...

Uncuffed is excited to present a story from one of our new favorite podcasts, Folktales from Sudan. These are stories from Sudanese folklore for the whole family, told by award-winning  public radio journalist and storyteller Hana Baba. On this episode, you'll hear “The Father and Three Sons," a tale of misunderstanding and judgment between a parent and child. It’s also about forgiveness, healing,...

Getting out of prison is often called 'going home.' But when people have been away from it for so long, the idea of home can be complicated. In this episode, host Greg Eskridge shares three stories from Uncuffed producers about finding a sense of family, community, and shelter in unexpected places — everywhere from a treehouse to a car wreck in a canal. Check out Thanh Tran’s documentary at https:...

What does a mother’s love feel like? Growing up, Greg didn’t feel the love he wanted from his mother, and he held onto that pain for over three decades. This episode, Greg finally has an honest conversation with his mother about his childhood. And, we’ll hear from moms and caregivers at the California Institution for Women about the challenges of being a mother from prison. To learn more about Roc...

Longtime listeners might remember a special episode of the podcast inviting listeners to a wedding inside San Quentin. In 2022, one of the producers from our original San Quentin cohort, Edmond Richardson, married the love of his life, Avelina. Today, all six of the members of that first cohort have been released from prison. Edmond came home late last year, and so much has happened since that epi...

It’s no secret that the food inside prison is – to put it mildly – not great. That’s why folks in prison often daydream about memorable meals from their pasts, and find creative ways to make their own food inside their cells. Today on the episode, host Greg Eskridge goes to his first Thanksgiving dinner in over 30 years. We’ll hear about the magic of a shared meal and how it can bridge divides in...

As a little kid, Anthony Ivy thought to himself, “When I grow up, I want to be a hustler.” He got what he wanted, but he also ended up in prison. Eventually, that same drive led him to a brand new hustle on the outside. This time, it’s legal. This week, we’re handing over the mic to Ivy. He’ll share his story and tell you about an amazing Uncuffed Program you may not have heard about — the Uncuffe...

Sometimes its easier to keep up with a lie, especially when you're worried that the truth will hurt those you care about most. In this episode, we'll hear stories about people who work up the courage to open up with their families, despite the hurdles in front of them. And for the first time, we’ll hear a roundtable discussion from our new participants at the California Institution for Women (CIW)...

Fire Escape is a ground-breaking podcast that explores the world of incarcerated firefighters through the real-life story of Amika Mota. Listen to a clip from the first episode, and follow Fire Escape on the Wondery App, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Visit www.wondery.com/links/fire-escape to listen to this incredible story today!

What happens when you want to change your name, and the person behind it? This week, Uncuffed shares stories about all the things we’re called — nicknames, gang names, names meant to hurt us, or names meant to take our identity away — and what it means to get rid of that old self and call ourselves something else. If you're looking for support, you can call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860. It's...

The ‘90s were a pivotal time in California history, and people in prisons are still living with the consequences. That decade, California incarcerated more than 60,000 people, many of them Black men. Some of those people are still living inside California prisons, including a few of our Uncuffed producers. In this episode, Uncuffed goes back in time -- to the early '90s, to talk about life changin...

What happens when you get out of prison after 30 years? There's a lot of celebration, and also a lot of serious catching up to do. And who do you turn to if something goes wrong? Greg gets advice from friends who also recently came home. And inside San Quentin, André Davis talks about going from flunking the first grade decades ago, to finally getting ready to graduate college.  Our work in prison...

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, i...