WBEZ

Prisoncast!

Society EN ↓ 8 episodes

Prisoncast! is a show made with and for people in Illinois prisons and jails, and their loved ones on the outside. We feature stories, investigations, interviews, and sounds from beyond prison walls – all requested by our incarcerated listeners. Each episode is a bite-sized bundle of some of our favorites. Take a glimpse inside a carceral system that’s designed to be invisible. Engage us at prisoncast@wbez.org. Listen free in prisons and jails on the Edovo app.

Author

WBEZ

Episodes

S1E7: The Catholic sister-turned-activist against the death penalty 18.05.2026 15:32

Sister Helen Prejean has been counseling people on death row since the 1980s. To mark the 15th anniversary of Illinois abolishing the death penalty, she joins Prisoncast! to make the case against capital punishment. Plus, some original music produced behind bars.

S1E6: Father and son, reunited -- behind bars 11.05.2026 14:02

An incarcerated dad asks to be transferred to a more restrictive prison so he can reconnect with his son who is locked up there. We hear original music written and recorded behind bars. And by request, sounds of a longed-for date on Chicago's Navy Pier.

S1E5: Forgiveness and a mother's love 04.05.2026 15:25

Lisa Daniels knows all about forgiveness. When her son Darren was murdered, she did what would be unthinkable for so many of us: She forgave her son’s killer.

S1E4: Is Chicago's best pizza made inside Cook County Jail? 27.04.2026 20:05

Making pizza, hot for delivery, inside Cook County Jail. One man's 18-year fight to get his GED. The value of education for someone serving a life sentence.

S1E3: How to make a prison pianist 17.04.2026 13:13

How to learn piano with toothpaste and paper. What people locked up in Illinois want you to know about them and their lives on the inside. By request: a roller coaster ride for one incarcerated listener.

S1E2: Parenting from behind bars 17.04.2026 18:38

Visiting one of the few in-prison nurseries in America, where incarcerated new moms get to live with their babies. Advice on parenting behind bars from formerly incarcerated moms with the Women's Justice Institute and Women Initiating New Directions (WIND). A meditation on letting go from one dad in an Illinois prison.

S1E1: A Chicago mayor walks into a prison 17.04.2026 15:13

What it takes to get gussied up inside Illinois prisons. How tattoo removal can be life-changing for people inside. Bringing the sounds of the family bowling alley to one incarcerated listener.

Prisoncast Trailer 03.04.2026 4:10

A podcast that asks: What do the 30,000 people locked up in Illinois state prisons most want to hear? Executive Producer: Lauren Frost Editors: Al Keefe and Rob Wildeboer Host: Erin Allen