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PODCAST

Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle & Radiotopia

Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that’s what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into the reality of life inside prison. Hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods co-created the show that launched in 2017 while Earlonne was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where Nigel was a volunteer teaching photography. Since Earlonne’s release in 2018, the show has expanded to include stories from prisons across the state, including the

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

38:22

Catch a Kite: On the Road

Ear Hustle ·

2026/09/30

We solicited questions about life in prison from audience members at our live shows. Then, we took those questions into a couple prisons we'd never been to before — Folsom State Prison in California, and SCI Chester in Pennsylvania — and got answers. Subscribe to Ear Hustle Plus! Next week, Nigel takes EH+ subscribers on a mysterious "friend date." And coming up: a conversation with the Drexel University researcher who brought "Little Scandinavia" to a Pennsylvania prison. Sign up at

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33:38

From "Examined: The Backfire Effect"

Ear Hustle ·

2026/09/23

Here's a preview from the new season of Examined, a podcast from Pushkin Industries that looks at the realities of incarceration from the perspective of a wrongful conviction. This season: The Backfire Effect. Nearly 40 years ago, in the parking lot of a community college in Michigan, a 20-year-old student was shot dead in broad daylight. The police quickly found their suspect. But there was a problem: The man said he was nowhere near the scene of the crime. And he could prove

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58:13

The Whole Night Was for Nothing

Ear Hustle ·

2026/09/16

Two people are connected by a terrible crime, committed over 30 years ago. What do we owe the people we hurt, and how long does that debt endure? Subscribe to Ear Hustle Plus! In the feed this week: Earlonne and Nigel get a reading from San Quentin village's resident Mayan astrologer and clairvoyant. And coming up: Nigel takes EH+ subscribers on a mysterious "friend date." Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts. This episode was scored with music by Antwan

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46:46

On the Margins

Ear Hustle ·

2026/09/02

A psychic. An RV park. A one-room post office. San Quentin's prison gets all the headlines, but just over the wall, there's a whole other world to explore. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Derrell Sadiq Davis, Bruce Wallace, and Earlonne Woods. Thanks, as always, to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Padilla, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden

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35:26

CIW: The Magazine, Issue One

Ear Hustle ·

2026/08/12

Rumors of a prison swimming pool, losing cherished memories to new technology, the right to housing in prison, and different ways of looking at a letter: Our first class of storytellers at the California Institution for Women dives deep into these subjects in the inaugural issue of CIW: The Magazine. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Darrell Sadiq Davis, and Earlonne Woods. Thanks to Acting Warden Padilla, Associate Warden Lewis, and PIO Avina at the

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20:53

Ear Hustle Presents: The Science of Happiness

Ear Hustle ·

2026/08/05

We're sharing an episode from another PRX podcast, The Science of Happiness, which explores what science can tell us about living a happier, more meaningful life. We think Ear Hustle listeners might be especially interested in this episode, "Why You Can’t Do It Alone," which explores the role that the people around us play in shaping our success. It tells the story of two brothers, Danny and Gilbert Murillo, who have done time in California prisons. The brothers talk about how education,

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58:07

Revisiting "Last Memory: Linda"

Ear Hustle ·

2026/07/23

Nigel reexamines the fourth episode in our Last Memory series, from December of 2024. 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. Last Memory: MichaelLast Memory: Ryan and EarlonneLast Memory: LeishaThis

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34:38

Behind the Scenes: “Bag of Skittles” and “Over and...

Ear Hustle ·

2026/07/08

Could telling Sadiq and Demarion’s story actually make things worse between them? And were we right to be concerned that SQ's public information officer wouldn't sign off on a story about penis modification? For our latest editorial roundtable, the outside team sits down to discuss two recent episodes: “Bag of Skittles” and “Over and Over and Over and Over.” Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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42:42

Revisiting "Getting a Date"

Ear Hustle ·

2026/06/24

Earlonne relistens to the final episode of Ear Hustle’s first season, about one official and one unofficial way to get out of prison. Steve, Danny, Phillip, and Ron are all trying to make their way out of prison. In our final episode of the season, these men share their stories of going through the parole hearing process, and contemplate life on the outside after being incarcerated for decades.Big thanks to Steve Wilson for telling his story, and to Danny Plunket, Phillip Melendez, and Ron

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39:13

Over and Over and Over and Over

Ear Hustle ·

2026/06/10

Even though they share a difficult past, Sadiq and Demarion had never met in person, and it was probably best that it stayed that way. When an event at San Quentin brought them together, Demarion faced an agonizing choice. This episode was scored with music by Derrell Sadiq Davis, Demarion English, David Jassy, and Antwan Williams. Thanks, as always, to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; and Acting Warden Padilla, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt

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43:27

Tricks of the Trade

Ear Hustle ·

2026/05/28

At North Kern State Prison, incarcerated people are being trained to do what staff cannot: provide peer support, whether it’s with addiction, cellie drama, or just adjusting to prison life. Nigel and Earlonne pay a couple visits, and hit some walls along the way. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Dwight Krisman, and Derrell Sadiq Davis. Big thanks to PIO Lt. Huckleberry and Warden Hixon at North Kern State Prison, as well as PIO Lt. Vogel and Warden De La

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41:27

Bag of Skittles

Ear Hustle ·

2026/05/14

From obsessive body-building to extreme tattoos and other transformations: stories about the ways people in prison think about and try to change their bodies. Plus: “the California body,” explained. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Dwight Krisman, and Derrell Sadiq Davis. Big thanks to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Padilla, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for

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42:37

Corny-Ass Episode

Ear Hustle ·

2026/04/29

Nigel says no matter where you are, everyone has a story to tell about a hug: good, bad, or awkward. Earlonne isn’t buying it. Thanks to Alonzo, Deonza, Harmon, Maurice, Ralph, Carlos, Michael, and Rocky for speaking to us on the yard at San Quentin. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Earlonne Woods, Derell Sadiq Davis, and Bruce Wallace.Big thanks to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker,

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01:00:52

Revisiting “Chicken on the Bone”

Ear Hustle ·

2026/04/15

For our latest installment in the ”revisiting” series, Nigel and Earlonne time-travel back to Season 4 and the uncertain futures of men who were living on San Quentin’s now-shuttered death row. Big thanks to everyone who shared their stories with us for this episode: Al aka Watson Allison, Abu Qadir Al-Amin, Lt. Sam Robinson, and Lonnie Morris.This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, and Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and a remix of our theme music from listener Ingibjörg

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42:03

My Favorite Color

Ear Hustle ·

2026/04/01

The last time Domonica saw her dad, he was behind prison glass and she was just six years old. Now, more than two decades later, they’re trying to rebuild their relationship. But a few things stand in the way. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, and Bruce Wallace.Big thanks to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and

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46:58

Dear Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle ·

2026/03/18

The letters come from all over: incarcerated men and women listening to Ear Hustle on their tablets, fans tuning in from as far as Australia and the Philippines. Most of the time, the feedback is positive — but not always. On this first-ever letters episode, we follow up with a few of those listeners. Thank you to Caroline, Gabby, and Jennifer, for talking to us for this episode. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Dwight Krizman, and Bruce Wallace. Big

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47:58

Ear Hustle Presents: Blood Will Tell

Ear Hustle ·

2026/03/12

Today, we're sharing something a little different in the feed: an episode of the podcast Blood Will Tell. Blood Will Tell chronicles the aftermath of a birthday party in suburban San Jose that turned deadly. Two 18-year-olds were arrested for suspicion of murder. One brother spent nearly two years in jail before the truth came out: Authorities locked up the wrong twin. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime that he didn't

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40:13

Songs of San Quentin

Ear Hustle ·

2026/03/04

From beatboxing, to blues, to a song of praise once heard in the Met Museum, musicians in San Quentin have created some indelible songs. And we have featured a number of them on Ear Hustle. In this episode, Earlonne and Nigel listen back to some of their favorites. You can hear more of the music we’ve featured on Ear Hustle here, and watch Silas Farley’s “Songs from the Spirit” at the Met here. Thank you to Matthew “Redbone” Brown III, Jason “Jukebox” Griffin, Tam Nguyen, the Mexican

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34:43

Revisiting “Gold Coats and OGs”

Ear Hustle ·

2026/02/11

Earlonne brings his second selection from the archives: an episode from Ear Hustle’s first season about how people care for each other in a harsh place. Dealing with aging and death is never easy. But in prison, these issues are fraught with extra challenges, both emotional and physical. Meet two inmates serving extended sentences who grapple with the idea of dying in prison, and have also stepped up to take care of their fellow aging prisoners.Sound design for this episode is by Antwan

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51:03

Revisiting “Saber-Toothed Cat”

Ear Hustle ·

2026/01/14

At the start of a new year, Nigel revisits an episode about time passing and one man’s experience of four decades behind bars: our 2023 episode “Saber-Toothed Cat.”What’s the difference between an over-under and a lower-lower? How many pairs of underwear do you get in prison? And how long does a bar of soap last? We spend an entire episode with one San Quentin OG who schools us on the history of prison and what 46 years inside will do to a man.Episode artwork by Scott McKinstry, part of a

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