Ear Hustle Podcast By Ear Hustle & Radiotopia cover art

Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle

By: Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
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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 California Institution for Women, as well as stories about getting out of prison and starting over, post-incarceration.

From finding romance, to grappling with a life sentence, to trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, Ear Hustle stories deliver what This American Life host Ira Glass calls a “"very real” and “untragic” take on prison life.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm and learn more about Ear Hustle at earhustlesq.com.

Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Revisiting “Future on Ice”
    Aug 21 2025

    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 (aka PJ) and Marco Villa for sharing their stories with us. And thanks to Jose Diaz, Vicente Gomez and Gerardo Sanchez-Muratalla, the Three Guitarists.

    This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, with contributions from Antwan Williams. As always, much gratitude to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Davis for their continued support of Ear Hustle.

    “Nobody comes back” episode

    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 Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.

    Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.

    Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    Show more Show less
    48 mins
  • San Quentin: The Magazine, Issue 3
    Jul 30 2025

    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. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Newborg at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.

    Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.

    Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    Show more Show less
    42 mins
  • Revisiting “12 Hours on the Yard”
    Jul 9 2025

    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.

    Thanks to everyone we spoke to while we were on the yard: Gerry Sanchez-Muritalla, Travis George, Miguel Alvarez, Louis Sale, James Names, Doc, Martin Zahorik, Arthur Jackson, Clark, Bryan Head, Rusiate Waqa, Situe Toluao, Arent D.J. Bradt, Trevor Woods, Reginald Thorpe, Don Peise, Russell Salgado, Jose Hernandez, Fernando Vasquez, Fred Catano, Larry Deminter, Steve Joe Martinez, Isaiah Jones, Daniel Hill, Chris Fuimaono, Daniel Le, Spencer Jonmark, Ralph Arreguin, Ezekiel Gonzalez, George Coles El, Corey J Smith, Robert Cole, William Hayes, Tyler Motherwell, Robert Chase, Jonathan Huynh, Chad Miller, Steven McKnight, Taiosisi Matangi, Navion Starks, Chris Marshall, Glenn Wilson, Ben Davis. Joseph Thompson, James Swindo, Kevin Brickman, Nelson Vega, Ken Sargent, Gabby Rigmaden, James Duff, Joe Tyes, Mike Antrobus, Tyler Cooper, Dennis Rogers, Armando Raymayor, Alfredo Hayes, Stanley Tillman, and Officer Acevedo.

    This episode was scored with music by Derrell Sadiq Davis, Rhashiyd Zinnamon, Fernando Arruda, and Earlonne Woods.

    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 Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.

    Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.

    Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 16 mins
All stars
Most relevant  
Whether you are young or old, male or female, or on opposite sides of the metaphoric political table, this podcast will pull you in. You here views from the inmates, the victims. and the families. It connected me to people that weren't on my radar and made me feel something. Sometimes I'm laughing out loud, sometimes I'm so angry beyond belief, but I leave the podcast with so much knowledge and that knowledge keeps me coming back. The storytelling is next level. The people involved are all about putting it all on the table. We don't get any of that on our daily news. Basically, you should give it a listen.

A Top 10 Podcast

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What an incredible podcast and hearing not just heart rendering stories but also tremendous growth.

It is so well produced!

authentic

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