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Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle

By: Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
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About this listen

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
  • Ear Hustle Presents: Blood Will Tell
    Mar 12 2026

    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 commit? Blood Will Tell is a modern-day saga following Vietnamese-American brothers whose unbreakable bond is tested by silence, sacrifice, and an unthinkable choice.

    You can find more episodes of Blood Will Tell at wondery.com/shows/blood-will-tell.

    Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
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    48 mins
  • Songs of San Quentin
    Mar 4 2026

    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 Nationals Band, David Jassy, Lemar “Maverick” Harrison, Charlie Spencer, and Richie Morris, for playing music for us.

    This episode was scored with music by David Jassy and Antwan Williams.

    Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina 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
    40 mins
  • Revisiting “Gold Coats and OGs”
    Feb 11 2026

    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 Williams, with extra music tracks supplied by JB Burton. Thanks to Lonnie Morris, Richard Lathan, and Andres Eric Watson for sharing their stories. And special thanks to Anthony Marzett for being on the receiving end of Andres’ shit talk.

    Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina 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
    35 mins
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Gives you insight, sharing stories from inmates and their families..I think over the years I've become less judgemental about a person's situation and more interested in what they have overcome or can accomplish

amazing podcast

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