
Ear Hustle
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.
Latest episodes

Nov 15, 2023 • 47min
That World
Nigel and Earlonne visit the largest women's prison in the world, the Central California Women's Facility, and speak to five people about building a life in a tough environment, and calling that place home.
Special thanks to Warden Anissa De La Cruz and Lt. Monique Williams for welcoming us to CCWF. Thanks also to Acting Warden Oak Smith and Lt. Guim'Mara Berry at San Quentin State Prison, and Acting Warden Molly Hill and Lt. William Newborg at the California Institution for Women for their support of the show.
Radiotopia’s fall fundraiser is here! Donate today to support Ear Hustle. Thank you! https://on.prx.org/3s6RrL5
We’re going on the road! Check out our upcoming tour dates here.
Can’t get enough Ear Hustle? Sign up for Ear Hustle Plus, our new subscription service. You’ll get ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, access to live chats with Ear Hustle and other listeners about the show, and more!
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Nov 1, 2023 • 38min
Do You Think There Are Ghosts Here?
The Ear Hustle team goes ghost hunting at San Quentin and the California Institution for Women, exploring spooky encounters, discussing the motivations of ghosts, and delving into the possibility of ghosts in the prison. They also talk about the eerie atmosphere of a haunted cell, personal beliefs about ghosts, and the benefits of signing up for their new subscription service. Plus, they recommend another podcast and highlight upcoming intriguing mysteries to be explored at America's largest public cemetery.

Oct 18, 2023 • 1h
San Quentin: The Magazine
If San Quentin were a magazine, what would it sound like? Ear Hustle’s new team inside – Sadiq, Steve, Tam, and the Two Tonys – delivers audio stories hot off the press, from the institution’s popcorn craze to its new tablets and those weird-looking gazebos out on the yard.
Big thanks to Acting Warden Oak Smith and Lt. Guim'Mara Berry at San Quentin State Prison, and Acting Warden Molly Hill and Lt. William Newborg at the California Institution for Women for their support of the show.
Thanks also to Katie Gilbert, Officer Wallis, and John Zeretzke at San Quentin.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Oct 4, 2023 • 38min
Transitional
The podcast explores the concept of transitional housing after prison, discussing the challenges and experiences of living in these residences. It also delves into the importance of budgeting and saving money for successful reintegration into society. The hosts share personal stories and visit their old barber who recently got out of prison. In addition, the podcast highlights the challenges faced by individuals transitioning from prison, including finding stable housing and employment. One of the hosts shares her journey of reuniting with her lost child and the struggles she faces.

Sep 20, 2023 • 54min
Once You're in the Ocean, You're Going Everywhere
Prisons aging inmates navigate daily life, challenges and coping with elderly prisoners in California Institution for Women; Loss, guilt, Alzheimer's in prison; Living with a hidden crime; Grief and adjustments; Reflections on cremation and scattering ashes in the ocean

Sep 6, 2023 • 49min
12 Hours on the Yard
Experience a day in San Quentin's lower yard as documented by the Ear Hustle team. Explore themes of racial segregation, limited availability of vegetables, and maximizing small living spaces. Discover the atmosphere of the prison yard through activities such as soccer, tennis, and weightlifting. Gain insight into the count process and evening routines, as well as the importance of morale-boosting activities. The hosts wrap up with gratitude and exciting updates for the upcoming season.

Jul 5, 2023 • 36min
Ear Hustle Presents: Violation
It’s summertime! Which means the Ear Hustle team is off cooking up a new batch of stories for our next season — Season 12 — launching September 6.
In the meantime, we’re bringing you an episode from one of our favorite new podcasts, Violation. The series revisits a 1986 murder case, in which 16-year-old Jacob Wideman — son of award-winning author John Edgar Wideman — fatally stabbed his summer camp roommate. Violation explores the parole process, examining who pulls the levers of power in our criminal system.
Violation is a production of WBUR, Boston's NPR, and The Marshall Project.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 21, 2023 • 50min
Ear Hustle Extra: Pride Month Special
In honor of Pride month, we’re serving up some of our best stories about the LGBTQ community inside prison, including: a love story set out on the yard at San Quentin State Prison; two trans women on their journey from a men’s prison to a women’s prison, thanks to a new California law; and the first-ever Pride parade held inside a Norwegian prison.
Big thanks to Warden Ron Broomfield and Lt. Guim'Mara Berry at San Quentin State Prison, and Warden Jennifer Core and Lt. William Newborg at the California Institution for Women for their support of the show.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jun 7, 2023 • 53min
Articles of Hustle
Is there such a thing as a prison uniform? Turns out, it takes two podcasts to answer that question. Nigel and Earlonne team up with Avery Trufelman from the Radiotopia pod Articles of Interest to find out why incarcerated people wear what they do, and how they make it their own.Big thanks to Guim'Mara Berry and Acting Warden Oak Smith for their support of the show. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.Time is running out to support our spring fundraiser! Donate today to help us explore more stories from beyond San Quentin: https://on.prx.org/EH.Find out how Lonnie Morris has been doing since this episode originally aired, in the Ear Hustle Plus episode “Where’s Lonnie Now?”. To listen to all EH+ bonus content, sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

May 24, 2023 • 45min
The Preacher
Over at San Quentin, a new preacher has started drawing crowds on the yard. He’s charismatic, soft-spoken, and devout. He says he’s a different man than he was when he committed the crimes that put him in prison. But how can he, or anyone else, really know?
Big thanks to Guim'Mara Berry and Acting Warden Oak Smith for their support of the show.
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
Donate today to help us explore more stories from beyond San Quentin: on.prx.org/EH.
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices