Ear Hustle podcast

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. 

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. 

 

#171

The Loop Ep. 5: Yes, And ...

Kaysha is in her early 20s: low on resources, but big on dreams. Sometimes, those dreams f... more

03 Dec 2025

57 MINS

57:24

03 Dec 2025


#170

The Loop Ep. 4: Where’s the Conflict?

Boys at Crossroads outnumber girls 10 to one, but if you ask staff about who’s harder to w... more

19 Nov 2025

46 MINS

46:51

19 Nov 2025


#169

The Loop Episode 3: No Violence

At Crossroads, just three little letters — SMD — can spark some very big drama. This episo... more

05 Nov 2025

46 MINS

46:56

05 Nov 2025


#168

The Loop Ep. 2: Who What Where

Nigel and Earlonne get a peek inside one of Crossroad’s residential halls, and hear from k... more

22 Oct 2025

48 MINS

48:41

22 Oct 2025


#167

The Loop Ep. 1: The Five Rules of Drama Club

In the first episode of Ear Hustle’s all-new, all-New-York series, Nigel and Earlonne head... more

08 Oct 2025

1 HR 02 MINS

1:02:18

08 Oct 2025


#166

Starting Next Week: The Loop

Next week we’re dropping the first episode of our six-part series about kids who are invol... more

01 Oct 2025

02 MINS

02:40

01 Oct 2025


#165

Catch a Kite: On Tour

What textures do you miss in prison? How is menopause handled behind bars? What makes you ... more

17 Sep 2025

33 MINS

33:23

17 Sep 2025


#164

Ear Hustle Live! 2023

At the end of 2023, Ear Hustle embarked on its first live tour — a celebration of our 100t... more

03 Sep 2025

1 HR 12 MINS

1:12:22

03 Sep 2025


#163

Revisiting “Future on Ice”

Revisiting our 2018 episode “Future on Ice,” about the lives of immigrants in San Quentin.... more

21 Aug 2025

47 MINS

47:49

21 Aug 2025


#162

San Quentin: The Magazine, Issue 3

The candy craze that’s sweeping the prison. What happens when your cellie dies? An update ... more

30 Jul 2025

42 MINS

42:26

30 Jul 2025


#161

Revisiting “12 Hours on the Yard”

Cat Schuknecht, Ear Hustle’s Senior Producer at the California Institution for Women, list... more

09 Jul 2025

1 HR 15 MINS

1:15:31

09 Jul 2025