Podcast Episodes

No Other Word for It

Season 15 Episode 7

Women serving serious time for having killed someone while driving drunk form a distinct culture in prison, and often struggle to fit in. We visit two California prisons to meet women who are still g…

Published on 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Bell Pepper

Season 15 Episode 6

It’s our first-ever listener-inspired “mystery” episode! This time, Nigel's in the dark — and Earlonne has a new co-host. They hope you enjoy this cutting-edge, occasionally unruly Ear Hustle episode…

Published on 5 months, 1 week ago

Why Doesn't Ear Hustle Talk About People's Crimes?

Season 15 Episode 5

Listeners had a lot to say about two recent episodes featuring residents of California’s death row, especially “Different Sides of the Earth,” which focused on condemned women. “It was hard to hear t…

Published on 5 months, 1 week ago

Different Sides of the Earth

Season 15 Episode 4

Twenty women are currently serving a death sentence at the Central California Women’s Facility. Like the men we met at San Quentin in our previous episode, these women are now living with the mainlin…

Published on 5 months, 3 weeks ago

Slam That Door

Season 15 Episode 3

San Quentin's death row has been cleared out; soon it'll be renovated into an honor dorm. We make one last visit with four men who, between them, spent over 130 years on the row. We see the solitary …

Published on 6 months ago

Super Fun Birthday Story

Season 15 Episode 2

For some, it’s a weeklong bonanza; others keep it on the down-low. Whether you’re in prison or not, how you celebrate your birthday says a lot about who you are.

The New Official Ear Hustle Birthday S…

Published on 6 months, 2 weeks ago

Spark Plug

Season 15 Episode 1

Spark Plug wanted a life straight out of a Hollywood movie: Live fast and die a legend. But that’s not quite how things worked out.

This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Earlonne Woods, …

Published on 7 months ago

New Episodes Start Next Week!

The Ear Hustle team has been hard at work on a whole batch of new stories from San Quentin, the California Institution for Women, the Central California Women’s Facility, and beyond. They’ll be in yo…

Published on 7 months, 1 week ago

Revisiting “Camp Grace”

Season 14 Episode 11

Next up in our “sleeper hits” series, our editor Amy listens back to “Camp Grace,” a 2021 episode that she had started producing until she was sidelined by COVID. In it, we follow a group of kids to …

Published on 7 months, 3 weeks ago

From the Vault: Crew No. 7

Season 14 Episode 11

California relies on incarcerated firefighters to fight fires like the ones that have engulfed Southern California this month. But once these men and women are released from prison, they can have a h…

Published on 8 months, 3 weeks ago