Ear Hustle's Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor on podcasting from prison

If you don't have anyone in your life who's incarcerated, your point of reference might be shows like Orange is The New Black or Oz.

But those are fictional shows. Ear Hustle is a podcast that looks at what everyday life is really like inside of prison.

The show, co-hosted by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, got its start in 2017 by documenting life inside California's San Quentin State Prison. When the show launched, Earlonne was an inmate at San Quentin, serving a sentence of 31 years-to-life for attempted second-degree robbery. Nigel is a visual artist and university professor who got involved with San Quentin as a volunteer. In November of 2018, Earlonne's sentence was commuted after 21 years, and he now co-hosts the podcast from the outside.

Ear Hustle launched their latest season earlier this month, and Nigel and Earlonne joined Leah from their studio in San Francisco to share a few of their favourite podcasts. Plus, they give us a sneak peek at their new season, where they speak to women incarcerated in the California Institution for Women. 

Ear Hustle: In this clip we meet a woman named Laney. She was 41 when she was first incarcerated. She's 76 now, and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Wrongful Conviction: On May 19, 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio, two assailants robbed a man in front of a store, splashed acid in his face, shot and killed him, and then fired into the store – injuring the co-owner. The police ignored other leads and focused on a 12-year-old witness, which led to the wrongful conviction of Kwame Ajamu. 

Everything Is Alive: "Sal is a sock. He's had a good life, but it feels like something's missing. Featuring Sebastian Conelli."

Have you listened to anything good lately? Email us at podcastplaylist@cbc.ca. Or find us on Facebook.

For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal, and subscribe for free in Apple Podcasts.