GROSS: Their brothers are the people who live in a similar world of fantasy as opposed to defining their brothers as being, you know, a skin color or ethnicity. He spin his vinyl. For Walter "Earlonne" Woods, the path to freedom was podcasting. I'd rather not know. Co-produced by inmates Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams . NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. There's a man that I worked with for quite a while that I was very fond of. And I think - I didn't - I didn't become accustomed to the lifestyle of working or having a job, you know? You're able to go POOR: We're able to go out. So in that case, I didn't dig in. And so I want to play the part where you return to ask him that difficult question. Nigel Poor assures us the podcast will continue with Earlonne contributing stories from the outside. POOR: There's something I have to talk to you about. Earlonne is of white ethnicity and American nationality. Ear Hustle is a non-fiction podcast about prison life and life after incarceration created by Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, both formerly incarcerated, and Nigel Poor, an artist who volunteers at San Quentin State Prison. And I hit the floor. Tyra got arrested first for kidnap and robbery, and she was sentenced to 17 years. And they say Tyler just took off running. He running with these hard heads. He went up there. And I - I observed Earlonne a lot. He commuted my sentence to be released forthwith, immediately, right now, its time to go, time to walk out that gate, he added, laughing. [11], By September 2021, Ear Hustle episodes had been downloaded over 54 million times. HuffPost visited Woods at San Quentin earlier this year to discuss why he created the podcast. Trevor was wanted and was on the run. GROSS: Earlonne, what's the custom among men in San Quentin? And, Earlonne, since you served so much time, let's start with you. I'm not doing this. ARI. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Instead of me representing it, Earlonne and I can represent it together. And they - and I received 31 years to life. Why am I doing this? And I believe, personally, that that will ease overcrowding because there are a lot of people in prison that deserve to be out. And then I saw him in this awesome, orange T-shirt that had some brown in it. I'm on a podcast. So, Nigel, when you decided you wanted to start, like, a interview series that started on KALW - the public - one of the public radio stations in San Francisco, and then it became a podcast - you wanted a co-host and co-producer who was incarcerated in San Quentin. POOR: Well, I would like to see more programs created that allow people inside and outside to work together as colleagues. GROSS: And - so you interviewed him about commuting your sentence. So now we just have the opportunity to travel together, to do something like this together. So I believe that crimes have sentencing under them. [11], In November 2018, then California Governor Jerry Brown commuted Woods' sentence, saying he had "clearly shown that he is no longer the man he was when he committed this crime" and that "he has set a positive example for his peers and, through his podcast, has shared meaningful stories from those inside prison. That, in a nutshell, is the juxtaposition that defines Ear Hustle. And you've said in the past that he was always the quietest person in the room, but you could tell he was a good observer. Woods and Poor cohost the show while Williams does the show's sound design, working in San Quentin's media lab to record music and effects, including foley work. And you also spent time in solitary, where it's very hard to stay sane. Earlonne Woods was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. Therefore, it is not known if Earlonne is single, dating, or married. POOR: Oh, plus, I - we get to see each other in all different color clothing because POOR: In prison, Earlonne always had to wear blue. She co-created the podcast with Woods and has co-hosted and co-produced it with him. POOR: You get a lot of calls from guys at San E WOODS: I get a lot of 15-minute calls from prison. E WOODS: Yeah, so that's cool. GROSS: Are you going to go back and visit him? I don't know if it's a lake. And it was very hard for that to not change the way I felt about him. Even after Woods is out on parole in Oakland, California, Ear Hustle said that it will continue, with Poor telling more tales from those inside San Quentin and Woods talking about the journey to re-enter society after years behind bars. I had to really work through it and think about it. Once you commit your crime, people think thats what it is, but individuals change. There's all these restrictions. I was questioning everything. They surrounded Tyler around a - at a apartment building, where he was trying to climb up to the roof. You're not really looking at the person. Earlonnes average salary is $61,244 per year. In 1997, Earlonne was sentenced to thirty-one years to life in prison. Earlonne Woods, 47, was recently released from San Quentin State Prison after California Gov. Earlonne was not only one of the co-hosts, he was one of the men incarcerated until his release in late November after California Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence. "[9] She also praised its originality, "[using] prisoners' storytelling skills to show what it's like to spend decades behind bars. It focuses on both the personal and the political, shedding light on issues of mass incarceration and the criminal justice system by telling intimate, humanizing stories, like the tale of one inmates obsession with keeping small critters as pets in his cell or anothers struggle to be intimate with his wife while behind bars. So to hear Governor Brown say that, it was like this is how we actually think. GROSS: And, Earlonne, I look forward to your interviews with people who, like you, are transitioning back into society from prison. I was a clerk. POOR: You know, a kind of joy I never really experienced before - I mean, it's - you know, to be so happy for him and being in prison and not wanting to cry (laughter) - you know, trying to hold it together. POOR: It's the bay - yeah, the bay, yeah. It was like 2 in the morning. When Earlonne was in, I was probably in there 40-plus hours a week, and I'm not a masochist. Earlonne was born in 1972, in the United States. Earlonne Woods: Number one. While incarcerated at California State Prison, Centinela, Woods saw a documentary about the film school at San Quentin State Prison, and applied to transfer to that prison. Since the podcasts launch in 2017, its been downloaded millions of times, featured in media outlets from NPR to The New York Times, and made several best of podcast rankings. Earlonne became preoccupied with reporting on re-entry stories and daily life for people who had previously been incarcerated, as well as documenting his own experiences. "When. His commutation includes reference to Earlonne's work on the podcast. He gave up his brother name. [3][4] In 1997, at the age of 25, he was arrested for attempted second degree robbery. Therefore, Earlonne earns a decent salary as a full-time producer, co-host, and co-creator of Ear Hustle at PRX alongside Nigel Poor. [1][2] Since his release, Woods has continued to co-host the podcast with Poor from outside prison, with Poor recording some parts in San Quentin with new co-host Rahsaan "New York" Thomas. And I keep thinking, like, a week from now, Earlonne and I could be having dinner outside the prison together (laughter). California Gov. "Ear Hustle" the phrase is slang for eavesdropping is a collaboration between Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams, both prisoners at San Quentin, and Nigel Poor, a Bay Area visual artist who teaches photography classes at the prison. He is 49 years old. What was your reaction when you found out? So you'll never get the opportunity to be in front of people to present the person that you are today. The San Francisco Public Library chose the title for its One City One Book citywide community reading program in 2022. GROSS: Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor are the co-creators, co-producers and co-hosts of the podcast Ear Hustle, which features interviews with men incarcerated in San Quentin. No, and I laugh because had Governor Brown probably not been the governor, I would still have 10 years of my sentence left. So even though I'm hearing stuff and then I'm talking to him, he playing - he downplaying it. You know, prison, I'm going to live to the best of my ability. And that surprised me greatly. They're waiting to get inside a club, and somebody from way across the street just shoot into the crowd, hit him in the heart, right? E WOODS: I think the mentality is more of crime to you is a job. Jerry Brown (D) has commuted the prison sentence of Earlonne Woods, whose hit podcast Ear Hustle explores life inside San Quentin State Prison. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. So here's Nigel Poor, co-host and co-producer of the podcast Ear Hustle. GROSS: And Nigel, just as a person who's constantly interacting with inmates at San Quentin, do you want to know what they're incarcerated for, what crime they were convicted of? And Trevor, your brother, speaks first. And I got into this group. So sometimes it's important, and I can give you an example. explores life inside San Quentin State Prison. In 1997, Earlonne was sentenced to thirty-one years to life in prison. Earlonne Woods annual salary is $61,244 on average. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. Earlonne was both co-host and inmate. If you're just joining us, my guests are Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, the co-hosts and co-producers of the podcast Ear Hustle, which features interviews with men incarcerated in San Quentin Prison about their daily lives and their personal stories. When he was 15, he committed his first robbery alongside his brother, who had transitioned from selling drugs to robbing drug dealers. Ear Hustle was the first podcast to be created entirely inside a prison. A post shared by @earhustlesq on Mar 13, 2018 at 8:35pm PDT. [16] In 2021, Woods and Poor co-authored the book This Is Ear Hustle. Nigel is a professor at California State University. GROSS: Nigel, let me bring you into the conversation. Why we living like we don't care - because this is somehow how we grew up and how - since as early teenager we've been living in the streets, in the gangs. They're the co-hosts and co-producers of the podcast Ear Hustle, which features interviews with men incarcerated in San Quentin about their daily lives and their personal stories. He is a staff writer and podcast producer at KQED, as well as a graduate of UC Berkeley's School of Journalism. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. So there's a rule that pertains to the volunteers who come in, and they're not allowed to have, like, close relationships with the prisoners, anything that gets really intimate or emotional. And they shot at Tyler, like, 40-something times. And it's just about - you know, they accept anybody, you know? One is that you're going to get killed, and the other is that you'll eventually go to jail. Brown cited Woods'. Can people change? He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California Three . Do you usually know what somebody is in for and do you ask, or is that considered wrong to ask? Did you give him a hug? Williams, 29, has served more than 10 years on a 15-year sentence for armed robbery. In 2020, alongside his Ear Hustle co-hosts, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting. Earlonnes net worth is estimated to be $657,586. Earlonne was an inmate as well as a host. He became affiliated with a local Crips gang in high school, and began selling marijuana at 14, and later sold cocaine. We called up Nigel Poor today to ask her about it, and she said that when they got the news yesterday, they were in the middle of making an episode. Woods said that the show chose the topic of cellmates for its first episode to ensure the show was relatable, since most people can relate to having a bad roommate. And I always wore black. You know what I mean? POOR: I'm so glad you asked about this. You know, they playing with guns or whatever have you. Woods was involved in an attempted robbery in 1997, when he was in his 20s. And you have another 11 to go. T WOODS: You know, he was ripping and running with the gangs. POOR: But I get to see his brother and catch him up on what you're doing. Is that OK? There's a story you did about how people like you from the outside who come in to volunteer - because you started at San Quentin volunteering teaching photography before you started doing the podcast Ear Hustle. I got out, stayed out two years, 10 months and found myself back in jail for attempted second-degree robbery. And it would give the people inside the opportunity to stretch themselves intellectually and emotionally, so just creating more of a connection. In 2016, it was selected by the Radiotopia network as the winner of its Podquest competition, and the following year released its first season. And the thing that I noticed in particular about him was that whenever there was an issue going on - and, of course, inside prison, there's all kinds of issues - and if we would have to sit down to solve a problem, Earlonne was the one who would speak up, cut through all of the baloney and get to the point. I'm Terry Gross. So for me internally, I started my change. And I'm not even talking about physically intimate, but just emotionally intimate is against regulations. It didn't work out, unfortunately. How do you survive? EARLONNE WOODS: Well, I just keep getting up every morning, you know, thankful that I have another day, thankful that I'm alive, you know? All rights reserved. It addresses important issues about being human and how prisoners can be contributing citizens. Los Angeles, CA. But he was released in November after his sentence was commuted by California Governor Jerry Brown. Let's get back to my interview with Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, the creators and hosts of the podcast Ear Hustle, featuring interviews with prisoners in San Quentin about their lives and what it's like to be incarcerated. And it was just like - it didn't even register with me. And I listen very carefully to how you talked about your relationship and how much you thought about it and how painful and joyous the whole experience was for you. POOR: So I'm just going to be very blunt with you. And as time went on, as years went on, I stuck to my guns. And when the men started filing into my class, I was like, oh, what have I done? I'd rather deal with anyone, actually, as they are in front of me at that moment. We're able to share food. POOR: That's his obsession. He and Nigel also co-wrote This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life, a book inspired by the podcast and published by Crown/Random House. POOR: I walked him to the gate; you know, wished him good luck. So you're interviewing a prisoner who - he and one of the volunteers fell in love, and so she stopped working there in any capacity, and they got married. So on December 7, 1994, I murdered my ex-girlfriend, the mother of my now-25-year-old daughter. E WOODS: Well, I mean, it's cool, you know? And just listening to her tell her story to us and knowing that I've been in these type of situations or knowing that I've been probably on the other side of the gun or whatever the case may be and just hearing her loss, hearing her heartfelt testimony about this was really - it was shakening (ph), you know? And he said Tyler got killed by the police. POOR: OK. Content Creator @CoinAcademy; Pres. I find it invigorating. Jerry Brown. In March 2016, the Public Radio Exchange's Radiotopia network put out a call for new podcast ideas via an initiative called Podquest, with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. And that was one of the things that I appreciated about Jerry Brown - especially everything he said in that clip that you played is the way people inside think. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. In some ways, like, I find it hard to understand that somebody, like, wouldn't have any empathy for the victim and wouldn't care. Despite the lack of physical or forensic evidence, Caramad Conley was convicted of conspiracy to commit first degree murder, two counts of first degree murder, and eleven counts of attempted Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). So it be at prison, I'm going to enjoy my day every day because at the end of the day, this is all I got, you know? I'm pretty shy. I told him that constantly. He was hired to continue co-hosting and producing the podcast after his release. And the officer came back, was like, you're too tall for that name. We'll be right back. The podcast title, Ear Hustle, is prison slang for eavesdropping or being nosy. And I just said, when you come back, you're going to be almost a free man. co-hosted by Woods and Nigel Poor, an artist and volunteer at San Quentin interviews men in the prison about their lives there. Our associate producer for digital media is Molly Seavy-Nesper. It was transformational symposiums. Why didn't you invite me (laughter)? I think my mother told me she loved Jesus more than she loved me. China. He and Nigel are also the authors of This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life, a book that was inspired by the podcast and released by Crown/Random House. Look. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Lana Wolf, Eric Marcus, Robert Marawa, Who is Redmond ONeal? And I mean, we just knew that was the call. And my whole thinking, like, changed in that moment. But I always go over to the fantasy game guys, and I'll just sit there for a minute and try to see if I even come close to understanding what's going on on that table. This piece has been updated with news of Woods hiring onto the podcast team. And that's the only way of life that you're accustomed to 'cause that's all you see. And so I want to play an excerpt of that. How do we present this? And it really wasn't until I got into the healing circle that I understood what it was like to be a survivor of crime because in these circles, you're sitting across from crime victims. But you look back, and you're looking at it like, I've wasted, like - I can say right now, I'm 47 years old. So Earlonne, let me ask you about ways you think you've changed since you were a teenager and were first put in prison. Woods said he was only trying to be helpful, but was arrested by local sheriffs who did not question why he had lifted the gate; Woods subsequently had to appear in juvenile court. Like, in the county jail, I was like, OK, I'm done with this side of life because even though our philosophy growing up was for death though - you know, meaning I'd rather be carried by six than judged by 12 - that was just the philosophy we had growing up, you know? And my mindset, regardless of where I'm at, I'm going to live to the best of my ability. POOR: So one of the things is that I really believe that people change. He and Nigel are also the authors of This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life, a book that became inspired by the podcast and released by Crown/Random House. Mentally, it do, you know? Nigel, I want to play an excerpt of an episode that you were very prominent in. It focuses on both the personal and the political, shedding light on issues of mass incarceration and the criminal justice system by telling intimate, humanizing stories, like the tale of one inmates obsession with keeping small critters as pets in his cell or anothers struggle to be intimate with his wife while behind bars. He was sentenced to 31 years to life for attempted robbery in 1999. And then when I got out, I hadn't put any skill sets together, you know? Tyler had missed a court appearance, so he feared that he would be locked up. He is also involved in the Repeal California's Three Strike Coalition, which aims to end California . Like, I just walked away, you know? GROSS: Wait; so that means, like, you'd rather die than be E WOODS: Yes, yes. The victims of a crime are faceless. And you really get a better understanding of your impact that you've personally had on people in society. 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