Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle started inside San Quentin State Prison in 2017, co-created by incarcerated artist Earlonne Woods and volunteer photographer Nigel Poor. The show tells stories about daily life behind bars — not sensationalized crime narratives, but the actual texture of living in prison. How do you maintain a romantic relationship through a phone? What does it feel like when your cellmate gets released and you do not? How does a lifer think about time differently than someone with a release date? Woods was released in 2018 after California Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence, and the show evolved with him. It now covers both life inside and the messy, complicated process of reentry into the outside world. The storytelling is warm, funny, and honest in ways that challenge assumptions about incarcerated people without ever being preachy about it. Woods and Poor have genuine chemistry as co-hosts, and their different perspectives — one who lived it, one who observed it — create a dynamic that keeps the show grounded. With 210 episodes and a remarkable 4.9 star rating from over 20,000 Apple reviews, Ear Hustle is one of the most beloved podcasts in any genre. It is part of the Radiotopia network and won a Peabody Award. Episodes run about 30 to 40 minutes and release regularly. The show proves that some of the most compelling stories come from places most people never see.