"[9] She also praised its originality, "[using] prisoners' storytelling skills to show what it's like to spend decades behind bars. I was questioning everything. 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. When asked earlier this year what was the first thing he would do if he got out, Woods said, Take a bath. 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. ERIN: No, I don't feel you're being unfair at all, and I don't ultimately know what my hesitancy is. Nigel is a professor at California State University. So this is JERRY BROWN: It all goes to this point that something very bad happens, and people will say, OK, now we're putting you in jail for a very long time. 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. And they open fired on him. You have to go through a lot of E WOODS: Yeah, it's a lot of stuff you have to go through. [8][9] Poor is a visual artist in the San Francisco Bay area who volunteers at the prison. And, Nigel and Earlonne, I want to wish you good luck with the retooled version of Ear Hustle now that Earlonne is out. What's it like to not care about the person who you're robbing or the person who might be killed by a stray bullet? GROSS: So something I found really interesting is that the group that is multicultural and not segregated by race or ethnicity is the group that's into, like - the nerds, the group that are into, like, sci-fi fantasy and stuff like that. And then what worries me is, like, so people will leave with this very, like, I love this guy. And Nigel is also a professor of photography at California State University. What was your reaction when you found out? 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. Earlonne is a brother to Shala Woods. Woods never used the drug, though became addicted to the money and lifestyle selling it provided. And then the question is, well, what do we do about that? And I believe, personally, that that will ease overcrowding because there are a lot of people in prison that deserve to be out. And a chase pursued. I'm doing that. His commutation includes reference to Earlonne's work on the podcast. GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guests are Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, the co-creators of the podcast Ear Hustle. Earlonne Woods is co-creator, co-producer and co-host of Ear Hustle from Radiotopia. GROSS: Earlonne, what's the custom among men in San Quentin? Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Lana Wolf, Eric Marcus, Robert Marawa, Who is Redmond ONeal? POOR: There's something I have to talk to you about. He received a sentence of 31-years-to-life. And my mindset, regardless of where I'm at, I'm going to live to the best of my ability. SHAPIRO: Nigel Poor told us that when Earlonne Woods came back POOR: He was walking with a lot of air in his step. In November 2018, Woods' sentence was commuted by California governor Jerry Brown. Earlonne is busy reporting on re-entry stories and daily life for originally incarcerated people, while also documenting his own experiences. So I think I did what, pretty much, my community did that was around me. When Earlonne was incarcerated in San Quentin, he and Nigel Poor started the podcast Ear Hustle. And Earlonne just had his sentence commuted by Governor Jerry Brown in November after serving 21 years. And it was one of the restore justice symposiums. Once the details concerning Earlonne's marital status are available we shall update. GROSS: That's the sound of the San Quentin prison door slamming as my guest Earlonne Woods was released in late November after being incarcerated there for seven years. And, you know, I pretty much raised - because my brother was locked up. POOR: OK. Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor started the podcast Ear Hustle when Woods was a prisoner in San Quentin. "When. Everybody we know live the same lifestyle, you know? 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. Our associate producer for digital media is Molly Seavy-Nesper. He running with these hard heads. Oh, daddy, I'm not playing with no guns. 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. You know, prison, I'm going to live to the best of my ability. He works as a full-time producer, co-host, and co-creator with Ear Hustle at PRX alongside Nigel Poor. Even though you can't do nothing about your past, you just feel embarrassed about even going down that route, even victimizing anybody. She inherits his dog, a 180-pound Great Dane, who, like her, is grieving. Ear Hustle was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting, and won a Alfred I. duPontColumbia University Award in 2021. 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. It addresses important issues about being human and how prisoners can be contributing citizens. [3] After two rounds of judging, Ear Hustle was selected as the winner and added to the Radiotopia network. What keeps your hopes up? GROSS: This is FRESH AIR, and if you're just joining us, my guests are Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor. And I think it would help demystify a lot of the assumptions that people have about who's in prison and who should be there. It looked so good on you. We will update you once we have more information about Earlonnes marital status. [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. POOR: I can let Earlonne answer that one. Earlonne Woods was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. So to hear Governor Brown say that, it was like this is how we actually think. But it was just - it was spectacular. He was born and brought up in the United States to his caring and supportive parents. I mean POOR: No, we're not allowed. We'll be right back. And when it actually happened, it was a - it was an awakening in me, like, oh, I don't - why is we living this way, you know? So you can't wear blue, which is what they wear. It instead offers the even more illuminating dialogue of individual prisoners. What's it like to not think about that? "Ear Hustle" features stories from prison told by prisoners - their intimate, honest conversations about family visits, cellmates, solitary confinement - conversations like this one between Earlonne Woods and his co-host Nigel Poor, who's not an inmate. It's about a writer whose friend and former mentor kills himself. And he used to come see me, you know, a lot. POOR: Yeah, not skewed, not skewed. This lady - her name was Claire. So they don't even have the opportunity to even go in front of the board to say, hey, look, for the last 21 years, I've changed, you know, because their board dates ain't till 2150, you know? And that's pretty much what I did. Earlonnes sentence was recently commuted, but the two proceed to tell stories of life behind bars. GROSS: Are you going to go back and visit him? Like, what - why were we on this path, you know? E WOODS: Well, I think - so I'll say this. 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. You - you - you always feel that you're better than getting killed, like you would never get killed. As of now, he works as a full-time producer, co-host, and co-creator of Ear Hustle at PRX alongside Nigel Poor. It was a private wedding ceremony, according to accounts. Like, I just walked away, you know? GROSS: So can I ask you an honest question? China. E WOODS: Yeah, so that's cool. And they won't get that opportunity to present the person that they are today. So what - one of the things that I've really taken away from being in prison is that I've gotten an incredible glimpse into what it means to be a man and what men deal with. Poor, a professor of photography at CSU Sacramento, was volunteering with the Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison when she met Woods, who was serving a 31-year-to-life sentence. But on the second term after - once you receive a life sentence, there's no guarantee that you'll ever be released from prison. I enjoy every second of every day. Jerry Brown commuted his sentence for attempted armed robbery. So right now there would be a problem with me going back to see him because I'm currently on parole. In 2016, it was selected by the Radiotopia network as the winner of its Podquest competition, and the following year released its first season. You're able to go POOR: We're able to go out. "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 became affiliated with a local Crips gang in high school, and began selling marijuana at 14, and later sold cocaine. And he was always ready to help. The show was still challenging to create, in part because none of the three producers had a background in audio production, but also because of prison administration red tape. 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? It's like - I think they're not under the constraints or the pressures to not accept people. And that's the only way of life that you're accustomed to 'cause that's all you see. E WOODS: It is - they see something that I can't see. You know, they get to see each other in passing. We can go to the gym and work out together. GROSS: So Tyler's father, your brother, is still in San Quentin during the final year that you were in San Quentin. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. 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. And he said Tyler got killed by the police. "[9] The show's unique lens and intimate first-person storytelling is noted in most reviews. Elevated Entertainment LLC; Host: Hard in the Paint w/Aaron Showtime Taylor. Williams was serving a 15-year sentence for armed robbery with a gun enhancement. And they shot at Tyler, like, 40-something times. I was going to Nigel's house the other day, and I was an hour early. He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California . You're sitting across from politicians. "[6], Multiple reviewers noted how funny the show can be, despite often dealing with serious topics, and how uncommon it is to find humor in media taking place in real life prison settings. I was a clerk. You know, he was - you know, I even - I'm talking to him all the time. (SOUNDBITE OF ETIENNE CHARLES' "MIDNIGHT"). Earlonne Woods, 47, was recently released from San Quentin State Prison after California Gov. And I'm always interested in people who kind of fade into the background a little bit because I suspect they could be the most interesting people in the room. T WOODS: One the 19 - November 19, 2013 - federal prison - we have phones, and we have emails. Shes holding on. It was a restorative justice group. 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. GROSS: 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. [3], Woods completed his General Educational Development in prison, as well as vocational courses such as auto mechanics. 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? So sometimes it's important, and I can give you an example. This is what we work for because there comes a moment in every person in prison's life where the light switch go on. GROSS: We talk about the podcast and before we talk about your work together, Earlonne, I want to talk with you about life outside. Earlonne still co-hosts the show alongside Nigel. Kourtney Kellar is an American model, social media celebrity, influencer, media face, and Internet personality. , after serving 21 years of a 31-years-to-life sentence. Your nephew, his son, Tyler, was born in 1994. In 2020, alongside his Ear Hustle co-hosts, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting. But to hear the very next day that he was killed - and my mother is who told me. POOR: Well, let me ask you this - do you feel like we're being unfair trying to make you do this? I had to really work through it and think about it. His sentence was commuted yesterday. No, and I laugh because had Governor Brown probably not been the governor, I would still have 10 years of my sentence left. Jerry Brown is releasing Woods from San Quentin State Prison after two decades behind bars. Earlonne is 5 feet 7 inches tall ( Approx1.7 m). He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California Three Strikes Law, the statute under . I've spent a total of 27 years in prison. Why am I doing this? But he was released in November after his sentence was commuted by California Governor Jerry Brown. 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? Earlonne continues to co-host the show with Nigel. And the officer came back, was like, you're too tall for that name. Woods was involved in an attempted robbery in 1997, when he was in his 20s. GROSS: And you chose Earlonne. Earlonne Woods is an American podcaster and author, best known for co-hosting and co-founding the podcast Ear Hustle in 2017, and co-authoring the book This Is Ear Hustle in 2021. POOR: While you're thinking, can I tell you some of the things that are just going through my mind about it? Presently, Earlonne has not mentioned any details concerning his parents. I hope you'll join us. After 21 years in prison, Governor Brown the great governor of California decided that I served enough time, Woods said in the latest. Williams, 29, has served more than 10 years on a 15-year sentence for armed robbery. But yeah, I can't. Earlonne is busy reporting on re-entry stories and daily life for people who were previously incarcerated, as well as documenting his own experiences. Like, my mother used to bring him. And you start thinking differently, you know? co-hosted by Woods and Nigel Poor, an artist and volunteer at San Quentin interviews men in the prison about their lives there. 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 Woods annual salary is $61,244 on average. Earlonne holds an American nationality and white ethnicity. Poor is a professor of photography at California State University in Sacramento. We don't really do stories about people's crimes at all. Kristi Tjaden. Earlonne, I want to ask you about the final podcast you recorded in San Quentin, which was largely about your older brother, Trevor, and your nephew, Tyler. I have all the different people that I talk to as I work my way down to the media lab. Ear Hustle co-hosted by Woods and Nigel Poor, an artist and volunteer at San Quentin interviews men in the prison about their lives there. When asked earlier this year what was the first thing he would do if he got out, Woods said, Take a bath. And one of my goals has been for us to travel to other prisons, and I never wanted to do that without Earlonne. I don't think I have the vision to see it. Earlonne stands at a height of 5 ft 7 in ( Approx1.7 m). I used to sit there and ask God, "Like, why am I living if I have to die?" And I think at that age I was questioning God. He is a man of average height. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. So I'm not thinking that it's serious as much as I'm hearing. Can people change? Like, what was all this for? Behind 'Ear Hustle,' The Podcast Made In Prison. This piece has been updated with news of Woods hiring onto the podcast team. And it's the way people would hope other people think that, hey, OK, I've done my time. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. I don't know if it's a lake. And I think that's a shared philosophy with everybody that's in prison - is that you have to just deal with what's going on today, you know, and just not let the pressures of prison just get to your core and crush you. There's all these restrictions. Nigel Poor is a professor of photography at California State University in Sacramento. And so when people listen to this story, that's what I want them to take away, that here's this person who is in a difficult situation. And I thought, well, those are kind of qualities that you need to be able to bring people out. So I've technically only been free 20 years in my life, and, since I was 17, I've been free maybe three years all together. [13], The term "ear hustle" is prison slang for eavesdropping. And they - and I received 31 years to life. The podcast title, Ear Hustle, is prison slang for eavesdropping or being nosy. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. They surrounded Tyler around a - at a apartment building, where he was trying to climb up to the roof. Tyra got arrested first for kidnap and robbery, and she was sentenced to 17 years. POOR: I walked him to the gate; you know, wished him good luck. E WOODS: I think - I was just tripping off - he was just peeling back one of the Beatles POOR: Oh, yeah. 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. Nigel is a professor of photography at Cal State. Aaron Taylor. I'm Terry Gross. In 1997, Earlonne was sentenced to thirty-one years to life in prison. They fell in love just like anyone else would. And Jerry Brown was then the governor of California. As co-host of the 2019 Third Coast Awards Ceremony, Earlonne will make his return to the "Oscars of Radio." Last year, he beamed in via video ( watch here ) after winning a 2018 Best Documentary: Honorable Mention Award as part of the Ear Hustle team. POOR: So we were in the media lab working and - you know, trying to work, trying to stay concentrated. 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. So we do stories about life inside prison. Earlonne Woods was released from San Quentin in November after his sentence was commuted by Governor Jerry Brown. Instead of me representing it, Earlonne and I can represent it together. He was hired to continue co-hosting and producing the podcast after his release. So what - what were the first communications like in which you tried to see, but is he a good interviewer? GROSS: My guests are Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, the creators and hosts of the podcast Ear Hustle about life inside San Quentin Prison. He has the age of 49. E WOODS: And she even got mad at me the other day E WOODS: 'Cause I left dinner with everyone, and I went to the movies by myself to go see "Vice" (laughter). I get to see how they express love and tenderness and fear and frustration and how they posture and what's behind that. So now we're - I mean, we're friends, and we're colleagues. Earlonne Woods: Number one. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. And I keep thinking, like, a week from now, Earlonne and I could be having dinner outside the prison together (laughter). And I just said, when you come back, you're going to be almost a free man. The two bonded over a love of storytelling and with no formal experience, began a podcast together where they showcase the . I mean, there's two likely outcomes if you're robbing drug dealers. He and Nigel Poor began the podcast Ear Hustle when Earlonne was a prisoner in San Quentin. And, like a lot of inmates, he's been thinking about this moment for a long time. SHAPIRO: Earlonne Woods is 47. And so I want to play the part where you return to ask him that difficult question. Earlonne Woods was born in the United States in 1972. He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California . What we did was humanize [prisoners], just by telling their stories, Woods said in February. This is FRESH AIR. So now we just have the opportunity to travel together, to do something like this together. Earlier this year, we introduced you to a man named Earlonne Woods who got some big news yesterday. GROSS: So this gets back to something you were just saying. GROSS: Tomorrow on FRESH AIR, my guest will be writer Sigrid Nunez. POOR: It's the bay - yeah, the bay, yeah. Jerry Brown commuted his 31-years-to-life . [16] In 2021, Woods and Poor co-authored the book This Is Ear Hustle. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. Earlonne was both co-host and inmate. ARI. He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California . The prison also went on lockdown during production, halting work and requiring additional administrative steps to both create and release the audio. [7] They recruited fellow inmates Antwan Williams as the show's sound designer,[8] and submitted their idea for a podcast to a contest hosted by Radiotopia. 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. Do you usually know what somebody is in for and do you ask, or is that considered wrong to ask? While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College and completed many vocational trade programs. [12][13][14] Since his commutation, Woods has become involved in campaigns to repeal California's three strikes laws. GROSS: That people can change and that you should look at the person and not just the crime - that you'd still be in prison, I mean? Earlonne Woods prefers to keep his personal life private, so he has not disclosed any information about his marital status. He is a man of average stature. And I'm playing this because it's about knowing where the line is when you're interviewing prisoners and sometimes to have to ask something that's going to make them uncomfortable. TYRA WOODSON: And he began acting out. And so to hear this is what happened to him - ah. [8][9][16] Vulture's Nicholas Quah noted a particular story a prisoner told about a frog in episode three: "a moment of levity in a setting often described in the worst of terms, a productive kind of conversation between the specificities of a person and the overpowering context of his incarceration. And it just puts you in a whole different space, you know? And, Earlonne, since you served so much time, let's start with you. [7] Co-creators Woods and Antwan Williams were inmates at San Quentin State Prison for the first three seasons of the show. 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. And at one point, he revealed to me that he had raped quite a few women. E WOODS: It was devastating because I had - one, I had just talked to Tyler, like, probably the day before. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. I'm always interested in people who - I'm quiet myself. 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. POOR: Earlonne described himself, and I described myself. We know because they did a whole episode on getting parole. When Earlonne was in, I was probably in there 40-plus hours a week, and I'm not a masochist. All rights reserved. He does not, however, expose his wife's identity to the public. Yes, he was quiet, but he was always present. The podcast team announced Tuesday that it will hire Woods as an employee on the show. And so I want to play an excerpt of that. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. Like, all of a sudden, you know POOR: We'll be like regular colleagues. In 1997, he was sentenced to 31-years-to-life in prison. Earlonne Woods is an American podcaster and author, best known for co-hosting and co-founding the podcast Ear Hustle in 2017, and co-authoring the book This Is Ear Hustle in 2021. And that surprised me greatly. NIGEL POOR: You know, E, you've been in prison 20 years. And so we just started talking, and I realized that he was interested in thinking about how we could do interviews from more of an artistic perspective and not as journalists. POOR: Well, he wasn't necessarily a good talker because he was very quiet. GROSS: A job because you thought it was, like, your only source of income? E WOODS: Right. His sentence was commuted by Governor Jerry Brown in November. You end thinking, like, here's this guy who's very self-actualized. So for me internally, I started my change. I find it invigorating. [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. He is now 47. Woods helped create Ear Hustle while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. The rest of it is just an enhancement. It destroys hope, and it violates the principle that redemption is at the essence of what it is to be human. After 21 years in prison, Governor Brown the great governor of California decided that I served enough time, Woods said in the latest episode of Ear Hustle. The San Francisco Public Library chose the title for its One City One Book citywide community reading program in 2022. He is a staff writer and podcast producer at KQED, as well as a graduate of UC Berkeley's School of Journalism. She started going to San Quentin to volunteer teaching photography. And I was - yeah, I was definitely nervous. Earlonne was an inmate as well as a host. Tyra got arrested first for kidnap and robbery. I've changed my life. Nigel first started going to San Quentin as a volunteer teaching photography. It was like 2 in the morning. WOODS: That's something that a lot of us behind bars fantasize about - getting out and leading a normal life. A person can get certain - a certain amount of time for the crime that they commit. Co-founded by San Francisco Bay Area artist Nigel Poor alongside Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams who were incarcerated at the time the podcast now tells stories from both inside prison and from the outside, post-incarceration. But if we could just talk about it and come to some understanding about what's our responsibility, what's your responsibility? With grace and humor they walk through what life is really like behind bars, showing the humanity and depth of those they meet inside." --Catherine Burns, artistic director, The Moth "I listen to Ear . 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. Earlonne, until the end of November, was a prisoner. POOR: We can taste each other's food 'cause, you know, in prison you can't share food with people. So you become accustomed to that lifestyle. For the first few months after Earlonne Woods was released from San Quentin in November, his "Ear Hustle" podcast co-host Nigel Poor kept receiving photos of ice cream on her phone. I'm not doing this. Earlonne Woods co-hosted the podcast Ear Hustle while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. Like, you may have guys that are Hispanics or whites who, when they get to a certain prison, their race is like, let me see your paperwork. He is also involved in the Repeal California's Three Strike Coalition, which aims to end California . And so I found out what you're in prison for. E WOODS: I like my colors bright these days. Trevor has done 14 years of a 36-year sentence. 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. POOR: I know. [5] The show features interviews with inmates who share their stories and opinions on topics like cellmates, solitary confinement, race, morality, pets, religion, gangs, and family. And it would give the people inside the opportunity to stretch themselves intellectually and emotionally, so just creating more of a connection. I'm not doing that. ALEX BLUMBERG: And so a friend of Earlonne's, a volunteer at the prison, had an idea: with this spotlight on his work, and having served now two decades of his 31-to-life sentence, Earlonne should put in for a commutation -- make an official appeal to the governor, to set him free. WOODSON: They told me that my son was murdered - well, killed. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). Ive been taking showers for like 20 years.. (SOUNDBITE OF NOEL BONNEVIE'S "DAHIL SA'YO"). 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. Earlonne still co-hosts the show alongside Nigel. And you may be incarcerated 15, 20 years. But of course when someone's in prison and the other person's not, there's so many things you can't do. All rights reserved. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. 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. One is that you're going to get killed, and the other is that you'll eventually go to jail. You know, he calls me. Woods was serving a 31-years-to-life sentence for attempted 2nd degree robbery due to a three-strikes law before having his sentence commuted in 2018. It was other people telling, you know, their stories about being robbed or losing a child, losing a loved one. And I'm like - I'm telling my son, son, look. 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. Not at all. Who is Kourtney Kellar? In November 2018, Woods' sentence was commuted by California governor Jerry Brown. It was transformational symposiums. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). So I think I understand more the complexity and the pressures and inside I get to see men relating in very heartfelt ways. After California Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence last month, Woods reflects on. And I got into this group. POOR: That's his obsession. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Poor, a professor of photography at CSU Sacramento, was volunteering with the Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison when she met Woods, who was serving a 31-year-to-life sentence. 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. And Trevor, your brother, speaks first. He said Woods has clearly shown that he is no longer the man he was when he committed the crime. But I just - just took a course that was - seemed cool to me at the time. Hae-soo married his non-celebrity bride on January 14, 2019, according to sources. After you got out of San Quentin, you and Nigel went to the governor's mansion. My guests are Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, the co-creators of Ear Hustle, a podcast featuring their interviews with men incarcerated in San Quentin. And my whole thinking, like, changed in that moment. GROSS: Nigel, when you first started volunteering in San Quentin, what were some of the things you had to deal with as a woman teaching in a prison of men? No, people get up to a thousand years to life for something that they've done in their past. Accuracy and availability may vary. An intimate view into the life and challenges of an asperger's spouse.It seems some marriages are so wonderfully stellar you have to look away or be blinded. In an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, Lexi Mainland wrote "The runaway hit Ear Hustle never takes a broad look at criminal justice policy or employs Voice of God narration. And the phone rang in the media lab. . POOR: It is a different world over there. And at the end of November, Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence. Kourtney Kellar models for a variety of periodicals, companies, Toni Storm is a famous New Zealand-Australian wrestler, social media influencer, Instagram personality, OnlyFans star, and entrepreneur from Auckland, New Zealand. Like, me personally, what I took away from a lot of things is that, yeah, I may have robbed a person for, let's say, $1. Los Angeles, CA. They ask how you are. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). I love it. Woods is a full-time producer, co-host, and co-creator of PRXs Ear Hustle with Nigel Poor. Earlonne, tell us a little more about what happened to Tyler, how he was killed. Earlonne was both host and inmate, but he was released in November after his sentence was commuted by California Governor Jerry Brown. California Gov. And when I was sitting in a county jail, you know, mentally, I pretty much divorced myself from that whole way of life in that moment, you know? So I'm trying to like - I'm trying to partner with you here. They said that, hey, when you went to jail when you were 17 - yeah, it was one time, but there was two convictions in that case. We'll be right back. 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. Toni Storm is well-known in the wres. His net worth is estimated to be $657,586. Other officers got involved. Earlonne resides in the United States. My guests are Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, the co-hosts and co-producers of Ear Hustle, a podcast featuring their interviews with men incarcerated in San Quentin. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. In fact, when I walk through the yard, one of the things I really like is that people make eye contact. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor started the podcast Ear Hustle when Woods was a prisoner in San Quentin. 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. E WOODS: Right. SHAPIRO: When you said goodbye to him, were you crying? [9][7] Ear Hustle was the first podcast entirely recorded and produced inside a prison. Earlonne Woods, co-host of the popular prison podcast Ear Hustle, had his sentence commuted by California Gov. 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? This is FRESH AIR. But I took way more from that person than $1. Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, welcome to FRESH AIR. You know, at that particular moment, in that mindset - like today, am I OK with that? Woods was raised in South Los Angeles with his parents and his older brother Trevor. And we just had such great conversations. He is 5 feet 7 inches tall ( Approx1.7 m). I'll say I've - on the second term - so the first term is where I did all the solitary stuff. When he was 15, he committed his first robbery alongside his brother, who had transitioned from selling drugs to robbing drug dealers. In terms of his romantic life, Park is happily married to his wife in South Korea. But the - the problem is is that a lot of the sentences are a hundred years, 200 years, 300 years. "[8] In particular, she praised Williams' "evocative, pitch-perfect sound design". Can I ask how your relationship is changing now that you're both outside? Earlonne Woods is a popular American podcaster. So I still had a 17-year-old mentality. Nigel first went to San Quentin as a volunteer teaching photography. E WOODS: So I'll give you example. Woods learned of his commutation the day before Thanksgiving. "[9] The series is not overtly political, but Poor emphasizes the way the show can have a humanizing effect, making listeners care about the men they hear on the show and wonder why one of the hosts might serve a life sentence for attempted robbery. He is a podcast host correspondent. OK. You're not really looking at the person. And I want to play what he said to you. Vice President . How do you survive? It mentally puts you in a whole different space. So I want to ask you each to choose one thing that you would like to change in the system of - in the prison system or in mass incarceration. Also Read: Earlonne Woods, . E WOODS: I, personally, would like to eradicate California's three strikes law because I think that there's a lot of people that's sentenced under this law, which everybody thinks is 25 to life. Brown cited Woods' leadership in . So prison was more like, oh, hey, this is a place to go and continue your gang activity, continue your destructive behavior. Don't be out there doing no robberies, none of that stuff. When I called my mother, she told me this, right? And so (laughter) it was just incredible. Poor's teaching work led her to a vast archive filled with photographs taken from life inside the prison that she began using in . T WOODS: You know, he was ripping and running with the gangs. Earlonne Woods, co-host of the popular prison podcast Ear Hustle, had his sentence commuted by California Gov. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Look. And on their way back to the auntie's house, they were pulled over by Long Beach Police Department - two officers. [3] According to The Economist, by this time Woods was one of the most famous incarcerated people in the US. [4] Its first season began on June 14, 2017. It was the first podcast to be entirely created and produced inside a prison. I pretty much raised Tyler from '95 to '97, when I got arrested. Once the details concerning Earlonnes marital status are available we shall update. He commuted my sentence to be released forthwith, immediately, right now, its time to go, time to walk out that gate, he added, laughing. His mother was a postal worker and his father was an unemployed alcoholic, who Woods described as violent and distant. I took their security from them to even walk out the house and feel safe, you know? You know, when I was out for the two years 10 months, I raised Tyler, you know? And so to me, that meant he was a very good observer. And then when I got out, I hadn't put any skill sets together, you know? When Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods met, Poor was a photography professor volunteering with the Prison University Project, and Woods was serving thirty-one years to life at California's San Quentin State Prison. But we knew that, you know, it's traditional for the governor to do these commutations right before Thanksgiving. I've never had a problem. Jerry Brown commuted his 31-years-to-life sentence for attempted armed robbery. They had left the auntie's house. 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. E WOODS: Well, I mean, it's cool, you know? Redmond O'Neal is a voice actor, Hollywood celebrity, and Star Kid from the United States. So on December 7, 1994, I murdered my ex-girlfriend, the mother of my now-25-year-old daughter. In 1997, Earlonne was sentenced to thirty-one years to life in prison. GROSS: Who - give us an example of somebody who you spoke to who had been a victim of a crime similar to the one that you committed that made you feel this, you know, sense of feeling bad for what you'd done. When Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods met, Nigel was a photography professor volunteering with the Prison University Project and Earlonne was serving thirty-one years to life at California's San Quentin State Prison. Or is he a good talker? He likes to keep his personal life private hence Earlonne has not mentioned any details concerning his marital status. T WOODS: I received an email from one of my partners. Then there are those marriages that become the subjects of books . GROSS: Yeah. It was so kick-back and cool, meaning I take advantage of all these moments now. California Gov. Brown cited Woods'. Therefore, it is not known if Earlonne is single, dating, or married. SHAPIRO: Earlonne Woods had to leave the media lab to take the call. And to hear how it happened to him and to hear that he was shot 19 times, you know - and I just try to visualize, like, what he was going through at the time he was being shot at by those officers. So I was nervous at first to go in because, I mean, my head was full of all the images that, you know, of - from bad TV, bad movies, bad media about what prison was going to be like. It was - and it's not just her. 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. I just stopped over there, went and sat on a rock and just watched the water for about an hour. Not one bit, you know? Wake up to the day's most important news. POOR: You get a lot of calls from guys at San E WOODS: I get a lot of 15-minute calls from prison. Yeah - the butcher cutters. I'd still be sitting in San Quentin in a cell with my brother. Her latest novel "The Friend" won the National Book Award for fiction and is about to be published in paperback. So I think as far as African-American culture in prison, I don't think nobody really cares why you're in prison. In 1997, Woods was sentenced to thirty-one years to life in prison. Woods helped create Ear Hustle while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. E WOODS: I don't - I think when you're living in the moment, you feel untouchable. I go over to Nigel's house, hang out with her husband Rick. POOR: What are some of the things you think about when you fantasize about your life when you're out? And they say Tyler just took off running. Others are typical and comfortable, never rising to celebrity status but supplying its partners with a contented existence. GROSS: Yeah. I think my mother told me she loved Jesus more than she loved me. So it's been a real eye-opener for me. She first started working at San Quentin in 2011 as a volunteer in the Prison University Project, teaching the history of photography. Earlonne, congratulations on life outside of prison. And it was just like - it didn't even register with me. The two established a rapport,[6] and Poor proposed the idea of creating a podcast to Woods, who had previously not known what a podcast was. ERIN: I don't - I don't know. [3][4] In 1997, at the age of 25, he was arrested for attempted second degree robbery. You guys are killing me (laughter). Woods was involved in an attempted robbery in 1997, when he was in his 20s. He had just became a paramedic or something. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. His net worth is estimated to be $657,586. And I - I observed Earlonne a lot. He spin his vinyl. Through his podcast, [Woods] has shared meaningful stories from those inside prison.. Author, Project Leader of CHOOSE1 Opinions are my own linktr.ee/Earlonnewoods Posts Reels Videos Tagged Show More Posts from earlonnewoods [3], Woods met artist and volunteer Nigel Poor, who was teaching photography at the film school. Mentally, it do, you know? So I think that's very damaging. So we're going to strike you out this time. Jerry Brown (D) has commuted the prison sentence of Earlonne Woods, whose hit podcast Ear Hustle explores life inside San Quentin State Prison. Tyler had missed a court appearance, so he feared that he would be locked up. Let me see why you're here. I wouldn't spend time in a place that made me uncomfortable or I didn't like. [7] Woods relocated to Oakland, California after his release, and was hired full-time as a producer and co-host of Ear Hustle. It's a job. SHAPIRO: Like in a restaurant, at your house, any POOR: Yes. It's - it's - I think being in a position to step away from it all and look back and say, man, I was on something else. (SOUNDBITE OF JOHN COLTRANE'S "OUT OF THIS WORLD"). GROSS: The new, as yet, unannounced host will be with you (laughter). He commuted my sentence to be released forthwith, immediately, right now, its time to go, time to walk out that gate, he added, laughing. So you'll never get the opportunity to be in front of people to present the person that you are today. In 2018, California governor Jerry Brown commuted Earlonne Woods' sentence, citing Ear Hustle as a significant contributor to his reformation as an American citizen. And he understood how to diffuse a situation. SHAPIRO: That's Earlonne Woods from the podcast "Ear Hustle." She'll continue to do interviews inside San Quentin. Thank you both so much for talking with us. Jerry Brown. You know what I'm saying? (SOUNDBITE OF STEFANO BOLLANI AND JESPER BODILSEN AND MORTEN LUND AND MARK TURNER AND BILL FRISELL'S "ALOBAR E KUDRA"). Trevor was wanted and was on the run. When he was nine, Woods lifted up a faulty railroad crossing gate to allow cars to pass. I was just done. [1][10] As of Season 4, Woods continues to make the podcast from outside prison, while Rahsaan "New York" Thomas was announced as a new co-host for recordings done inside San Quentin. I don't (laughter) take them for granted. And then I saw him in this awesome, orange T-shirt that had some brown in it. So I'm going to enjoy. And you really get a better understanding of your impact that you've personally had on people in society. They say hello. Earlonne Woods educational background is unavailable. Co-produced by inmates Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams . --. He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California . I think I was probably like eight years old when it came to me that one day I have to die. Ear Hustle was the first podcast to be created entirely inside a prison. Woods, 47, was recently released from San Quentin State Prison after California Gov. 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