367: What if you were imprisoned in the Federal Supermax?

This Is Actually Happening

Wondery

True Crime, Tiah, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.6 • 9.9K Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2025

⏱️ 70 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Witnessing widespread disenfranchisement ignites a young man's radicalization, ultimately landing him in the Federal Supermax prison, where he's confronted with unimaginable and dehumanizing conditions of cruelty.

Today’s episode featured Eric King. If you’d like to reach out to Eric, you can email him at [email protected].

You can find Eric on Instagram @supportericking. Follow his publisher PM Press @pmpress and Bread and Roses Law Center @breadandroseslaw

Eric has written a book titled “A Clean Hell”, now available for preorder on PM Press: https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1872

https://www.breadandroseslaw.org/

Producers: Whit Missildine, Andrew Waits, Aviva Lipkowitz

Content/Trigger Warnings: childhood abuse/neglect, vandalism, breaking and entering, property damage as a political tool, molotov cocktails/explosion/fire near/at a Federal building, violence/brutality in prison, sexual assault, racism, homophobia, transphobia, explicit language

Social Media:

Instagram: @actuallyhappening

Twitter: @TIAHPodcast

Website: thisisactuallyhappening.com

Website for Andrew Waits: andrdewwaits.com

Website for Aviva Lipkowitz: avivalipkowitz.com

Support the Show: Support The Show on Patreon: patreon.com/happening

Wondery Plus: All episodes of the show prior to episode #130 are now part of the Wondery Plus premium service. To access the full catalog of episodes, and get all episodes ad free, sign up for Wondery Plus at wondery.com/plus

Shop at the Store: The This Is Actually Happening online store is now officially open. Follow this link: thisisactuallyhappening.com/shop to access branded t-shirts, posters, stickers and more from the shop.

Transcripts: Full transcripts of each episode are now available on the website, thisisactuallyhappening.com

Intro Music: “Sleep Paralysis” - Scott Velasquez

Music Bed: Re-Entry

Services

If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma or mental illness, please refer to the following resources:

National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Text or Call 988

National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264

National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN): 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

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Listen to exclusive episodes of This is Actually Happening ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/this-is-actually-happening/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Wondry Plus subscribers can listen to exclusive episodes of This Is Actually Happening
0:05.0	by joining Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:09.6	This Is Actually Happening features real experiences that often include traumatic events.
0:13.9	Please consult the show notes for specific content warnings on each episode
0:17.0	and for more information about support services.
0:31.6	It could be that one day you finally get a phone call with your family and they don't recognize you. And that was my biggest fear. I wouldn't make it home Because it's your brain versus the isolation. It wants
0:41.1	you to forget your family, to forget your favorite songs, to forget how to laugh.
0:53.2	From Wondery, I'm Whitmyssledine.
0:56.7	You're listening to This Is Actually Happening.
1:03.2	Episode 367.
1:06.6	What if you were imprisoned in the federal supermax?
1:24.6	When a young woman named Desire vanishes without a trace, the trail leads to Kat Torres, a charismatic influencer with millions of followers.
1:29.3	But behind the glamorous posts and inspirational quotes, a sinister through unravels. Binge all episodes of Don't Crosscat early and
1:36.8	ad-free on Wondery Plus. Hi, I'm Misha Brown and I'm the host of Wondery's podcast, The Big Flop.
1:43.3	Each episode, comedians join me to chronicle one of the biggest pop culture fails of all time
1:48.7	and try to answer the age-old question,
1:51.4	Who thought this was a good idea?
1:53.7	Follow the Big Flop wherever you get your podcasts. My mom was just a poor girl in Kansas City.
2:14.4	She got married in high school to some guy.
2:17.3	I don't even know his name. I think it was
2:18.5	Richard. And they ended up divorcing very quickly. I think back then and in that culture,
2:25.0	if you like someone, you got married to him. That was it. And so after that guy, she ended up
	...

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