Comfortable Inside

Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle & Radiotopia

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.9 • 21.6K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2024

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It can be hard to admit, but some people are more comfortable inside prison than out. We meet people who keep coming back and people who’ve stopped trying to go home, and ask: Is being “OK” inside prison a failure? Or just healthy adaptation?

Thank you to Reese and Jody at the Central California Women’s Facility, and Vincent, Steve, Cowboy, Kelton, Arendt, Patrick, Robert, and everyone else we spoke to out on the yard at San Quentin for this story.

This episode was scored with music by Derrell Sadiq Davis, Antwan “Banks” Williams, and Earlonne Woods.

Big thanks to Acting Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Newborg at the California Institution for Women, and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.

Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

Transcript

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0:00.0	My name is Alice Woods and I'm Erlon's mother. This episode of Ear Hustle contains language and content that may not be suitable for all listeners.
0:26.0	Discretion is advised. There are a lot of people out here today. My name is Vincent O'Bannon.
0:46.5	What's going on out here today? Today they're having the staff and incarcerated
0:52.0	residents baseball game
0:53.4	softball game rather softball game yes there are so many people out here today yes
0:58.3	there are the wardings out wardens out here we have lieutenants, sergeants, the PIO, medical staff, office staff, and of course the residents.
1:10.0	Oh, look at CEO dancing.
1:12.0	Oh my God. I can't believe they're doing that in the yard.
1:15.0	New generation.
1:18.0	I guess. I'm a little shocked.
1:24.0	Whoa. Whoa. Okay, this was a very new kind of vibe on the yard that day.
1:29.0	Yeah, that's the California model in action.
1:32.0	We should probably explain what you mean by that.
1:34.0	All right.
1:35.0	The California model is this new plan or this new idea put forward by California Governor
1:41.8	Gavin Newsom, and the idea is to make prisons a little more
1:46.0	like the outside world. So when individuals get ready to parole, you know, they can have a successful transition.
1:54.5	Right, I think they're trying to make life inside prison, maybe mirror just a little
1:59.1	bit of life outside. Sort of start thinking about making prison. Erlan, I can't believe I'm saying this,
2:05.9	comfortable or normal, which are two words you just don't really put together with the idea of prison.
2:16.1	So now you got stuff like incarcerated guys and CO's playing pickleball together.
2:21.2	And CO's dancing. I mean that type of shit would have never happened when I was inside but
	...

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