4.8 • 11.2K Ratings
🗓️ 23 July 2020
⏱️ 49 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Team Snap brings you the story of the devastating COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin State Prison, as told by people on the inside.
STORIES
Outbreak at San Quentin
As the Coronavirus outbreak overwhelms San Quentin State Prison, one incarcerated person, Chanthon Bun, is awaiting his release on parole. Bun tries to protect himself from the virus, while incarcerated first responders and cleaning crews attempt to treat those who are collapsing and stop the spread of COVID-19. In this episode, we hear first-hand accounts from incarcerated people inside San Quentin trying to survive the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
This story contains graphic content, listener discretion is advised.
At the time of this recording, 13 people from San Quentin have died due to coronavirus, bringing the total number of lives lost in California prisons to 40. Our hearts go out to them and theirs, sincerely.
Find out how you can support people on the inside with care packages and more at Prison University Project.
Chanthon Bun is a producer now living on the outside. Greg Eskridge and Thanh Tran are both multimedia journalists currently incarcerated at San Quentin. Checkout Uncuffed and First Watch for more of their work. Rasheed Lockheart, who narrated this piece, works with Planting Justice, a food and social justice organization empowering those impacted by incarceration. Many thanks to Ant, Eric Phillips, and Alex Simon for sharing their stories from the inside as well.
Special thanks to James King from the Ella Baker Center and Adnan Khan from Restore Justice.
Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller and Ninna Gaensler-Debs
Original score & sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller
Artwork by Teo Ducot
Letters from Uncuffed
While people inside San Quentin and other detention facilities across the country are faced with the threat of coronavirus, it is not just them who are affected. This piece is made up of a collection of letters from people on the outside trying to reach their loved ones currently behind bars.
Big thanks to everyone who shared their letters, Rasheed Lockheart, Shelly Ammons, Dario Abramskiehn, Jovina Vejar.
The letters came to us from Uncuffed, a storytelling project made by people behind bars, from inside San Quentin State Prison and Solano State Prison, in collaboration with KALW. Listen & subscribe on your favorite podcast player!
Produced by Ninna Gaensler-Debs, Gabe Grabin, Angela Johnston, and Eli Wirtschafter.
San Quentin Mixtapes Vol. 1 – “Same Prison As My Grandfather”
The San Quentin Mixtape is a music project recorded, produced, and performed by incarcerated people inside San Quentin State Prison.
The song featured in this episode is “Same Prison As My Grandfather” by Dinero G. Thank you Dinero G and David Jassy for sharing your music with us!
This song comes from the album San Quentin Mixtapes, Vol. 1. It was produced by the now formerly incarcerated, David Jassy, who has since been released and is now living in his home country of Sweden.
Season 11 – Episode 24
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
0:00.0 | Snap Judgment Studios |
0:10.5 | The first professional I spoke to about starting something called Snap Judgment. |
0:16.9 | He said that I shouldn't speak into a microphone because of my speech impediment. |
0:23.2 | Until that moment, I didn't know I had a speech impediment. |
0:28.4 | But we had to start without his help. |
0:31.2 | Instead, I asked for help from the people who'd heard these stories. |
0:35.1 | Now, if you've ever been unable to get out of the car, the kitchen, the office, until |
0:40.3 | you've heard the end of the story, please become one of us and support the show that makes |
0:46.8 | it happen right now at snapjudgment.org. |
0:51.3 | You can get Snap Stuff, including Snap Music, a chance to pitch your story or backstage |
0:57.4 | past a spooked live. |
1:00.0 | But join at a level that makes sense for you at snapjudgment.org. |
1:06.2 | It is the joy of my life to bring you these tales. |
1:10.6 | Please know that Snap Storytelling narrated by a guy with a speech impediment simply |
1:15.6 | doesn't happen unless you make it happen. |
1:18.7 | So I'm asking from one snapper to another, please stop the show for just a moment. |
1:25.1 | Just a moment and make it happen at snapjudgment.org. |
1:31.5 | Thanks. |
1:32.5 | Okay, so, getting ready to leave your house. |
1:50.7 | Put on your mask, maybe even some gloves, you step outside your door toward the spot |
1:56.7 | and do that awkward shuffle, trying to keep 60-of-distance between you and the other guy |
2:03.8 | coming down the sidewalk. |
... |
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