4.9 • 21.6K Ratings
🗓️ 17 December 2025
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
For the final episode of our all-NYC series, we take the train uptown to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, where a group of incarcerated dads from Rikers Island are playing games, eating lunch, and doing arts and crafts with their kids.
This is the sixth episode of “The Loop,” Ear Hustle’s six-part series about kids in New York City who are caught up, one way or another, in the criminal justice system.
Ear Hustle would like to thank Leslie Bushara, Chief Program Officer; and Dava Schub, Chief Executive Officer and Museum Director at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan; as well as the following people at New York State Department of Corrections: Patrick Gallahue, Deputy Commissioner of Public Information; Annais Morales, Press Secretary; Latima Johnson, Press Officer; Anne Penson, Executive Director of Reintegration Services; Douglas Shore, Director of Reintegration Services; Jessica Medard, Executive Director of Facility Programs (RNDC); and Betty Melecio, Executive Director of Facility Programs (OBCC).
As always, thanks to 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 our work.
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.
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| 0:00.0 | Hey there, listeners, it's Nigel. |
| 0:03.5 | And Erlon. |
| 0:04.6 | It's hard to believe, but the new year is just around the corner, which has us reflecting on |
| 0:10.0 | 2025. |
| 0:11.2 | What a year it's been for Ear Hustle. |
| 0:13.4 | I mean, we went on tour. |
| 0:15.1 | We performed a live show inside a prison for the first time ever. |
| 0:19.7 | And we did our first series about incarcerated young people in New York. |
| 0:24.0 | It has been a year full of growth and experimentation, and I'm so grateful for that, Erlon. |
| 0:30.2 | But the year's drawn to a close, which means there's only a few more days to donate to our |
| 0:35.7 | Radiotopia fundraiser. |
| 0:37.4 | To be honest, a very small percentage of our to donate to our Radiotopia fundraiser. |
| 0:43.2 | To be honest, a very small percentage of our listeners donate to keep Ear Hustle and Radiotopia going. |
| 0:50.2 | If just 1% of our listeners donated, we would meet and surpass our goal of 1,500 donors. |
| 0:56.8 | So, has Ear Hustle made your life 1% better in 2025? Has it changed how you see the world, |
| 1:01.8 | made you consider things differently, or giving you a tiny audio break from the day to day? Has Ear Hustle stuck with you? If your answer is yes, please join the listeners who support our work |
| 1:08.2 | by making a tax-deductible gift at Radiotopia.fm. |
| 1:12.8 | slash donate. |
| 1:14.0 | Every gift will make a difference, not just for us, but for every show in the Radiotopia |
| 1:19.4 | Network. |
| 1:20.2 | We really can't do this without you. |
| 1:22.3 | Head to Radiotopia.com slash donate to make your gift before December 31st. Thank you so much. |
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