Nigel first started going to San Quentin as a volunteer teaching photography. In November 2018, Woods' sentence was commuted by California governor Jerry Brown. 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 that surprised me greatly. "[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. POOR: Well, let me ask you this - do you feel like we're being unfair trying to make you do this? I don't (laughter) take them for granted. [5] He served his last seven years at San Quentin. I've changed my life. [3], Woods completed his General Educational Development in prison, as well as vocational courses such as auto mechanics. So now we just have the opportunity to travel together, to do something like this together. Im thinking about my mama, shes 70. What was your reaction when you found out? I think it's about probably 20 people from there that call me collect. Thank you both so much for talking with us. [9][7] Ear Hustle was the first podcast entirely recorded and produced inside a prison. He's also co-host of the podcast "Ear Hustle," which is why we had him on this program. In 1997, Earlonne was sentenced to thirty-one years to life in prison. What we did was humanize [prisoners], just by telling their stories, Woods said in February. 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? Once you commit your crime, people think thats what it is, but individuals change. And then Trevor was arrested when their son, Tyler, was 10. It was like 2 in the morning. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). 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 know. I went in and ended up in a security housing unit a couple of times for lengthy stays and just continued my pretty much destructive behavior all the way out. But we knew that, you know, it's traditional for the governor to do these commutations right before Thanksgiving. Since the podcasts launch in 2017, its been downloaded, announcing the commutation, the governor echoed that thought, saying Woods has clearly shown that he is no longer the man he was when he committed this crime.. [13], The term "ear hustle" is prison slang for eavesdropping. And I believe, personally, that that will ease overcrowding because there are a lot of people in prison that deserve to be out. Now Earlonne will be doing interviews with people like him who are transitioning back into society. He received a sentence of 31-years-to-life. Earlonne resides in the United States. The San Francisco Public Library chose the title for its One City One Book citywide community reading program in 2022. I enjoy every second of every day. His net worth is estimated to be $657,586. Why didn't you invite me (laughter)? OK. You're sitting across from law enforcement. And to hear - to take that in and to not be afraid and to not judge a person but to, like, sit with it and think about it and think about this was 30 years ago, like I just - I had to do a lot of work around that. Also Read: Earlonne Woods, . When he was 15, he committed his first robbery alongside his brother, who had transitioned from selling drugs to robbing drug dealers. T WOODS: One the 19 - November 19, 2013 - federal prison - we have phones, and we have emails. Even after Woods is out on parole in Oakland, California, Ear Hustle said that it will continue, with Poor telling more tales from those inside San Quentin and Woods talking about the journey to re-enter society after years behind bars. Earlonne was an inmate as well as a host. Others are typical and comfortable, never rising to celebrity status but supplying its partners with a contented existence. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. [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. When asked earlier this year what was the first thing he would do if he got out, Woods said, Take a bath. Like, all of a sudden, you know POOR: We'll be like regular colleagues. Mentally, it do, you know? They eventually met this person. Therefore, it is not known if Earlonne is single, dating, or married. The podcast title, Ear Hustle, is prison slang for eavesdropping or being nosy. I get to see how they express love and tenderness and fear and frustration and how they posture and what's behind that. Jerry Brown commuted his 31-years-to-life sentence for attempted armed robbery. His sentence was commuted yesterday. (SOUNDBITE OF ETIENNE CHARLES' "MIDNIGHT"). I think my mother told me she loved Jesus more than she loved me. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. And you have another 11 to go. 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. You know that it could be a possibility, but it's a possibility that you've seen pretty much your whole life, you know? And he said Tyler got killed by the police. SHAPIRO: That's Earlonne Woods from the podcast "Ear Hustle." You know what I mean? For Walter "Earlonne" Woods, the path to freedom was podcasting. California Gov. POOR: But I get to see his brother and catch him up on what you're doing. And many people around me wasn't like that. Like, my mother used to bring him. Therefore, Earlonne has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. So what - what were the first communications like in which you tried to see, but is he a good interviewer? Earlonne became busy reporting on re-entry stories and daily life for originally incarcerated people, while also documenting his own experiences. And it was just like - it didn't even register with me. POOR: OK. 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'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. 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. He's been behind bars for more than 20 years. So even though I'm hearing stuff and then I'm talking to him, he playing - he downplaying it. And when I went to prison, it was pretty much the California Department of Corrections, and there was not a rehabilitation on the name then. And it was just - I just seen him slipping through my fingers because I wasn't there to snatch him up. But apparently it's fine - like, if you fall in love, the prisoner and the volunteer fall in love, that's fine as long as the volunteer or the staff person is no longer going to be working there in any capacity. T WOODS: I received an email from one of my partners. GROSS: To stay sane in a situation like that. It mentally puts you in a whole different space. And Earlonne just had his sentence commuted by Governor Jerry Brown in November after serving 21 years. In March 2016, the Public Radio Exchange's Radiotopia network put out a call for new podcast ideas via an initiative called Podquest, with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. What are some of the ways you think you've changed over the years? Jerry Brown. He works as a full-time producer, co-host, and co-creator with Ear Hustle at PRX alongside Nigel Poor. And Trevor, your brother, speaks first. And they - and I received 31 years to life. Nigel, I want to play an excerpt of an episode that you were very prominent in. E WOODS: Right. They're waiting to get inside a club, and somebody from way across the street just shoot into the crowd, hit him in the heart, right? "[16] Quah contrasts standard prison narratives told entirely from an outsider's point of view with the interplay of insider and outsider perspectives provided by the hosts of Ear Hustle, with stories primarily told through Woods' and Williams' words and perspectives, and Poor in an active role adding "key narrative housekeeping". And I have a lot of friends that's in prison that has 200 years, 300 years to life for maybe attempted second-degree robbery. So I think as far as African-American culture in prison, I don't think nobody really cares why you're in prison. But to hear the very next day that he was killed - and my mother is who told me. He is a man of average stature. No, people get up to a thousand years to life for something that they've done in their past. . 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. Brown cited Woods' leadership in . He is 49 years old. Once the details concerning Earlonnes marital status are available we shall update. Accuracy and availability may vary. 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. But I'd say a lot of people, particularly in law enforcement, want to look at the crime only, and that's really the big debate. Don't be - whatever you do, don't play with no guns. Woods' sentence was recently commuted, but the two continue to tell stories of life. I just stopped over there, went and sat on a rock and just watched the water for about an hour. My first prison term, I went to jail when I was 17. I don't know if it's a lake. And Jerry Brown was then the governor of California. 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. In April 1989, a drive-by shooting in San Francisco, CA, left at least 11 people injured, and 2 people dead. He is now 47. But it was just - it was spectacular. I mean POOR: No, we're not allowed. 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. There's all these restrictions. He is also involved in the Repeal California's Three Strike Coalition, which aims to end California . He does not, however, expose his wife's identity to the public. E WOODS: Hey - so I always go over to the L - I call them L7s. And they say Tyler just took off running. Toni Storm is well-known in the wres. When he was nine, Woods lifted up a faulty railroad crossing gate to allow cars to pass. Hae-soo married his non-celebrity bride on January 14, 2019, according to sources. Jerry Brown commuted his 31-years-to-life . And it was one of the restore justice symposiums. 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. It addresses important issues about being human and how prisoners can be contributing citizens. We'll be right back. She first started working at San Quentin in 2011 as a volunteer in the Prison University Project, teaching the history of photography. And the assumption is that what you did at that moment is what you are today even though it's five years, 10 years, 20, 30 years later. POOR: Well, he wasn't necessarily a good talker because he was very quiet. Earlonne Woods is co-creator, co-producer and co-host of Ear Hustle from Radiotopia. He is now 47. 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. And then the question is, well, what do we do about that? POOR: Well, I would like to see more programs created that allow people inside and outside to work together as colleagues. So I'm trying to like - I'm trying to partner with you here. 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 Woods prefers to keep his personal life private, so he has not disclosed any information about his marital status. They struck him 19 times, killing him. Should we recognize the change, or once you did the act, that's who you are - your essence, your identity - and never to be considered? You're able to go POOR: We're able to go out. And E WOODS: And of course I enjoy all the little moments. So here's Nigel Poor, co-host and co-producer of the podcast Ear Hustle. And for most people - for most people inside, they just want the chance to represent the person that they are today, you know? POOR: There's something I have to talk to you about. When asked earlier this year what was the first thing he would do if he got out, Woods said, Take a bath. All rights reserved. . But very quickly, when we started talking about photography - I was teaching a history of photography class - that kind of melted away. Earlonne still co-hosts the show alongside Nigel. Namcy Wong. Kourtney Kellar is an American model, social media celebrity, influencer, media face, and Internet personality. "When. GROSS: And you basically just described your own situation when you were incarcerated because you got 31 to life for attempted second-degree robbery. So in that case, I didn't dig in. "[9] She also praised its originality, "[using] prisoners' storytelling skills to show what it's like to spend decades behind bars. Woods never used the drug, though became addicted to the money and lifestyle selling it provided. Copyright 2018 NPR. You start really understanding what the word community means and what your participation in community is about, you know? Those are my partners. Jerry Brown commuted his sentence for attempted armed robbery. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). The rest of it is just an enhancement. I was going to Nigel's house the other day, and I was an hour early. So it's been a real eye-opener for me. 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. She started going to San Quentin to volunteer teaching photography. His mother was a postal worker and his father was an unemployed alcoholic, who Woods described as violent and distant. Kristi Tjaden. WOODS: That's something that a lot of us behind bars fantasize about - getting out and leading a normal life. When Earlonne was incarcerated in San Quentin, he and Nigel Poor started the podcast Ear Hustle. 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. Can I ask how your relationship is changing now that you're both outside? 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. Aaron Taylor. He was sentenced to 31 years to life for attempted robbery in 1999. Usually, you can't go back into a correctional facility on parole. No. Earlonne is a brother to Shala Woods. Ive been taking showers for like 20 years.. Trevor was wanted and was on the run. You start attending different self-help groups. And at the end of November, Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence. Earlonne Woods: Number one. I mean, I guess I had a kind of low estimation of men and what they were like. Nigel is a professor of photography at California State University in Sacramento. POOR: I walked him to the gate; you know, wished him good luck. It was the first podcast to be entirely created and produced inside a prison. That, in a nutshell, is the juxtaposition that defines Ear Hustle. Woods is an inmate of the San Quentin State Prison in California. 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. --. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. And that's pretty much what I did. (SOUNDBITE OF NOEL BONNEVIE'S "DAHIL SA'YO"). POOR: So I'm just going to be very blunt with you. SHAPIRO: Earlonne Woods is 47. POOR: What are some of the things you think about when you fantasize about your life when you're out? He and Nigel are also the authors of This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life, a book that became inspired by the podcast and released by Crown/Random House. It looked so good on you. And you may be incarcerated 15, 20 years. Earlonne Woods (@earlonnewoods) Instagram photos and videos earlonnewoods Follow 225 posts 24.1K followers 931 following Earlonne Woods Public figure Award winning Co-Creator + Co-Host, @earhustlesq . And so I want to play the part where you return to ask him that difficult question. Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence in November, and Woods regained his freedom after serving 21 years of his sentence. POOR: Yeah, not skewed, not skewed. He understood human nature. Like, he just seemed lighter and shiny and fresh. I'm on a podcast. ARI. And I hit the floor. So for me internally, I started my change. "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. After a break, we'll hear and talk about excerpts of two episodes of Ear Hustle, one about a death that was devastating for Earlonne, the other about an interview that raised serious ethical questions for Nigel. Is he a good co-host? And I got into this group. Therese Madden directed today's show. The responding officers shot him five times, killed him. And you start thinking differently, you know? Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor started the podcast Ear Hustle when Woods was a prisoner in San Quentin. And I was - yeah, I was definitely nervous. Like, what was all this for? When I called my mother, she told me this, right? And, you know, we was clowning on the phone. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). And I mean, we just knew that was the call. You're more looking at what you're getting out of the situation. The podcast team announced Tuesday that it will hire Woods as an employee on the show. He says, I need to speak with you. E WOODS: Well, I mean, it's cool, you know? And then when I got out, I hadn't put any skill sets together, you know? Ear Hustle was the first podcast to be created entirely inside a prison. The two bonded over a love of storytelling and with no formal experience, began a podcast together where they showcase the . In 2020, alongside his Ear Hustle co-hosts, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting. No, and I laugh because had Governor Brown probably not been the governor, I would still have 10 years of my sentence left. This is FRESH AIR. You know, he calls me. E WOODS: Right, right. [9], On November 21, 2018, producer Earlonne Woods's sentence was commuted by California governor Jerry Brown. 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. Who is Kourtney Kellar? POOR: We can taste each other's food 'cause, you know, in prison you can't share food with people. So right now there would be a problem with me going back to see him because I'm currently on parole. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. [11], By September 2021, Ear Hustle episodes had been downloaded over 54 million times. In 1997, Earlonne was sentenced to thirty-one years to life in prison. It didn't work out, unfortunately. [12] On October 19, 2021, co-hosts Poor and Woods released a book on the podcast, This Is Ear Hustle. I'd rather not know. SHAPIRO: Like in a restaurant, at your house, any POOR: Yes. You guys are killing me (laughter). He likes to keep his personal life private hence Earlonne has not mentioned any details concerning his marital status. Like, in the county jail, I was like, OK, I'm done with this side of life because even though our philosophy growing up was for death though - you know, meaning I'd rather be carried by six than judged by 12 - that was just the philosophy we had growing up, you know? , after serving 21 years of a 31-years-to-life sentence. Earlonne continues to co-host the show with Nigel. I've spent a total of 27 years in prison. It's something. I'm Terry Gross. Prison term, I was - Yeah, I would like to see his brother and catch up! As auto mechanics: but I get to see his brother and catch him up on what you 're prison! Nobody really cares why you 're able to go out - what were the first podcast entirely recorded produced... 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