Ear Hustle, A Podcast Produced by Prisoners: Inside Lockdown

“Ear Hustle” is a podcast about life in prison. It’s hosted by Earlonne Woods, an inmate of San Quentin State Prison, and Nigel Poor, a renowned visual artist and journalist.

This episode brings listeners inside a lockdown.

Lockdowns happen when prison administrations deem there’s a credible threat to the security of the institution, described the podcast's hosts. Inmates are restricted to their cells for weeks to months at a time. Cells are searched, and prisoners aren’t allowed to go to classes, the yard, use a telephone, etc.

Poor said that prisoners talk about food – a lot – like gram cracker, banana, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Food gets them through the day: prisoners are careful about how and when they eat their food, explained Woods. Each inmate is given his daily nutritional requirements: no more, no less. It is commonplace to save ingredients from different meals to create another meal (like the sandwich mentioned above).

It’s also standard to have a lockbox – a plastic box of goods to get one through lockdowns. Lockboxes should have toiletries, writing tablets, stamps, and food, explains one inmate. Plastic bins are emptied and used as a “birdbath” (or a container to stand in and wash off).

When lockboxes run dry, inmates “fish” by drawing a line from their cell to another nearby. If someone has what he wants or need, they attach something to the line – whether that’s a note, or bread. When nobody on your tier has anything to offer, they resort to “backend fishing” (you’ll have to listen to get the nitty-gritty details).

Overtime, lockdowns can feel like a sort of vacation, explained Woods. That’s because otherwise, they run a tight schedule at San Quentin. Inmates are busy with classes, work, etc. But lockdown can also really wear on prisoners.

Here at San Quentin, they’ve got it easier than most prisons. They have access to activities, books, TV. But basically, it’s just you and yourself, says Woods.