POOR: Earlonne described himself, and I described myself. Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor started the podcast Ear Hustle when Woods was a prisoner in San Quentin. He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California Three . [1][2] Since his release, Woods has continued to co-host the podcast with Poor from outside prison, with Poor recording some parts in San Quentin with new co-host Rahsaan "New York" Thomas. You're not really looking at the person. 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. Who is Kourtney Kellar? And it has made me - it has made me care about men so much more. He says, I need to speak with you. And y'all having these intimate conversations about, you know, why you went down this path or what it was like being a survivor, what it was like being this. POOR: I can let Earlonne answer that one. He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California Three Strikes Law, the statute under . It destroys hope, and it violates the principle that redemption is at the essence of what it is to be human. Despite the lack of physical or forensic evidence, Caramad Conley was convicted of conspiracy to commit first degree murder, two counts of first degree murder, and eleven counts of attempted You know, at that particular moment, in that mindset - like today, am I OK with that? So to hear Governor Brown say that, it was like this is how we actually think. And I got into this group. So I'm not thinking that it's serious as much as I'm hearing. 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. I'm Terry Gross. [12] On October 19, 2021, co-hosts Poor and Woods released a book on the podcast, This Is Ear Hustle. And you've had two separate stays, and the last one lasted 21 years. And, Earlonne, again, I want to thank - I want to congratulate you again for your new freedom. [5] The show features interviews with inmates who share their stories and opinions on topics like cellmates, solitary confinement, race, morality, pets, religion, gangs, and family. Woods, 47, was recently released from San Quentin State Prison after California Gov. And I thought, well, those are kind of qualities that you need to be able to bring people out. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. And I believe, personally, that that will ease overcrowding because there are a lot of people in prison that deserve to be out. Everybody we know live the same lifestyle, you know? I was going to Nigel's house the other day, and I was an hour early. In 2018, California governor Jerry Brown commuted Earlonne Woods' sentence, citing Ear Hustle as a significant contributor to his reformation as an American citizen. And her son had attended a party. And so to me, that meant he was a very good observer. Woods is a full-time producer, co-host, and co-creator of PRXs Ear Hustle with Nigel Poor. 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. Like, he just seemed lighter and shiny and fresh. They said that, hey, when you went to jail when you were 17 - yeah, it was one time, but there was two convictions in that case. She started going to San Quentin to volunteer teaching photography. Can I ask how your relationship is changing now that you're both outside? He gave up his brother name. It received 1,537 entries from 53 countries. Earlonne Woods is the cocreator, coproducer, and cohost of the Pulitzer-nominated podcast Ear Hustle. I think my mother told me she loved Jesus more than she loved me. POOR: Well, let me ask you this - do you feel like we're being unfair trying to make you do this? GROSS: The new, as yet, unannounced host will be with you (laughter). Earlonne was born in 1972, in the United States. And so I want to play an excerpt of that. Earlonne is 5 feet 7 inches tall ( Approx1.7 m). And Nigel is also a professor of photography at California State University. And we used to do, like, healing circles. But the law don't see your rehabilitation. Earlonne Woods co-hosted the podcast Ear Hustle while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. After you got out of San Quentin, you and Nigel went to the governor's mansion. But that was a case that challenged my desire to not know and to - how to deal with the knowing once it's been presented to you. And when I was sitting in a county jail, you know, mentally, I pretty much divorced myself from that whole way of life in that moment, you know? And it really wasn't until I got into the healing circle that I understood what it was like to be a survivor of crime because in these circles, you're sitting across from crime victims. [1][10] As of Season 4, Woods continues to make the podcast from outside prison, while Rahsaan "New York" Thomas was announced as a new co-host for recordings done inside San Quentin. POOR: We can taste each other's food 'cause, you know, in prison you can't share food with people. So I gave him, you know, a handshake with as much emotion as I could muster POOR: Appropriately. Not one bit, you know? He was hired to continue co-hosting and producing the podcast after his release. It's a job. And you also spent time in solitary, where it's very hard to stay sane. Kourtney Kellar models for a variety of periodicals, companies, Toni Storm is a famous New Zealand-Australian wrestler, social media influencer, Instagram personality, OnlyFans star, and entrepreneur from Auckland, New Zealand. Woods helped create Ear Hustle while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. Toni Storm is well-known in the wres. After California Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence last month, Woods reflects on. Nigel Poor is a professor of photography at California State University in Sacramento. Tyler had missed a court appearance, so he feared that he would be locked up. I told him that constantly. So what - what were the first communications like in which you tried to see, but is he a good interviewer? So I still had a 17-year-old mentality. Therefore, Earlonne earns a decent salary as a full-time producer, co-host, and co-creator of Ear Hustle at PRX alongside Nigel Poor. And then when I got out, I hadn't put any skill sets together, you know? In 2020, alongside his Ear Hustle co-hosts, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting. Therese Madden directed today's show. I was questioning everything. I think it's about probably 20 people from there that call me collect. Thank you both so much for talking with us. 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. As of now, he works as a full-time producer, co-host, and co-creator of Ear Hustle at PRX alongside Nigel Poor. Earlonne became busy reporting on re-entry stories and daily life for originally incarcerated people, while also documenting his own experiences. Also with us is Nigel Poor. He likes to keep his personal life private hence Earlonne has not mentioned any details concerning his marital status. NIGEL POOR: You know, E, you've been in prison 20 years. Earlonne stands at a height of 5 ft 7 in ( Approx1.7 m). POOR: Oh, plus, I - we get to see each other in all different color clothing because POOR: In prison, Earlonne always had to wear blue. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. [9], On November 21, 2018, producer Earlonne Woods's sentence was commuted by California governor Jerry Brown. EARLONNE WOODS: Well, I just keep getting up every morning, you know, thankful that I have another day, thankful that I'm alive, you know? When I called my mother, she told me this, right? ERIN: I don't - I don't know. GROSS: So you know, you're a middle-aged man now. SHAPIRO: Nigel Poor told us that when Earlonne Woods came back POOR: He was walking with a lot of air in his step. They eventually met this person. Earlonne, I want to ask you about the final podcast you recorded in San Quentin, which was largely about your older brother, Trevor, and your nephew, Tyler. Once the details concerning Earlonnes marital status are available we shall update. Like, I take you as the man you are in front of me. SHAPIRO: When you said goodbye to him, were you crying? GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guests are Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, the co-hosts and co-producers of the podcast Ear Hustle. Can people change? GROSS: Nigel, when you first started volunteering in San Quentin, what were some of the things you had to deal with as a woman teaching in a prison of men? You know, he running the streets. Earlonne Woods educational background is unavailable. Earlonne Woods was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. POOR: So I'm just going to be very blunt with you. But I took way more from that person than $1. Oh, daddy, I'm not playing with no guns. They fell in love just like anyone else would. And at the end of November, Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence. GROSS: Wait; so that means, like, you'd rather die than be E WOODS: Yes, yes. Also Read: Earlonne Woods, . With grace and humor they walk through what life is really like behind bars, showing the humanity and depth of those they meet inside." --Catherine Burns, artistic director, The Moth "I listen to Ear . A post shared by @earhustlesq on Mar 13, 2018 at 8:35pm PDT. When Earlonne was in, I was probably in there 40-plus hours a week, and I'm not a masochist. Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, welcome to FRESH AIR. 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. His sentence was commuted yesterday. ERIN: Oh, [expletive]. "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. So sometimes it's important, and I can give you an example. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). 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. Earlonne Woods: Number one. He also founded CHOOSE1, which aims to repeal the California . And the captain comes in. And just listening to her tell her story to us and knowing that I've been in these type of situations or knowing that I've been probably on the other side of the gun or whatever the case may be and just hearing her loss, hearing her heartfelt testimony about this was really - it was shakening (ph), you know? GROSS: Who - give us an example of somebody who you spoke to who had been a victim of a crime similar to the one that you committed that made you feel this, you know, sense of feeling bad for what you'd done. Therefore, it is not known if Earlonne is single, dating, or married. 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? Earlonne resides in the United States. Earlonne Woods is an American podcaster and author, best known for co-hosting and co-founding the podcast Ear Hustle in 2017, and co-authoring the book This Is Ear Hustle in 2021. You're sitting across from politicians. When he was 15, he committed his first robbery alongside his brother, who had transitioned from selling drugs to robbing drug dealers. And I keep thinking, like, a week from now, Earlonne and I could be having dinner outside the prison together (laughter). I've spent a total of 27 years in prison. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). Look. E WOODS: (Laughter) Not no time soon, no. But, as to being cool with it, it's what it is. And he understood how to diffuse a situation. Earlonne was an inmate as well as a host. [11], In November 2018, then California Governor Jerry Brown commuted Woods' sentence, saying he had "clearly shown that he is no longer the man he was when he committed this crime" and that "he has set a positive example for his peers and, through his podcast, has shared meaningful stories from those inside prison. My guests are Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, the co-creators of Ear Hustle, a podcast featuring their interviews with men incarcerated in San Quentin. E WOODS: It is - they see something that I can't see. Nigel, I want to play an excerpt of an episode that you were very prominent in. They struck him 19 times, killing him. The two bonded over a love of storytelling and with no formal experience, began a podcast together where they showcase the . 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. The San Francisco Public Library chose the title for its One City One Book citywide community reading program in 2022. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. T WOODS: One the 19 - November 19, 2013 - federal prison - we have phones, and we have emails. So I'm trying to like - I'm trying to partner with you here. I don't know what tomorrow brings, but I know what's happening today and right now. His net worth is estimated to be $657,586. And Jerry Brown was then the governor of California. 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 I was - yeah, I was definitely nervous. (SOUNDBITE OF NOEL BONNEVIE'S "DAHIL SA'YO"). Woods was serving a 31-years-to-life sentence for attempted 2nd degree robbery due to a three-strikes law before having his sentence commuted in 2018. In 1997, Woods was sentenced to thirty-one years to life in prison. His mother was a postal worker and his father was an unemployed alcoholic, who Woods described as violent and distant. And I think - I didn't - I didn't become accustomed to the lifestyle of working or having a job, you know? No. I go over to Nigel's house, hang out with her husband Rick. And he said the thing that all women fear is that I raped women because I could. I just stopped over there, went and sat on a rock and just watched the water for about an hour. This lady - her name was Claire. It's - it's - I think being in a position to step away from it all and look back and say, man, I was on something else. 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.. All rights reserved. Elevated Entertainment LLC; Host: Hard in the Paint w/Aaron Showtime Taylor. He's been behind bars for more than 20 years. GROSS: And - so you interviewed him about commuting your sentence. Earlonne Woods is the co-creator, co-host, and co-producer of Ear Hustle (PRX & Radiotopia). Earlonne was both co-host and inmate. 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. I'm pretty shy. Kourtney Kellar is an American model, social media celebrity, influencer, media face, and Internet personality. Woods has served 21 years of a 31 to life prison sentence. On his release from San Quentin State Prison, Woods was hired full time to continue the work started inside but also adding reentry stories. GROSS: We talk about the podcast and before we talk about your work together, Earlonne, I want to talk with you about life outside. The victims of a crime are faceless. Brown cited Woods'. But the things that you do in your past do add dimension to who you are in this moment. 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. Tyra got arrested first for kidnap and robbery, and she was sentenced to 17 years. For the first few months after Earlonne Woods was released from San Quentin in November, his "Ear Hustle" podcast co-host Nigel Poor kept receiving photos of ice cream on her phone. POOR: I'm so glad you asked about this. Jerry Brown commuted his 31-years-to-life . Then there are those marriages that become the subjects of books . He understood human nature. While incarcerated, he received his GED, attended Coastline Community College, and completed many vocational programs. So in that case, I didn't dig in. What's it like to not think about that? Earlonne was both host and inmate, but he was released in November after his sentence was commuted by California Governor Jerry Brown. 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. Why didn't you invite me (laughter)? But I always go over to the fantasy game guys, and I'll just sit there for a minute and try to see if I even come close to understanding what's going on on that table. The podcast team announced Tuesday that it will hire Woods as an employee on the show. E WOODS: Well, I mean, it's cool, you know? I'd rather not know. And I'm like - I'm telling my son, son, look. And they say Tyler just took off running. And so I want to play the part where you return to ask him that difficult question. And he was always ready to help. And I want to play what he said to you. E WOODS: And she even got mad at me the other day E WOODS: 'Cause I left dinner with everyone, and I went to the movies by myself to go see "Vice" (laughter). Woods was involved in an attempted robbery in 1997, when he was in his 20s. 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. So here's Nigel Poor, co-host and co-producer of the podcast Ear Hustle. E WOODS: It's the bay. It's like - I think they're not under the constraints or the pressures to not accept people. But you may have the African-Americans who go to prison and they're at certain places and you don't get that question. And your brother is still in San Quentin. Williams, 29, has served more than 10 years on a 15-year sentence for armed robbery. Yes, he can come to my house. If you're just joining us, my guests are Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor, the co-hosts and co-producers of the podcast Ear Hustle, which features interviews with men incarcerated in San Quentin Prison about their daily lives and their personal stories.