Archives: Episode

30 | Support Communities

This episode, we focus on two individuals who are working to organize support systems for communities that are directly affected or targeted by law enforcement and incarceration. First, we continue our conversation with Akili Shakur, wife of prisoner Shaka Shakur, who works to organize support groups for family members of prisoners. Then, we hear from…

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29 | Families and Prison, Part Three

Our focus for this episode returns to the impact of incarceration on families. First we have a discussion between our friend Lucy and one of her fellow classmates at Indiana University, Rafael Green, III. Rafael describes having multiple family members in prison during his childhood, and the way that affected both his childhood, and the…

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28 | Education in Prison, Part Two

We return to the topic of education within the prison system. After some prison news, we hear a statement written by someone who taught in prisons in the Midwest. Then we return to Micol Seigel’s discussion with Jarrod Wall, who tells us about getting a degree while incarcerated, and the effects/benefits of education while incarcerated,…

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27 | Off Paper

In this episode, we introduce a new topic, going “off-paper.” When prisoners finish their time and re-enter the free world, they confront a whole host of barriers and questions that extend the hold that institutions have on them well past their “on-paper” sentences. To begin, we hear a recently released anarchist prisoner who reflects on…

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26 | Histories of Resistance in Ohio’s prisons

We go to the neighboring state of Ohio this week in order to dig into the history of Midwestern prison resistance. We share more of the story of Siddique Hasan – one of 5 prisoners on death row for their role in the 1994 Lucasville Uprising – as well as his organizing and his case….

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25 | Education in Prison

This week’s episode focuses on the importance of education in prison. We speak with Dr. Scarlett Brooks, who has taught English and writing in several inmate education programs . We also hear some reflections from Maureen, who has experience teaching art in Indiana Prisons. Later, we share a letter written by Zolo, a long-time inmate…

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24 | The Muse on the Inside

Our topic this week is creativity behind bars. We showcase poetry from prisoners working with the Indiana Prisoners’ Writing Project, a piece by Shaka Shakur, entitled “Black Pain”, and a song by local musician Billy Young. Shakur is currently serving time in the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility here in Indiana. Billy Young will speak with…

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23 | Childbirth in Prison

This week, we hear some prison-related news and then return to the topic of pregnancy in prison. We continue our discussion with Dr. Alicia Suarez, a sociologist who researches pregnancy and childbirth as it relates to incarcerated women. She continues the discussion from our Pregnancy in Prison episode, and walks us through the process of…

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22 | Spaces of Exception: Resilience in Prisons and on Reservations

This week, we explore various spaces of exception. We spoke with Matt Peterson, a documentary filmmaker and contributor to a multimedia project called the Native and the Refugee. Along with Malek Rasamny, he has worked in both native reservations and Palestinian refugee camps, drawing links between each as spaces of exception, excluded from the national…

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21 | Pregnancy in Prison

Our episode focuses on the experience of being pregnant while in prison. First, we hear prison-related news. Then, we speak with Dr. Alicia Suarez, PhD, who teaches at DePauw University. Suarez researches pregnant prisoners at the Indiana Women’s Prison, and speaks with us about the daily life and issues facing these women. In our next…

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