Burden of Guilt – Four Flat Tires | BONUS Episode
Podcast: Burden of Guilt
Host: iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
Episode Date: March 12, 2026
Episode Title: Four Flat Tires | BONUS
Episode Overview
This bonus episode of Burden of Guilt dives deeply into the early life of Jermaine Hudson—convicted in 1999 and sentenced to 99 years in Angola Prison—through the eyes of his lifelong friend, Sam. By revisiting Jermaine’s formative years in the Fisher Projects of New Orleans, the episode explores how systemic racism, poverty, and the criminal justice system shaped the trajectories of Black youths like Jermaine and Sam. The story uncovers the crushing inevitability many felt in their communities: that life itself was a battle for survival, and the odds were severely stacked against them.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Harsh Reality of Growing Up in the Fisher Projects
- Carrie Hartman (Senior Producer) introduces the episode by noting how meeting Jermaine’s childhood friends revealed the environment he grew up in—where “childhood and survival unfortunately intertwined.” (02:01–02:53)
- Sam describes routine violence:
“I'm stepping over bodies, witnessing bodies coming home from elementary school… cause somebody was murdered.”
[Sam, 02:41]
2. Life and Friendship in the Projects
- Sam recalls that, despite their tough surroundings, he and Jermaine were “just 10 year old kids… play[ing] football, play[ing] basketball, talk[ing] about sports.”
[Sam, 03:38] - Their close bond:
“Me and Jermaine was so close. We were together every day.”
[Sam, 03:42]
3. Turning Point: Teenage Years & Legal Troubles
- Carrie notes the turning point in their teen years:
“But life took a turn once they became teenagers.”
[Carrie Hartman, 03:52] - Sam admits his own troubles began after high school:
“After high school, we just got off into hanging out with the bad crowd.”
[Sam, 03:56] - He shares how constant police interactions were a fact of life:
“Stay with the police and the police running from the police, and they know my name very well.”
[Sam, 04:16]
4. Justice System & Injustice as a Fact of Life
- Both men, as Black youths, internalized a dangerous lesson:
“We guilty for being before anything, right or wrong, we guilty.”
[Sam, 04:33] - Sam discusses how access to legal support—or lack thereof—sealed fates:
“We young, we black, with nobody with lawyers. Who gonna help us out with the lawyer? Nobody.”
[Sam, 05:21]
5. The Impossible Choices Facing Young Black Defendants
- Carrie narrates the dilemma:
“You’re often faced with a choice. Take a plea deal that guarantees a shorter prison sentence or roll the dice by going to trial.”
[Carrie Hartman, 05:30] - Sam shares the gravity of such choices:
“So what you gonna do? Plea out or go to trial?”
[Sam, 05:43]
6. Systemic Incarceration and the Specter of Angola Prison
- Sam paints a grim picture about the carceral pipeline:
“We don't stand a chance back there. Black men do not stand a chance back there.”
[Sam, 06:07] - Carrie contextualizes Louisiana’s staggering incarceration rates and the notoriety of Angola:
“Getting wrapped up in the carceral system can feel less like an unfortunate circumstance and more like destiny.”
[Carrie Hartman, 05:47–06:12] - Sam introduces the slang “Four Flat Tires”:
“Angola, we used to call that four flat ties. Four flat ties, he ain't never going nowhere… When you say Angola, you think about the bloodiest penitentiary across America.”
[Sam, 06:32]
7. Hope, Regret, and Enduring Anger
- Sam eventually pulled his life together, but expresses continuing pain and rage over Jermaine’s fate:
“I was scared for my brother and I was mad. They did him dirty. I was mad and did him dirty. 99 years. Come on, man, say my brother died. Ain't no man gonna do 99 years.”
[Sam, 07:09] - Carrie closes the main segment with the promise of exploring Jermaine’s improbable hope and journey in the next episode:
“It sounded like a death sentence, but for Jermaine it wasn’t.”
[Carrie Hartman, 07:26]
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
- “I'm stepping over bodies, witnessing bodies coming home from elementary school… cause somebody was murdered.”
— Sam (02:41) - “We guilty for being before anything, right or wrong, we guilty.”
— Sam (04:33) - “We young, we black, with nobody with lawyers. Who gonna help us out with the lawyer? Nobody.”
— Sam (05:21) - “Angola, we used to call that four flat ties. Four flat ties, he ain't never going nowhere… When you say Angola, you think about the bloodiest penitentiary across America.”
— Sam (06:32) - “I was scared for my brother and I was mad. They did him dirty.”
— Sam (07:09)
Important Segment Timestamps
- [02:01] – Carrie introduces the focus on Jermaine’s friendships and childhood.
- [02:41] – Sam describes the Fisher Projects’ violence.
- [03:17]–[03:38] – Reflections on innocence and childhood friendship.
- [03:56]–[04:16] – Teenage years and first encounters with the justice system.
- [04:33] – Systemic presumption of guilt for Black youth.
- [05:21] – The role of resources and access to legal defense.
- [06:32] – The meaning of “Four Flat Tires” and the terror of Angola Prison.
- [07:09] – Sam’s anger and heartbreak over Jermaine’s sentence.
Conclusion
This bonus episode of Burden of Guilt provides a raw, heartfelt portrait of Jermaine Hudson’s upbringing and the systemic forces that shaped his and his friends’ lives. Through Sam’s words, listeners gain an intimate understanding of the cycle of hardship, violence, and injustice that permeated their world, as well as the sense of hopelessness—and yet enduring connection—that persists. The episode sets the stage for further exploration of Jermaine’s fight against what looked like a life sentence without hope.