The Loop Ep. 3: No Violence

Summary

Ear Hustle: The Loop Episode 3 — “No Violence”

Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Nigel Poor & Earlonne Woods
Producer: Radiotopia/PRX

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Episode Overview

This episode of Ear Hustle’s “The Loop” series delves into the tense, unpredictable reality of violence among youth incarcerated at Crossroads, a juvenile detention facility in New York. Through firsthand accounts from both staff and residents, Nigel and Earlonne explore the causes and daily management of fights, the psychological landscape of living with constant threat, and the blurred, often humanizing relationships between staff and youth. The episode paints a nuanced picture, balancing the adrenaline, fear, culture, and heartbreak within a system where the rule is “no violence”—but the reality is anything but.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene at Crossroads

• Increased Tension and Overcrowding:
  Following an NYPD sweep, a surge of new residents—including young people connected to gang activity—has caused overcrowding and increased incidents at Crossroads.
  • “So the vibe we’ve been hearing has been a little chaotic at Crossroads. We’ve been hearing that they’ve been having these cold yellows, which is like an alarm for something... Today we’re going to find out what’s really going on.” — Earlonne [05:06]

2. Why Fights Erupt: The Social & Gang Dynamics

• Navigating Alliances and Rivalries:
  Fights often break out when youths attempt to "make space" for newly arrived friends, or when rival gangs find themselves together.
  • “If one of my homeboys comes off the streets and I want him to be on my hall, I gotta get somebody kicked off the unit to make space for him.” — Earlonne [09:14]
• Trigger Words and Disrespect:
  Verbal provocations, especially referencing deceased friends, can instantly spark violence.
  • “Once you speak on somebody’s dead friend, it’s over. SMD is over.” — OM Taylor [11:04]
  • “No suck my dick meaning like, no disrespectful talk... Me like, no say my friend that’s dead nothing.” — Resident [11:33]

3. Staff Response & De-Escalation

• Protocols for “Cold Yellow” Alarms:
  “Cold Yellow” is the code called when physical altercations break out. Staff rush in, coordinating to quell violence and reestablish order.
  • “The first thing you want to do is try your best to de-escalate the adults responding. Because if they go at a high fever pitch, then you’re not helping the situation, you’re adding to it.” — OM Taylor [19:53]
• Personal Stories of Intervention:
  Staff share gripping accounts of breaking up fights, the dangers involved, and the contradictory moments of care from residents—like returning dropped keys or offering water during a health episode.
  • “I tried to grab my keys, and the kid who got hit said, ‘Here, Taylor, here’s your key.’ ...and they went back fighting again.” — OM Taylor [21:51]

4. Life Inside: Psychological Impact and Coping

• Living With Fear and Hyper-Vigilance:
  Despite bravado, fear is a constant—even for those who “never lose a fight.”
  • “I’m scared every day. Yeah, you just in an unknown environment... There’s nothing wrong with being scared.” — Owen [38:00]
• Adrenaline and the ‘Rush’ of Violence:
  Both staff and residents describe the physiological rush—the “butterflies”—before and during a fight.
  • “You got a heartbeat all over your body. Like, you know the feeling you get when you’re startled... Imagine that feeling going from your chest to your arms to your head, through your whole body.” — OM Taylor [16:02]
  • “Like, that was my rush. Like, yeah, like, hit me again kind of thing. Like, you know, like, it don’t hurt. Do it again.” — Resident “Tiny” [17:15]

5. Entertainment, Status, and the Spectacle of Fights

• Fights as Social Currency:
  With little else to break up monotony, fights are watched eagerly, gossiped about, and dissected.
  • “Fights is like TV in a place like this… You get to see dudes get dusted off. And now you talking about it for the rest of the day.” — Earlonne [29:23]
  • “When we having fights on our hole, other holes be on the gate, dirty looking, trying to see what the going on.” — Owen [30:07]

6. Culture & Music: The Role of Drill Rap

• Music Fuels Identity & Conflict:
  Drill rap, with its explicit references to violence and street life, both influences and reflects the youth’s worldview.
  • “These kids do things and they claim the things. It’s almost like it doesn’t matter unless other people know that we’re doing it. So that leads to recidivism and juvenile detention.” — YDS Landry [36:41]
  • “A lot of the younger kids are getting indicted for their lyrics because their lyrics are literally: ‘We pulled up in the Sentra, we hung out the window, we shot him in the face…’ and all this shit really happened.” — Earlonne [36:38]

7. Staff Perspectives: Burnout, Boundaries, and Long-Term Impact

• Challenging Shifts & Emotional Endurance:
  Staff like YDS Hardin recount the exhausting shifts, the need to maintain boundaries with youth, and the mental toll—illustrated through the story of being “milked” (having milk thrown at her) and finding resolution after conflict.
  • “I was very upset. It took me out of character… I did take a couple of days off to get a mental break. As you should.” — YDS Hardin [43:39]

8. Loss, Loyalty, and the Outside World

• Incarceration as Social Death:
  Residents reflect on the profound isolation, the dwindling of support over time, and the way time inside mirrors being “dead” to the outside world.
  • “I kind of look at the jail like the only place while you alive that you get to see how people act when you’re dead.” — Earlonne [46:19]
  • “When you first get arrested… sooner or later, like, niggas stop eating their colds. Niggas moving on with life.” — Owen [45:51]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the atmosphere before a fight:
  “Once you see people putting their sneakers on, their pants picked up tightly. Everybody focusing. That’s how, you know, you could feel the tension in the air.” — Tommy [12:32]

• On music and identity:
  “I don’t really share my music opinions like that… If it was up to me, I was not listening to none of this dumb. I don’t really listen to Drill. I don’t listen to Drill music like that.” — Owen [34:30]

• On coping with fear:
  “There’s a scare where niggas just deadlock and don’t want to come out their hut… And I’ve seen a scare where a nigga just stand out there, but he’s back against the wall and he ready for whatever.” — Owen [38:34]

• On resolving conflict and staff-youth relationships:
  “I was happy that he was able to be honest with me… I was showing him that I’m not a punk. So I understand.” — YDS Hardin [44:47]

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Important Timestamps

• Chaotic Atmosphere/Intro to Crossroads: [05:06]
• Gang Sweep Effects/Unit Dynamics: [06:04][09:14]
• Disrespect & Fight Triggers (“SMD”): [11:04]
• Early Warning Signs/Anticipating Violence: [12:32][13:25]
• Staff on Code Yellow Response: [14:08][16:02][19:53]
• Staff Stories: The Key Incident: [21:26]
• Power and Entertainment of Fights: [29:23]
• On Music and Drill Rap: [34:42][36:41]
• Living with Fear: [38:00]
• Staff Experience: “Getting Milked”: [42:29][43:39]
• Prison as Social Death: [45:48][46:19]

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Tone & Language

The episode maintains the Ear Hustle signature: raw, conversational, sometimes darkly funny, always compassionate. Language is genuine, frequently borrowing the slang of Crossroads—terms like “cold yellow,” “hole,” “SMD,” "ops," and "getting milked" are explained with both informality and journalistic clarity.
Hosts blend their outsider perspectives with deep respect for the insider realities of both staff and residents, creating a balanced view of a charged, emotionally complex system.

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Conclusion

“No Violence” strips away the myth that such a rule can ever be fully enforced inside a youth detention center where fear, pride, unresolved conflicts, and a longing for status drive daily interactions. The episode’s stories—by turns humorous, heartbreaking, and tense—paint a human portrait of a place where violence is both condemned and, at times, inevitable, and where everyone is learning new strategies for survival.

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Next Episode Preview:
The series continues with a focus on the “G Unit”—the girls’ side at Crossroads—with staff reflecting on gender dynamics, relationships, and what makes working with young women uniquely challenging.

For more: Ear Hustle SQ
Find the show wherever you get podcasts.

Transcript

[A]

Hey, Air Hustlers, it's Nigel and Earlonne.

[B]

We're here to say thank you for spending time with us this year.

[A]

It's really amazing, Earlonne, to look back on everything we did this year, I am really proud of the episodes we did about Death Row, both at San Quentin and the one at the Central California Women's facility.

[B]

Yeah. This is also the year we launched our first series, the Loop, about kids caught up in the criminal legal system in New York.

[A]

And some of our listeners might know this, but there's so much that goes on behind behind the scenes to get Ear Hustle episodes to you. And I don't just mean making the stories themselves.

[B]

Yeah, it's everything from connecting us with sponsors, creating community with other podcasts, and all the technical behind the scenes stuff of sending a podcast into the world.

[A]

Oh, my God, Earlonne, I couldn't do any of that. I mean, I knew about making stories, but everything else.

[B]

Being a part of Radiotopia from PRX means we get a lot of help with all of that so we can focus on making these stories that you hear on Ear Hustle.

[A]

Very few podcast networks champion independence like Radiotopia does. If you pay attention to the headlines, you know, it's a tough time for public media. We are so grateful that Radiotopia gives Ear Hustle the freedom to make the decisions that are right for us.

[B]

The annual Radiotopia fundraiser just launched and we're trying to reach 1500 donors before the end of the year. When you donate to Radiotopia, the money is split amongst all the shows in the network.

[A]

If you love Ear Hustle, if you want shows like ours to exist and thrive and help other Radiotopia podcasts exist and thrive, please donate today at Radiotopia fm. Donate.

[B]

That's Radiotopia fm. Donate. Thank you so much. Earlonne here and Nigel, I want to tell you about my new hoodie from Pakka. Pakka makes performance apparel from Alpaca Fiber, one of the world's most sust sustainable natural fibers. Their best selling hoodie is softer than cashmere, warmer than wool, and breathable.

[A]

I have a eucalyptus green packa hoodie. It's so cozy and lightweight, incredibly packable. And I love that the name of the person who actually made it in Peru is signed inside the sweater. So I feel like I'm supporting a fellow artist on the other side of the world. And that's pretty cool.

[B]

Yeah. And it looks nice on you, Nye.

[A]

Why, thank you, my friend.

[B]

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[A]

And right now, when you order your packa hoodie, they'll throw in a free pair of their alpaca crew socks. These socks keep your feet dry and warm and they work great with the kind of boots that I like to wear. Plus there's a lifetime guarantee if you wear these socks out, they will replace them. Amazing, right?

[B]

Man to grab your alpaca hoodie and free pair of alpaca crew socks, head to go.pakkaapparel.com earhustle and use code earhustle that's Earhustle and enter code earhustle.

[C]

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[B]

Before we launch into the episode, we've got some news to share.

[A]

We are taking our live show back on the road early next year.

[B]

This is the same show that we brought to the south and Midwest over the summer. Now we're bringing it home to Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and one more city that we'll be announcing soon.

[A]

Definitely. And for each of those cities, we are going to be doing another performance at a local prison, which Earlonne. That's so cool.

[B]

Yeah, love to do that. Tickets go on sale starting November 5th. All details are on our website earhustlesq.com.

[A]

Tour We Cannot Wait to see you there. My name's Abby Pierce and I'm a teaching artist with Drama Club and the director of so Boom. This episode of Ear Hustle contains language and content that may not be appropriate for all listeners. Discretion is advised.

[B]

So my sense of what Crossroads gonna be like today is probably crowded since we heard that they did a roundup and got a lot of people in there. So the vibe we've been hearing has been a little chaotic at Crossroads. We've been hearing that they've been having these cold yellows, which is like an alarm for something, be it a fight, you know, where staff need assistance to quell a disturbance. And today we're going to find out, you know, what's really going on.

[A]

What else is special about today, Nigel? Well, it's actually his birthday. His 53rd birthday, or anniversary of life, as he prefers.

[B]

Today is definitely my 53rd anniversary of life, and I'm definitely grateful for waking up this morning. So at this point, we were six months into this project.

[A]

It had been almost two months since we last visited Crossroads, and we'd heard that things had changed a bit there.

[B]

Yep, there had been a gang sweep in New York and a bunch of kids had been arrested and brought into Crossroads.

[A]

So apparently things were more crowded than usual and people were feeling the stress.

[B]

And anytime things get crowded, you're likely to have some drama because kids might be seeing people they haven't seen in a while, and maybe you got beef with them. And if so, it's on, on site, meaning you're getting down wherever you run into each other at, it's on the.

[A]

Spot drama, but not the good kind.

[B]

Exactly. That's what we're talking about today. What goes down when things get heated on the hall. I'm Earlonne Woods.

[A]

I'm Nigel Poor. And this is the loop from ear hustle and PRX's Radiotopia.

[B]

Rule number two, no violence.

[A]

And if you haven't listened to the first two episodes of the series yet, go back and listen to those first. This episode will make a lot more sense.

[B]

A door, a locked door that I can't open.

[D]

That's the first thing I always see.

[C]

I call it baby jail. Like, this is baby jail. You could come to jail. Cause it's easy, right? But to get out is hard. It's very hard to get out, miss.

[D]

How do I put it?

[B]

Survival arrest.

[D]

I was surviving, and in the course.

[B]

Of me surviving, I got arrested. Survival arrest.

[D]

Gentlemen, gentlemen.

[C]

With improv, you could do anything. And there's like, nobody could laugh at you. There's no right or wrong answer. Like, I could be a cowgirl if I want to. Like, you know, nobody's gonna look at me weird.

[A]

I'm so fucking tired. I don't know. Today was really demoralizing to me.

[B]

You know, we're on a constant loop. This loop never ends. I don't think it's gonna end. Recently, this place filled up because of I guess an NYPD crackdown on gangs and indictments. And what does that necessarily mean here? It means a lot.

[A]

This is youth development specialist Hamilton.

[D]

If a certain dynamic of kids are.

[B]

Indicted and they come in here, it.

[D]

Can totally affect what's going on in here.

[B]

Absolutely. And here's Ydst Wright. What do it do for the jail?

[D]

It makes the jail a little bit more crazier because some of the youths be trying to make space for they guys that they know got locked up with them.

[B]

Right, and how do they make space?

[D]

Oh, whoever's not really my friend outside, you gotta get off my wall. Right, so that's, that's fights. That's fights.

[B]

Did he say haul a hole?

[A]

Okay, well Earlott, us West coasties say haul and we had to learn on the east coast. I guess if you're from the Bronx or Brooklyn hole, you're in the hole. So like we said earlier, In August of 2024, Crossroads had received a bunch of new kids due to a police crackdown on gangs in the Bronx.

[B]

Having a big roundup on the outside means a bunch of new homies are coming into jail. And if one of my homeboys come off the streets and I want him to be on my hall, I gotta get somebody kicked off the unit to make space for him.

[A]

So that could mean a fight.

[B]

I mean that's one way, you know, first you can tell a person, hey man, go pack your shit, you can't be here no more. That's the non violent way. And if they don't, you know, you can probably get it mentioned to the staff that hey man, this dude ain't safe over here. You know, you might want to move him or you can just, you know, beat all that. Just go sock the person out and prove that it really wasn't safe for them. You don't want it to come to that. But if it has to, staff here.

[A]

Try to keep that from happening. And they also try to make sure that kids from opposing gangs don't accidentally get put together in the same hall.

[B]

You can't be mixing kids with their enemies. They're opps.

[D]

When the kids first come in, we ask them where they're from. What's your gang affiliation?

[B]

This is OM Taylor. OM stands for Operation Manager. He's one of the staff here at Crossroads.

[D]

You do have Crips, you have 60s and 30s and 40s, you have the Folk Nation, Mac Ballers, you have the jets, it runs the gamut. And you do have gangs. That's unrepairable like, you gotta understand that people have lost their lives, so you're not gonna be able to fix that. And they're not gonna stop until they get it. Cause you gotta remember they still have to answer to the gang in the street. Hey, he's right here with me. All right. You know what you gotta do. Who's gonna be the sacrificial lamb for that?

[B]

The staff can try to slow stuff down, but kids gonna find a way. They're gonna find a workaround.

[A]

And we learned that if you're a kid here and you wanna start something, there are some words that you can throw out to get things started.

[D]

Once you speak on somebody's dead friend, it's over. SMD is over.

[B]

What's that?

[D]

Suck my dick.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Them terms.

[D]

Certain.

[A]

Like, is that an east coast term or something? Because we.

[B]

Yeah, that's.

[D]

That's all the smd.

[B]

F. You're dead mans. Things of that nature wants to hear those verbiage is going left.

[E]

No suck my dick meaning like, no. I don't know if y' all know what that mean, but it's like a disrespectful word. No suck my dick is like, no disrespectful talk. Like, no suck my dick. No say my dead man. No dead man talk. Me like, no say my friend that's dead nothing. Don't speak on him.

[D]

No smd, Right.

[B]

I swear. Definitely east coast.

[A]

East coast expression.

[D]

No smoke. When you say SMD on the east coast, you better be ready to fight.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, conflict is inevitable here. And when a fight is brewing, it changes the feeling in the hall.

[B]

Like, the high tone. Like a high tone is when the.

[D]

Whole hall is about to start rioting.

[B]

Or somebody's about to go out or do something to somebody.

[D]

Last quarter, high tone.

[B]

This is Tommy in the last episode. He's the kid who gave us a tour of his room. Tommy's been locked up a few years, so he's seen some fights.

[A]

And he says right before one breaks out, there's a few telltale signs. Can you sense when that's about to happen? Yeah.

[B]

Like, you see everybody with their jail sneakers on. It's a problem. Usually nine times out of ten, we'll walk around in our slides and slippers. Those are our shower slippers. So we walk around like that. Once you see people putting their sneakers on, their pants picked up tightly. Everybody focusing. That's how, you know, you could feel the tension in the air.

[D]

The tension in the room is. It's breathable.

[B]

Like, you could Breathe it in. And you could feel it in your chest.

[A]

So no one has to tell you. You're like, no.

[D]

You could just know.

[B]

Yeah. There's a version of this that happens in adult prisons too. You know, like if you're out on the yard and all of a sudden it gets quiet.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Or you see a certain racial group and they all dress the same. Like, say the Mexicans are all out there and they all wearing boots.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You gotta keep your head on the swivel because something's about to go down.

[A]

Here at Crossroads, we were told that another way to know when something's happening is to always be listening.

[B]

Mm. Ear hustling.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

Listen to the radio. You gotta hear movement. Cause kids listen to it too.

[A]

Here's OM Taylor again.

[D]

So if they know my op, which is the gang rival, is in D hall, and they got two moving the kid, like, oh, Mr. Taylor, I gotta go to the bathroom. So if you're not paying attention, you say, okay, wait a minute. Wait till this move. Then you can go.

[B]

Kids listen in on staff's radios, and if they hear that some kids from a certain hall are being moved somewhere else in the building and those kids are some of the ones they want to get down with, they'll come up with an excuse to get out there in that hall.

[A]

I gotta go to the bathroom.

[B]

And as soon as they get in that hallway, it's on and cracking.

[F]

Cold yellow.

[B]

This is YDS Landry.

[A]

Code yellow is what staff say on the radio when things are getting really out of hand.

[F]

It is a very, very ominous phrase. 2 Youth engaging in a fight is a code. Any situation engaging in a physical activity while youth are moving throughout the buildings is a code. We've had situations where youth attack staff.

[E]

That's clearly a cold yellow.

[A]

Here's Tommy again.

[B]

A major cold yellow. Let's say a resident is walking past with another staff, and it's just one resident. And a door opens with a whole hole, and the whole hole runs out to that one resident.

[D]

That's a bad coyello.

[B]

Now, a terrible coyella, like a coyella that you don't ever want to be in the building for, that you don't.

[D]

Want to see is two holes mixing. That's not supposed to mix.

[B]

That's a nasty scene.

[F]

There's the ear that's forever tuned into the radio. Right.

[B]

That's whitey as Landry.

[F]

Again, I can be having this conversation. I can hear the tweak from there. Sometimes I hear that tweak when there's no radio when I'm not in the building.

[B]

You know what I'm saying?

[F]

Looking at myself, the symptoms almost feel post traumatic, right? And I've heard it in, like, every voice, every pitch of tone. Cold yellow. D hole.

[D]

Cold yellow.

[F]

A hole.

[D]

Sometimes you jump. It gives you anxiety. Like, cold yellow. Cold yellow. Cold yellow.

[B]

Cold yellow. Cold yellow. All available staff. All available staff. All hands on deck. All hands on deck.

[C]

Cold yellow.

[E]

Bee ho.

[B]

Yellow. Cold yellow. Cold yellow.

[F]

So now I'm really hauling ass.

[D]

Tom definitely speeds up. I feel like when I go into these cold yellows, the main thing I want to know is who's to the left of me, who's to the right of me.

[B]

Body's flush with adrenaline.

[D]

You got a heartbeat all over your body. So you know that. Like, you know the feeling you get when you're startled.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Imagine that feeling going from your chest to your arms to your head, through your whole body. There's housing units that you know. Oh, boy. That's an area we need to really get to.

[A]

What happens in your body? Do you sit up straight? Does your heart jump? Did you get, like a. Oh, definitely.

[D]

You ever see a roller coaster go, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick? And before that drop, it's that pause and your body like, oh, that's how I feel.

[B]

Yeah, just like butterflies or butterflies?

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

You know when you go on the roller coaster and, like, your stomach gets all those butterflies, and then, like, right when you about to go down, like, you holding on so tight. Oh, my God, you about to, like, drop. I get that feeling. Like, it's scared, but it's like, oh, my God, I'm gonna do it kind of thing. And I like that feeling.

[A]

This is tiny. We met her in the first episode when she was a teenager. She was incarcerated on Rikers island, where she used to be what they called red tagged because she fought so much before.

[C]

Like, that was my rush. Like, yeah, like, hit me again kind of thing. Like, you know, like, it don't hurt. Do it again. Do it again.

[A]

And like, punching.

[C]

Yeah, like punching. I like the punching. The girls always pull hair, regardless. That's the thing. Like, guys don't do that, but girls pull hair. I remember I used to talking like, yeah, pull my hair. Go. Because I know you're gonna do it. Like, pull my hair. Pull my hair. It felt good, I guess. I love to fight. Like, that was my thing back then.

[A]

Sorry, I had to ask. Like, what did you love about fighting?

[C]

I don't know, because I never, like, really lost. I never lost a Fight. If I felt like I lost, I got jumped. Don't get me wrong, I got jumped before, but I don't count that as, like, losing a fight, you know what I mean? Like, I got my eyes whooped, I jump. But that's totally different, right?

[A]

Earlonne. I haven't ever really been in, like, a real physical fight.

[B]

What?

[A]

Yeah, I know. But I think before I leave this earth, I'd like to experience at least one, maybe. No, not at least one. Just one. What about you?

[B]

I can't believe you ain't had no fisticus.

[A]

I know, right? I got a few potential sparring partners.

[B]

Don't.

[A]

That's not sad.

[B]

I will say, uh, shit me, My last fight was when I first got to San Quentin.

[A]

Are you serious? I don't know anything about that.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. It was a dude that I had known for a long time, you know, and he was cool as fuck outside the cell, but once inside the cell, he was a whole different character.

[A]

He was your celly.

[B]

Yeah, he was my celly. He felt that the cell was his, like, he owned the cell.

[A]

He wanted to be a cell captain.

[B]

He wanted to be all that. And, you know, I wasn't with that one.

[A]

No.

[B]

You know when a cat don't have a coming courtesy to move his shit to the side. So you put your shit up under the bed. Yeah. So that became an issue, you know, and he said a few words that I didn't appreciate, and, you know.

[A]

And you went after him.

[B]

I did, but then the cat didn't want to fight, so I backed up. And it was 9 o' clock at night, and I'm saying to myself, like, I'm gonna go to sleep. This motherfucker might throw a TV on my head. You know what I'm saying?

[A]

Yeah. And how much longer did you bunk with him?

[B]

Probably the next day. I was moved.

[A]

Yeah, I've never heard that story before.

[B]

Yeah, you know, you wasn't there, so I don't really talk about shit like that.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, honestly, I can't. I can't picture you fighting. Sorry.

[B]

I couldn't either. Not there. Not for that, you know.

[A]

Okay, well, great to hear that story, but let's get back to Landry and Taylor.

[F]

So usually it's like, I hear the cold yellow, okay? It's what hole, what staff, how fast can I get there? And then once I'm there, how can we get everything back to baseline as fast as possible?

[D]

The first thing you want to do is try your best to de escalate the adults Responding. Because if they go at a high fever pitch, then you're not helping the situation, you're adding to it. And then you always want to check for weapons, right? Cause if you're going into something just trying to be gun hole, you're gonna miss something, someone's gonna get hurt. Then once the environment is secure, you kind of do your check of everybody. Everybody's calm, everybody's cool. The kids are where they need to be. Let them bang on the door, they tie themselves out. If there need to be a search, you do a search and then you do your debriefing.

[F]

What happened?

[D]

What was that about? Why you had to go to that, you know? And that's how they start calming down. So I was moving a kid one.

[A]

Time, right om Taylor told us about this one time when he was escorting a kid and they both heard something.

[D]

I heard the front door open. This is the main door. So the kid heard it simultaneous to me and he pushed past me. Boom. And I said, damn. So the school floor is like a U. He went to the left, but the group was coming to the right because they heard him also. I don't know how kids do it. The group met, and if you ever been in a crisis, it's like this weird noise like. Like you just hear feet and just movement. So they both clash. Like, how can I even let this happen? So the cold came and I had these keys. So I was trying to take the keys and put them somewhere so they won't be in the way. So I kind of like put them.

[F]

In there in the corner.

[D]

And I'm trying to break up the fight and we breaking up kids. And then for a split second, I see my keys come out the crowd. I said, oh, those are my keys. So a kid took them and threw them at a kid. But it was in slow motion. Like everybody stopped and saw all these keys in the air. And I'm like, oh, there go my keys right there. They took it and they tossed it and it hit the kid in the face.

[B]

Bang.

[D]

And then they start fighting again. And I tried to grab my keys, and the kid who got hit said, here, Taylor, here's your key. Like, stopped in mid fighting mode and said, oh, yeah, here's your keys. And they went back fighting again. It was like maybe five minutes, but it was the longest five minutes ever. So I don't even take keys no more. Whenever there's a crisis, I always leave them at my desk. I was suffering from vertigo. If anyone's familiar with vertical, you get dizzy. I Could feel it coming on. So I put my head down.

[B]

Taylor told us another story about a day he was feeling sick on the job, and a cold yellow came across the radio. Cold yellow.

[D]

And my partner was like, yo, T, come on, we gotta go. I said, man, I can't go. I feel dizzy. He said, what do you mean you get dizzy? But so now I get up, and I'm walking with him, but I'm trying to hold on to his shirt because now the vertical is kicking in, right? So we get to the housing area. Everything is, like, in slow motion. Kids is moving, everything. I'm like, oh, what I'm doing here? And I remember going into a youth room, and I couldn't stand, and I just fell on this bed. And I remember one of the youth that was participating in the fight was like, yo, hold on, Taylor, you good? I said, nah, I don't feel too well. He's like, yo, come in here. Got me some water. And it was weird to me because I said, well, wasn't y' all just fighting? Didn't we just come over there to respond? It's like, yeah, but we saw you wasn't feeling well, and that told me that when you have a relationship, the kids will always somehow care for you.

[A]

That surprised me. I mean, that kid was really looking out for Taylor.

[B]

Hmm. Or maybe the kid was playing a long game. Thought now Taylor might hold him a favor.

[A]

Crafty.

[C]

We'll be right back.

[A]

We've got some news that I have to say. Earlonne, I have been dying to share.

[B]

Hell, yeah. It's our 2026 West coast tour.

[A]

Yes. And it feels like a lifetime ago, but it was just last August that we drove over 4,000 miles through the south and Midwest, performing our live show in 10 theaters and three prisons. And it was so much fun that we knew we had to bring it to our home coast.

[B]

Yep, west coast is the best coast. So early next year, we're hitting the road again. This time, we'll be taking the show to Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, your hometown. Yes. Yes. San Francisco. And hopefully one more surprise location.

[A]

Not hopefully. That's gonna happen.

[B]

Indeed.

[A]

And for every outside show we do, we're planning to do one at a local prison. So that's five shows in prison and five shows outside prison and Earlonne. Come on. We cannot wait for this.

[B]

Indeed. Tickets for the Portland, Seattle, and LA show go on sale at noon Pacific time on November 5th at earhustlesq.com tour. Tickets for the San Francisco show will be announced very soon.

[A]

Get all the [e-mail] tour we cannot wait to see you on the road. This episode is sponsored by Better Help.

[B]

As seasons change and the days get darker sooner, it could be a tough time for folks this November, Better Help is encouraging everyone to reach out, check in on friends, reconnect with loved ones, and remind people in your life that you're there.

[A]

That is such good advice. Earlonne I think, you know, I'm a little bit sort of antisocial and I always like, sorry, I can't go to the party or it's really hard for me to return a phone call. But you know, when I do it, it is so worth it. It's wonderful to connect with people. Just like it is worth reaching out to a therapist to get help. Even though it can be difficult, it's really rewarding and you'll be like, why didn't I do that sooner? This month, don't wait to reach out. Whether you're checking in on a friend or reaching out to a therapist yourself, BetterHelp makes it easier to take that first step. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/ear hustle.

[B]

That's better. H E L p.com earhustle.

[C]

I don't.

[B]

Know if it's because we're deep in episode production or because the seasons are changing, but I find myself wanting to eat a bunch of junk food this time of year. It's not my healthy season, if you know what I mean.

[A]

I totally know what you mean because I am having the same predicament. There's just so many, like, sweeties and baked goods around during the holiday time. Especially when you work at an office. Right. And now the holiday parties are starting up and so hard to say no. And you know, I am always looking for ways to be healthier and balance my nutrition.

[B]

Which is why I'm very glad that you and I are getting our AG1 on.

[A]

Yes, we are. AG1 is a daily health drink designed to support gut health and fill in nutritional gaps. It contains pre and probiotics, superfoods and over 75 vitamins and minerals. And it's backed by research.

[B]

Yeah, you know I don't like to take a lot of vitamins and with AG1 I don't need to because one scoop in the morning in a glass of water does the job of both a multivitamin and probiotics. I'm enjoying the berry flavor. I mix it up and drink it on my way to work. Easy.

[A]

AG1 is gluten free dairy free vegan and it fits in with paleo and keto diets.

[B]

Head to drinkag1.comEarhustle to get a free welcome kit with an AG1 flavor sampler and a bottle of vitamin D3 plus K when you first subscribe. That's drinkag1.comEarhUSTle and if it's a cold yellow on other units, do everybody run to the front window and look out trying to see something?

[E]

Yeah, on a hole across from us most of the time you can see what happened.

[A]

And what are you hoping to see?

[E]

I fight. I'm trying to see who's fighting.

[B]

Owen's one of the kids here at Crossroads and he told us that he was facing one of the most serious sentences you can get.

[A]

And Owen really stands out in a crowd.

[B]

I mean he's like studious. Remember he had on his glasses?

[A]

Yep. Those round glasses.

[B]

He sat real proper.

[A]

Yeah. And the first time I met him I told him that he looked like he would, you know, have a position in a bookstore or something.

[B]

So here he's telling us how kids react when a fight breaks out down the hall.

[A]

And what, why, why do you want to see entertaining?

[E]

I want to see who got it on. Definitely entertaining fighting. Honestly, Ola.

[A]

And do you like imagine being in the fight or.

[E]

Yeah, I'll be like, oh, I would have did that different. This different, you know, and then we. That starts with a whole nother conversation.

[A]

We talked about this before how the residential halls have these windows that look onto the hallway so the kids gather around.

[B]

I mean fights is like TV in a place like this. You know what I'm saying? You get to see dudes get dusted off. And now you talking about it for the rest of the day. You know, there's nothing else going on.

[E]

If you're one of the tallest people on the crib, you gotta go in the back. You could see that shit.

[A]

Well, that's you, right?

[E]

If you show, you gotta go in the front.

[A]

You have to go to the back then.

[E]

Sometimes.

[A]

Yeah, sometimes it's like getting a better seat at a concert. Like you want to be up front. What would more guys rush to the window for a fight or the girls walking by?

[E]

Probably a fight.

[A]

So when you're in one of those fights, are you aware that people are watching?

[E]

Yeah. When, when we having fights on our hole, other holes be on the gate, dirty looking, trying to see what the going on.

[B]

So when, when the YDS is in there, do individuals be tuned into those radios to hear what's Going on in the whole.

[E]

Are you. Did they say Cole Yellow on the radio? What?

[B]

Coy.

[E]

Turn right up. Let me hear that. Coreyella. Where? I'm not gonna say I'm scared of traffic.

[B]

It.

[E]

I got beef. But it's like outside, you catch traffic with somebody, your op. You see a op across the street, it's going to go however it's going to go. And the thing about this building, like, everybody gets to know everybody. Like the. The super. The people that work here get to know the residents that's here. They know who's your man and who's not your mans.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And who's your ops, who's not your ops.

[A]

And do you know personally, like, what. What halls you do not want to be out in traffic with.

[E]

I'd be in traffic with any whore. I got. I got beef, but I'm not going to say I'm scared of traffic. Traffic is traffic. That's what come with it.

[A]

Okay, so if something happens, you're. You're okay. You're not. You're not worried?

[E]

No, we just going to fight. We going to do whatever we doing, and that's. That's that.

[B]

And. And do you think there'll ever be a day when all the halls put their differences to the side? Never.

[E]

Cause a lot of people in here is locked up for shooting or for allegedly shooting or doing something to somebody else's mans. Cause over here, like, you gonna get that call probably the next day something happened. You gonna call the town, and the town gonna tell you something just happened. But you in the same spot with the same nigga. His man's this hunting you in the same spot with him right now, right?

[B]

So he's saying the reason they're fighting in a place like Crossroads is because there's always a conflict on the outside. So if some dude shoots one of your homies on the outside and he's in here with you at Crossroads, all your homies are gonna be looking at you like, sup?

[A]

Mm. Like, what are you gonna do?

[B]

Yeah, basically.

[E]

Oh, his man just shot such and such. And you wanna see n you on the phone, you looking at him right there. He watching tv. So it's like, you gonna move off of that. There's too much going on outside for them to be ever get cool again. Like, people done die behind that type.

[B]

Of beef, you know? Nyj, I think the difference between now and when I was in there is that we only got to make phone calls, like maybe once a week.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And that's how we got information you know what I'm saying? So most of the time, we didn't know what was going on on the streets.

[A]

Interesting.

[B]

You know, and now these kids, they getting constant updates. This facility is too close to the streets. Like, most people haven't been convicted or they still here and they going in and out, so they still got that street vibe. But it's crazy when you get like upstate or in the penitentiary, every, like, everybody be cool. You know what I'm saying? It's like, especially in like the higher levels where everybody get life now everybody's starting to talk and everybody see that. Oh, we just couple of degrees of separ. We all know the same people. The conversation is a lot different because you can beef every day, but I mean, that ain't no life to live.

[A]

But there's definitely gangs in prisons.

[B]

No, there are, but. So it's like this say, for instance, we all got life now. We can rock this bitch every day, but it's not gonna serve us because we want to just be able to move around. We want to be able to. If we smoke weed, we want to be able to have weed. And being locked down, all that's gone. You know what I'm saying? So you find, okay, I might not like you, but you know, we good. Is there any part of yourself that you hide inside of here you don't show to everybody?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And then like what I listen to.

[E]

Playbook Cardi in the time asap, Rocky and Sha. I be listening to more of the chill music. You just laid back. But I don't play that type of music around them because they want to hear the rah rah Drill. They don't want to listen to what I listen to. So I don't really share my music opinions like that.

[B]

Got you.

[E]

Cuz if it was up to me, I was not listening to none of this dumb. I don't really listen to Drill. I don't listen to Drill music like that.

[A]

Okay, I think we need to pause here for a little music appreciation class. Earlonne, how about drill rap 101?

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Drill rap is a kind of rap that's all about fighting. Boasting about the stuff you've done on the street.

[B]

You listen to Drill Rap?

[A]

No.

[B]

It'S like making a complete documentation of what you've been up to, you know, basically snitching on yourself. And before, we were talking about how fighting on the outside makes its way inside through, you know, the kids talking on their phone with their homies. Well, another way it gets in here is through Music, especially drill rap, I.

[F]

Don'T want to sound prehistoric, but the music, right, has played such a big part in it. And I say that because I always laugh even when I think it, because just hearing people say that when I was younger and I'm just like, this music ain't got nothing to do with nothing, but it attaches.

[B]

It's not just the music, it's the videos that go along with it.

[A]

Here's Yds Landry again.

[F]

They all want to be in the videos. They all want to have firearms in their hand. They all want the Pooh shiesty scheme ass pulled down. Like all of this is creating a culture where all this is behavior is acceptable. It's not even just acceptable. It's be to going glorified, you know, so back in the days when people did things or people did things that involved breaking the law, it was something you wanted to remain quiet about because your goal was to not be captured by the authorities. These kids do things and they claim the things. It's almost like it doesn't matter unless other people know that we're doing it. So that leads to recidivism and juvenile detention because. Cause everything is claimed, you know, and it leads to a continuous nature of feeling like you need to put on in a way to get the approval of your friends. They're so smitten by the idea of being put on a pedestal by their peers, they're willing to fry their own youth to do so.

[B]

And that's why a lot of like the younger kids now are getting indicted for their lyrics, because their lyrics are literally. We pulled up in the Sentra, we hung out the window, we shot him in the face, went to the funeral, shot his mom, you know what I'm saying? And all this shit really happened.

[F]

And it's in a video and it's shown with you in there, and it's shown with you holding multiple guns and the people with you holding guns. So I don't know how you would ever expect in this situation for any federal prosecutor or anybody to not believe that this is what you're about.

[B]

So there's your drill. Rap 101. Now back to Owen.

[A]

Do you remember how I described you when I met you?

[E]

Uh, tall, brown skin. I can't remember what I said.

[A]

You look like you would work at a bookstore.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah, that's a good description.

[A]

So I just. When I hear you talking about fighting, that's why I keep looking at you, because I see you working in the bookstore helping people. Like, yes, that section's right over there. Can I walk you over there? So it's hard for me to imagine those.

[B]

The ones that get cracking, though.

[A]

Well, apparently, yes. Have you ever been scared in here?

[E]

I'm scared every day. Yeah, you just in an unknown environment, scared. You don't know what. You don't know this nigga from my hole in the world. You. This nigga might fucking stab you down or some shit. You don't know this nigga. He could just wake up one day and like, fuck, I'm here for stab somebody.

[A]

So do you feel like that's a. That's a constant feeling you're having?

[E]

Yeah, I feel like everybody got that feeling. Once you're in an environment you do not know, you don't know nobody. You gonna be scared. You don't gotta show that you're scared. You're gonna still fight. You still gonna go out. But there's nothing wrong with being scared.

[A]

And what do you think that does to you?

[E]

It sharpens your mind. It makes you more aware, makes you more on fifth. There's nothing wrong with being scared. There's nothing wrong with being paranoid. It's a scare. We could be scared and you just freeze up. You curl up and there's a scare that makes you on point, that makes you sharp, that makes you ready to go. I seen a scare where niggas just deadlock and don't want to come out their hut. They ain't hud for most of the day. And I've seen a scare where a nigga just stand out there, but he's back against the wall and he ready for whatever.

[A]

Where do you fall in between those two?

[E]

Am I back on the wall?

[C]

It's okay. I was gonna go on break, but I'm okay with. It's okay. It's fine. You wanna bring a break? No, it's fine.

[B]

This is yds Harden. She's one of the first female ydses we met at crossroads.

[C]

So I just had a baby a year ago.

[B]

Congratulations.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

He tearing shit up. Yeah. Yes, yes.

[C]

He's very busy. It scares me.

[A]

Earlonne, you know, a little something about one year old staring shit up.

[B]

Yes, yes, yes. He moves around fast now he's no longer in a little stationary spot.

[A]

Good luck, my friend.

[C]

It's very challenging because we are here.

[A]

Maybe.

[C]

A little over 17 hours a day. Maybe four days a week. Yeah, three to four days a week.

[A]

So your family doesn't necessarily know when you're gonna get home?

[C]

No, no. And I don't know what's going on the outside world. I don't know what's happening with my child. I don't know what he's doing. I can't call.

[B]

And that's because y' all not allowed to bring phones in.

[C]

You can't have no phones. No anything. No.

[A]

So you're like Tyler, talking 60 hours a week. We were talking to someone yesterday about how many people start here and how quickly people.

[C]

It's not made for everyone.

[A]

Yeah. And they said, the first. The people that leave first is when you hear you gotta come in and you've already worked your shift, and they're like, okay, goodbye.

[C]

I've been here for almost three years. Almost three years. Very challenging. I've seen ups and downs and good days, bad days, but I love it.

[A]

So when you first started working here, did you think you were gonna make it?

[C]

Yes, I did. Automatically, I knew. I said, okay, I could give this job 20 years. But then some days I'd be like, I'm gonna give up. But I got it. I can do it.

[A]

You seem very calm. You have a very open, friendly face. And I wonder how the kids see it, because when they first see you, they must be like, oh, this looks like, you know, like my older sister or someone who's gonna be really kind. Yeah. So I wonder if they, like, test you and then they realize, no.

[C]

My first day here, I thought that they was gonna test me. My first day because of what I was seeing around me. They must have said, no, we not gonna play with her. Because if you come in scared, they gonna test you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And how many times do. Because you're a beautiful woman. So how many times people crack at you. Do they ever try to shoot a shot? Of course.

[C]

Of course the kids. But you gotta. And that's the thing. You have to be stern. I'm old enough to be your mom. I'm your older sister. Don't play with me like that. Because if you don't, then they gonna honestly think that they can. And they're gonna keep going and keep going. So of course, it always happens. Someone new will come in and be like, oh, you so pretty. You wanna be my girlfriend? No, not at all. We know you have to be stern. And you gotta set them straight from the door. If you don't. If you laugh and think it's funny, oh, they got you.

[B]

Someone had mentioned this thing called getting milked. So anytime we met a staff, we were like, hey, man, this ever happened to you?

[A]

Yds Hardin had that story.

[C]

So, Ethel, I heard you met Ethel, Correct?

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. So we have a kid on F hall who. He likes certain staff there. So sometimes I'll go there. He didn't want me there this day. He wanted another female there. He knew she was there. He wanted her there. So he's like, you need to leave the hall. I'm like, I'm not leaving the hall. This is my hall. I want you to leave. He thought that he could start an argument where I'm one of the staff that'd be like, you know what? I'm leaving.

[A]

Leaving.

[C]

I'm. I'm a strong staff. I'm not going anywhere, whether you like it or not. So I stayed. So the next day I came in. He said, what the hell you doing here? Get the hell off my hole. I said, I'm not going anywhere. You got five minutes to leave or I'm gonna milk you. He started opening up the milks. I'm not going anywhere. So he's like, you're not gonna leave? No, I'm not going anywhere. He tried to attacked me. His friend got the milks and throw them at me.

[B]

So you had milk on you?

[C]

Yeah, and my hair, shirt, everything.

[B]

And, you know, the instinct is to take flight. What. What restrains you? Is it just your professionalism?

[C]

I'm not gonna lie. I was very upset. It took me out of character. I might have been very, very rude at that moment. I was. But I was removed from the situation, which I was happy that I had good co workers that was able to calm me, bring me back down, bring me back to level. I did take a couple of days off to get a mental break.

[B]

As you should.

[C]

Yep. I came back, and me, I like this kid. I like both of the kids. You know, one milked me, one disrespected me. I had a mediation with them. They was very apologetic, and I was receptive because I understood their part. Well, not the one who threw the milk because I felt like you was being a follower. You only threw it because he opened them and you felt like, you have to prove something to him, like, this is what I would do for you. So I was really upset with him, but he was able to apologize and tell me why he did it. I only did this because I was showing him that I'm not a punk. So I understand. I was happy that he was able to be honest with me.

[B]

Let me say this. In California, those acts taken towards you would be reason to go to the hole, even in juvenile settings.

[C]

And I wish we had those.

[B]

Yeah, I'm sure it's hard when a kid pulls some shit like that on you. But you gotta remember they're kids, and some of them are looking at some real time.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Sometimes they gonna wake up upset. Some kids here, they didn't even have a life. They gonna do more time than they age. So they're gonna be mad, they're gonna be aggressive. And a lot of people don't understand that. I mean, I do. You 16 and they give you 18 a life. You have no life.

[B]

I'm sure kids are thinking about the life they used to have, the one that they lost when they got arrested.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And that makes me think are like, with the kids that still have that life, like, do their friends on the outside stick around? Will they still be there for them?

[B]

You'd wish.

[A]

This is something we asked Owen about.

[E]

When you first get arrested, it's like, yeah, everybody miss you. For me, I just dislike. I just disappeared. I don't really use social media, so it was like, I just disappeared until my man's just telling people, like, yeah, you know, he ain't ghost nobody. He got booked, he arrested. So then, like, everybody miss you. And then sooner or later, like, it's like, niggas stop eating their colds. Niggas moving on with life.

[B]

I kind of look at the jail like the only place while you alive that you get to see how people act when you're dead.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

Like the people that come visit you are the same people that will put flowers on your grave and, you know, on your birthday, when they think about you, they'll pull up, do that. And I think prison is the only place that you can really see the real with people. Not that people owe you anything, but just the love that you give to people, the loyalty that you give to people.

[E]

You see what you get back.

[B]

Exactly.

[E]

Falcono family and they having a barbecue. Like, damn, I could have been there. If I call my friends, they had they all together. Like, damn, I could have been there. All the girls I used to talk to outside, like, damn, I could have been there. No, the staff told me about all the new clothes I was dropping. I'm like, damn, I could have bought that. I could have had that.

[A]

Is it better to know what's going on out there, or would you rather not know what you're missing?

[E]

Me personally, I fly like I want to know. Like, so I know where I'm coming home to.

[A]

Yeah. So can your imagination take you out there? Like, when you're just alone thinking, can you, like, leave this place mentally? And.

[E]

Yeah, like, when I'M talking to certain people. I feel like that. But I told the staff, I don't even feel like I'm here. Like, damn, I feel like I'm with you. They tell me about a story about when they was outside on vacation, this, then that place. And I'm like, like, damn, I feel like I was there with you.

[B]

He's living vicariously.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

What is your prediction of your situation?

[E]

You just gotta wait. Time will tell.

[B]

On the next episode, we meet the G unit of Crossroads.

[A]

The girls.

[B]

The girls. I'm curious, who's harder to work with, the boys or the girls?

[C]

The girls. They all have these different personalities and they cannot live together. This person is jealous of this person. This person want this. They mad that this person looks like this. I love them, but it's just like, not today. Not today.

[A]

We are back with another count time.

[B]

Yep. An extra audio snippet. Like a snapshot from San Quentin.

[A]

So I know this isn't exactly your bag, Earlonne, but I was so excited to hear that last week on Halloween, there was going to be a Thriller flash mob scheduled to take place in the yard, which was unusual. Yes, it was. You were there recording.

[B]

I was there.

[A]

You get out on the. Yeah. You supported, but you didn't get out there and try to follow along?

[B]

Not at all.

[A]

Oh, well. But Tony from our inside team and I did, and Tom was there with you recording it, and it was so fun. So we want to share that.

[B]

Yes. Yes. Let's do it. Earlonne, we're going to get you to start dancing.

[A]

Huh?

[B]

Don't. Don't interviewing people. Cause this is Trina. Are you ready to dance? Maybe.

[A]

I. It's more complex than I thought about the dance. Yeah, we're gonna see. It makes me laugh how much Sadiq and Earlonne do not want to do this.

[B]

Yeah. Thank you guys for joining us. I appreciate you guys. You guys look so beautiful out here.

[A]

Okay, so there was this stage set on the yard. There was like, I don't know, like 20 scraggly people trying to learn the dance. And there was this person up front, right, showing everybody the moves and counting it out.

[B]

Zombie count, walk for eight counts. Okay, so we're gonna go 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. You wanna. This is the pose. You wanna get it all right in this pose. Right now, Nigel, Tony, and Amy are doing the crotch. The crotch. Hip thrust.

[A]

I just want to say on the record, I was not doing any crotch grabbing. I did like a side thing because I was like, I'm not Doing that on the yard.

[B]

Nigel looks so uncomfortable doing this.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Up, down.

[A]

They're grabbing their crotches. Oh, my God.

[B]

Clap down.

[F]

Step.

[B]

We're gonna go 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. Step. 5, 6, 7, 8. And 1, 2, 3, 4. Well, we had to get back to interviewing.

[A]

We did. I mean, thank you. It was a little bit harder than I thought it was gonna be.

[B]

Y' all up. Cause y' all was. Y' all would have been there. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

[A]

You know what, Earlonne? That makes me think of the rules of improv. Make your partner look good. You came and rescued me when it was released.

[B]

Time to go.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

They look like they could probably do it.

[A]

You could if some practice.

[B]

But you look like you were having fun at least.

[A]

Are you saying I couldn't follow along? Not right now, but I was having a great time.

[C]

Yes, you did.

[A]

You looked like you had fun, and.

[D]

It was cool that you were, like.

[B]

Actively engaging, you know, it was fun.

[A]

I liked about that the most. The age range, all the races were out there, all different ways of looking and ability, and everyone was having a really fun time. What I really like about it is normally you can't do things like that on the yard where volunteers and people that are in here can do stuff together. That's fun. Because usually they don't let us dance and stuff.

[B]

Is that a rule?

[A]

It's like an over familiarity thing. So when we heard that we could actually participate, I was like, yeah. So I wish there were more people, but I think it's a neat thing. I hope they do more stuff like that.

[D]

It was funny watching you, though.

[B]

I was paying attention to you and Tony because you were right next to.

[D]

Each other, and Tony was super into it.

[B]

And you were, too, though.

[A]

I was. Even though I know I didn't do a great job, it's like, going to be a really good memory for me. Yeah. That. I got to attempt to do the Thriller dance on the San Quentin yard with Tony.

[B]

Ear Hustle would like to thank Adam Brown at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, the City University of New York, and Joanne Smith Darden and Heather McAuley at Michigan State University's School of Social Work for bringing us into this project and for all of their advocacy and support along the way.

[A]

Big thanks, too, to the drama club team, including Josie Whittlesey, Cesar Rosado, Tiffany, Tiny Cruz, Abby Pierce, Sophie Jones, and Ashley Adams.

[B]

And thanks to Nancy Ginsberg, Ailes Kanzi and Commissioner Danhauser at New York City's Administration for Children's Services for San Diego. Yes to this project.

[A]

As always, thank you to the administrations at San Quentin Rehabilitation center, the California Institution for Women, and at the Central California Women's Facility for their ongoing support of our work.

[B]

Music for this episode is by Darrell Siddiq Davis, David Chasse, Antwan Williams and me. If you want to hear more about the making of this series, check out Ear Hustle Plus.

[A]

Yeah, recently we brought the team into the studio to talk about what it was like making this series. You know, the challenges, what surprised us all, behind the scenes stuff.

[B]

That conversation is only on Ear Hustle Plus.

[A]

For full credits and more information about this episode, check out our show notes on Ear Hustle's website, earhustlesq.com this episode.

[B]

Was made possible by the Jest Trust, building a smaller, more humane engine of justice and safety across the country.

[A]

You can find us on social media, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Blue Sky.

[B]

And if you're not already, follow and leave a review for Ear Hustle wherever you listen to your podcast. Reviews really help us out and they help people find the show.

[A]

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from prx, a network of independent, creator owned listener support.

[B]

Discover Audio with Vision at Radiotopia fm.

[A]

I'm Nigel Poor.

[B]

I'm Earlonne Woods.

[A]

Thanks for listening.

[B]

Radiotopia.

[A]

From prx.