Podcast
On Our Watch
Hosted by KQED · EN
When correctional officer Valentino Rodriguez first stepped behind prison walls, he wasn't just starting a job, he was joining a family. What he didn’t know was that he was now bound by an unwritten code that would ultimately test his loyalty to his oath and his fellow officers. Five years later, Valentino's sudden death would raise questions from the FBI, his family and his mentor in the elite investigative unit where they both worked. This season, join us as we follow in Valentino’s footsteps to uncover the secrets hidden inside the most dangerous prison in California: New Folsom.
If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org.
11episodes
Episodes
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On Our Watch Presents: Blood Will Tell
Mar 1200:49:39Tap to summarizeSharing a special episode this week from a new podcast called Blood Will Tell. When a birthday party in suburban San Jose turns deadly, 18-year-old identical twins are arrested for suspected murder. One brother spends nearly two years in jail before the truth comes out: authorities locked up the wrong twin. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime he didn’t commit? Blood Will Tell is a modern-day saga of Shakespearean proportions, following Vietnamese-American brothers whose unbreakable bond is tested by silence, sacrifice, and an unthinkable choice. In this episode, after a drunken fight at a birthday party turns deadly, police narrow in on two suspects — identical twin brothers, Trung and Anh. But when an eyewitness mistakes the brothers for each other in a lineup, one brother must make a heartbreaking sacrifice. Listen to more episodes of Blood Will Tell at https://wondery.com/shows/blood-will-tell/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On Our Watch Presents: Dig Season 3 from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting
Dec 1800:03:36Tap to summarizeToday we are sharing the trailer for Season 3 of Dig, from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting. Each season, Dig exposes the systems that allow injustice to fester, and shines a light on the people fighting for solutions. Season Three: The GirlsThey were trusted educators and respected coaches. But in the summer of 2025, twin brothers Ronnie and Donnie Stoner, were indicted on more than 50 charges related to child sex abuse allegations. A group of young women say the abuse stretched back nearly two decades. So what took so long? Season Three of Dig brings you the story of those women, who say they survived the abuse, took matters into their own hands and are still fighting for the girls they used to be. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →On Our Watch Presents: Suave Season 2 from Futuro Studios
Apr 15, 202500:04:21Tap to summarizeToday we're sharing with you the trailer for Season 2 of Suave, the Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast from Futuro Studios. “Suave” Gonzalez was released from prison after 31 years serving a life sentence without parole. He was one of thousands of juvenile lifers granted a second chance at life. Season 2 is his story about life after incarceration—and the search for the true meaning of freedom.Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →BONUS: “More Work to be Done” | S2: New Folsom
Dec 16, 202400:44:30Tap to summarizeSukey and Julie have some news and updates about Valentino Rodriguez Sr., Mimy Rodriguez and some of the key players at New Folsom prison. We also share a recent conversation with an attorney who has been involved in the legal fight for disability rights in California state prisons for decades. Read our digital article: 'How to Kill a Cop': Death, Despair and Corruption in California's Most Violent Prison.Mental health resourcesIf you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.SAMHSA National Help Line988 Suicide and Crisis LifelineNAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) HelplineUS Health and Human ServicesWarmline DirectoryEpisode TranscriptFind more information at our website.If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →On Our Watch Presents: Hush
Sep 16, 202400:45:37Tap to summarizeToday we’re sharing the first episode of 'Hush,' an investigative podcast from Oregon Public Broadcasting focused on uncovering the buried truth about critical stories in the Pacific Northwest. This series looks at the case of Jesse Lee Johnson, a Black man who lived for 17 years on Oregon’s death row for a crime he says he didn’t commit, and tries to understand why the state tried for so long to kill him.Follow and listen to more episodes of “Hush” here: https://www.opb.org/show/hush/If you’re in a mental health crisis, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On Our Watch Presents: The Youth Development Center
Jul 9, 202400:33:51Tap to summarizeToday we’re sharing the first episode of “The Youth Development Center,” a series from New Hampshire Public Radio. This podcast from the creators of "Bear Brook" and “The 13th Step” dives deep into how New Hampshire became the center of one of the largest youth detention abuse scandals in the country. This episode follows the story of Andy Perkins, a man who remained silent about his experiences at the Youth Development Center for decades. Then, he saw something on the news that made him realize he wasn't alone. Follow and listen to more episodes of “The Youth Development Center” here: https://link.chtbl.com/ch14Qgb_?sid=KQED Click here to read the companion digital story made in collaboration with The Pudding. If you have suffered abuse and need someone to talk to, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. If you’re in a mental health crisis, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →BONUS: Sukey on NPR’s The Sunday Story | S2: New Folsom
Jul 2, 202400:33:13Tap to summarizeGet a behind-the-scenes peek at the reporting for On Our Watch: New Folsom as Ayesha Rascoe, host of NPR’s The Sunday Story from Up First, speaks with Sukey about the season and the wider context of this kind of journalism.ResourcesIf you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.SAMHSA National Help Line988 Suicide and Crisis LifelineNAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) HelplineUS Health and Human ServicesWarmline DirectoryWhistleblower resourcesThe Lamplighter ProjectThe Signals NetworkEMPOWRWhistleblowers of AmericaGovernment Accountability ProjectNational Whistleblower CenterWhistleblower AidListen to the original broadcast on NPR's The Sunday Story.Episode TranscriptFind more information at our website.If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →BONUS: Right to Know | S2: New Folsom
Jun 18, 202400:28:54Tap to summarizeOn Our Watch was made possible by the passage of a groundbreaking law enforcement sunshine bill in 2018. Today we talk to California State Senator Nancy Skinner, who co-authored the state’s “Right to Know Act," about the legacy of her landmark bill, ongoing obstacles to transparency, and the need for accountability in California prisons.Learn more about Sen. Skinner's work on law enforcement transparency, including The Right to Know Act (SB 1421) and SB 16, by visiting her webpage. The California Reporting Project, a coalition of newsrooms, provides insights into how these open-records acts are being implemented.Mental health resourcesIf you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.SAMHSA National Help Line988 Suicide and Crisis LifelineNAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) HelplineUS Health and Human ServicesWarmline DirectoryEpisode TranscriptFind more information at our website.If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →BONUS: “The Prison Beat” | S2: New Folsom
Jun 4, 202400:44:15Tap to summarizeReporting on prisons from the outside is often difficult; it’s a closed and secretive world. But there is also important reporting being done by people who are inside prison, which comes with dangers of its own. Sukey and Julie sit down with two formerly incarcerated journalists, Rahsaan Thomas and Jesse Vasquez, to talk about the challenges and opportunities of prison reporting.Rahsaan Thomas is the Executive Director of Empowerment Avenue and a producer at Ear Hustle.Jesse Vasquez is the Executive Director of the Pollen Initiative and former Editor-in-Chief of the San Quentin News.Mental health resourcesIf you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.SAMHSA National Help Line988 Suicide and Crisis LifelineNAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) HelplineUS Health and Human ServicesWarmline DirectoryEpisode TranscriptFind more information at our website.If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →BONUS: The Whistleblower Playbook | S2: New Folsom
May 21, 202400:39:32Tap to summarizeSukey sits down with Mary Inman and Poppy Alexander, two whistleblower attorneys who talk about the cost of speaking up, and unpack the playbook that employers use to keep people quiet. They also discuss a shift in thinking that can protect both whistleblowers and their organizations.Mental health resourcesIf you are currently in crisis, you can dial 988 [U.S.] to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.SAMHSA National Help Line988 Suicide and Crisis LifelineNAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) HelplineUS Health and Human ServicesWarmline DirectoryWhistleblower resourcesWhistleblower Partners, LLP (where Mary and Poppy are partners)The Lamplighter ProjectThe Signals NetworkEMPOWRWhistleblowers of AmericaGovernment Accountability ProjectNational Whistleblower CenterWhistleblower AidMary Inman was profiled in the New Yorker piece, "The Personal Toll of Whistleblowing."Episode TranscriptFind more information at our website.If you have tips or feedback about this series please reach out to us at onourwatch@kqed.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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