For two years, I co-taught a weekly training program to men incarcerated at California State Prison, Solano. As part of the KALW program, the men produced stories for the podcast and radio show, Uncuffed.
The producers made incredible work and we had many rewarding conversations. I grew leaps and bounds as an editor working with them. The impossibility of communication between sessions meant during edits we had to come to an understanding about where the story needed to go, often in very short windows of time because there might be half a dozen stories for me to edit in an hour.
Below are a few pieces from Uncuffed.
Ten years ago, 22-year-old Oscar Grant III was shot and killed by a BART police officer. His father, Oscar Grant Jr., has been incarcerated since before his son was born. Grant Jr. is housed at Solano State Prison, where he was interviewed by JulianGlenn Padgett, a fellow prisoner. This is Grant Jr.’s first recorded interview.
Produced by Julianglenn Padgett
"I'm glad I took all those ballet classes, I'm glad I that I learned how to dance, I'm glad that I played football. I'm glad that I had a feeling in my body that said, 'do this, do that.'"
Produced by Brian Thames
Wilbert Stoneham has been incarcerated since the 70s – a time when prisons were especially dangerous, guards were particularly unpleasant, and Stoneham was one of their targets. He had a terrible relationship with the “watchers” which continued for over 40 years ... until the day he died.
Produced by Damon Cooke
Chris Turgeon plays guitar and saxophone. He sings like an angel. And he’s also an alleged cult leader.
Produced by Bryan Mazza