At which California prison was Ear Hustle originally created?

Ear Hustle was originally created at San Quentin State Prison in California.

The podcast grew out of artist Nigel Poor’s volunteer work at San Quentin, where she ran a photography class. One of her students suggested creating a documentary about prison life. Poor decided audio would be more practical than video, and she began developing the project with incarcerated collaborators Earlonne Woods and Antwan Williams.

Ear Hustle won Radiotopia’s 2016 Podquest competition and launched its first season in 2017. Its early production took place in San Quentin’s media lab, where the team recorded interviews, sound effects, music, and other material despite prison lockdowns and extensive administrative restrictions.

San Quentin is often confused with other famous California prisons, including Folsom State Prison and the former federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island. Ear Hustle’s origin is specifically tied to San Quentin, a historic state prison located in Marin County. After Woods’s sentence was commuted in 2018, the show continued to explore both incarceration and life after release.