Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

From the co-creators and co-hosts of the Peabody- and Pulitzer-nominated podcast comes this unflinching, illuminating view of prison life, as told by presently and formerly incarcerated people.

The United States locks up more people per capita than any other nation in the world--600,000 each year and 2.3 million in total. The acclaimed podcast Ear Hustle, named after the prison term for eavesdropping, gives voice to that ever-growing prison population.

Co-created for the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX by visual artist Nigel Poor and inmate Earlonne Woods, who was serving thirty-one years to life before his sentence was commuted in 2018, Ear Hustle was launched in the basement media lab of California's San Quentin State Prison. As the first podcast created and produced entirely within prison, it has since been globally lauded for the rare access and perspective it contributes to the conversation about incarceration.

Now, in their first book, Poor and Woods present unheard stories that delve deeper into the experiences of incarceration and share their personal paths to San Quentin as well as how they came to be co-creators. This unprecedented narrative, enhanced by forty original black-and-white illustrations, reveals the spectrum of humanity of those in prison and navigating post-incarceration. Bringing to the page the same insight, balance, and charismatic rapport that has distinguished their podcast, Poor and Woods illuminate the full--and often surprising--realities of prison life. With characteristic candor and humor, their portrayals include unexpected moments of self-discovery, unlikely alliances, and many ingenious work-arounds. One personal narrative at a time, framed by Poor's and Wood's distinct perspectives, This Is Ear Hustle tells the real lived experience of the criminal justice system.

Review:

I have listened to the podcast of Ear Hustle (prison slang for gossip) for several years, and really appreciate what the podcast is trying to accomplish.  The podcast is made inside San Quentin State Prison, in the San Francisco Bay Area.  With raw language and topics ranging from food and music, to lockdowns to prison sex, this is an authentic portrayal of prison life.  It is it challenging to listen to at times, but it certainly opened my eyes as to the very human lives of those paying for their misdeeds.

This is Ear Hustle is the story of how the podcast came into existence.  It chronicles the lives of the two main creators of the podcast, artist Nigel Poor, and now former inmate Earlonne Woods.  I liked this book because of the honestly of the creators.  These are not saints, and they work hard to make sure that this is not a story filled with complaints or asking for pity.  They are just showing us on the outside how prison affects not only the offender, but their families as well.  But be warned:  there is a lot of raw, explicit language and descriptions of violence in this book.  If you have been a victim of a violent crime, I would think this might be a trigger, and you should not read  it.  But for others, I highly recommend this book.  

What I Liked:

Audiobook Narrators:

I really think if you want to read this book you should listen to it as an audiobook.  This book is narrated by the two hosts of the Ear Hustle podcast.  Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods have a wonderful rapport that I think would be tough to understand by just reading the words off the page.  Trusting others in prison is hard  and their easy banter masks years of work learning about each other, and understanding each other's motives. It's a really fascinating working relationship.

Impact of Prison on Families:

Regardless of how one feels about people in prison, one has to feel compassion towards the family members of the incarcerated.  While the children, partners, and parents of prisoners did nothing wrong, they are still paying the price of the prisoners poor life choices.  There's a lot of anger, guilt, and sadness playing out in these family dramas.  I was riveted by the stories of visiting loved ones in prison.  It's not a simple process, and families have to jump through a lot of hoops in order to spend any time with their people in prison.  It's especially hard on children.  I really felt for the mothers who have to bring their kids to a prison in order to see their fathers. 

Humanity of Prisoners:

Generally speaking, the hosts of the podcasts do not share how their interviewees got to prison.  While their goal is not to gloss over the crimes that were committed, they feel that divulging that information would cloud the interview.  I agree.  The podcast and book simply show what prison life is like.  It's up to the reader to identify with the prisoners humanity, or not.  I would say that prisoners do pay a heavy price for their crimes.  Loss of any control on their lives, restrictions on how they spend their day, and limited access to their families are just a few of the ways the prisoners lives have changed.  But prison can also bring order to the chaotic lives of the prisoners, which some find helpful so they can reevaluate their life choices.  

What I Was Mixed About:

While I liked the book very much, I felt like something was missing from the topics in the book.  There is only one section on the impact of crime victims.  Yes, I know that this book is focused on the prisoners.  But I would have appreciated some acknowledgment of how their crimes have impacted the victims of their criminal activity.  I know this is not the goal of the book, and that is why it was mostly left out.  But, if I am being honest with myself, it would have made it easier for me to connect with the prisoners if I knew they understood and had remorse for how they hurt their victims.  

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  October 19th, 2021

Authors:  Nigel Poor & Earlonne Woods

Audio Publisher:  Random House Audio

Audio Length:  10 Hours, 18 Minutes

Narrators:  Nigel Poor, Earlonne Woods,  & Lt. Sam Robinson

Print Publisher:  Crown Publishing Group

Book Length:  304 Pages

Genre:  Non-Fiction

Recommendation:  This is a hard-hitting account of life in prison and gives valuable insights into the challenges that inmates face.  I highly recommend this book.