42 Best Mass Incarceration Podcasts to Listen to (2026)

Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that's what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into the reality of life inside prison. Hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods co-created the show that launched in 2017 while Earlonne was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where Nigel was a volunteer teaching photography. Since Earlonne's release in 2018, the show has expanded to include stories from prisons across the state, including the California Institution for Women, as well as stories about getting out of prison and starting over, post-incarceration.From finding romance, to grappling with a life sentence, to trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, Ear Hustle stories deliver what This American Life host Ira Glass calls a ''very real' and 'untragic' take on prison life. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm and learn more about Ear Hustle at earhustlesq.com. more

Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change. more

Prison Radio records and broadcasts the voices of prisoners, centering their analyses and experiences in the movements against mass incarceration and state repression. more

Rattling the Bars puts the voices of the people most harmed by our system of mass incarceration at the center of our reporting on the fight to end it. The show was founded by the late Black Panther and political prisoner Marshall 'Eddie' Conway, and is now hosted by Charles Hopkins, better known as Mansa Musa, who himself spent 48 years behind bars.Rattling the Bars offers an honest look at the lives of prisoners, returning citizens, their families, and their communities. With Rattling the Bars, by presenting hard data and real-life stories, we examine and seek to shift public opinion around the misconception that incarceration, punishment, and increased policing make cities safer—the truth of which has been disproven by countless studies. The series examines the history and root causes of the current so-called justice system. It showcases individuals and communities nationwide who are grappling with real solutions to problems created by the prison-industrial complex.Help us continue producing Rattling the Bars by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletter more

An open forum, presenting information and discussion around issues faced by prisoners in the criminal justice system and migration detention centres. more

Hear about the changing landscape of criminal justice reform from those most directly impacted. Our discussions range from analysis of the political landscape (local, state and federal), engaging in the promise of abolitionist praxis and of course, elevating the voices of formerly incarcerated people. more

Uncuffed empowers people in California prisons to tell their own stories. The award-winning collaboration between incarcerated student producers and professional journalists shines light on the human experience of people before, during, and after their prison terms. https://www.uncuffed.org more

Ever feel like the law is stacked against you? It probably is. Broken Law speaks truth to power in discussing how our laws and legal system serve the few at the expense of the many. This is where law meets real life. Hosted by the staff of the American Constitution Society, we reckon with the origins of our legal system, interview people on the frontlines of the progressive legal movement, and chat about necessary legal reforms to restore our democratic legitimacy and improve the lives of all people. more

KBOO Radio is a community-powered station in Portland Oregon

Every week, Brennan Center President Michael Waldman interviews the leaders, thinkers, and activists who are changing American democracy. more

Davis Vanguard Podcast will be covering criminal justice reform, mass incarceration, wrongful convictions, and more. more

Supportive relationships play a crucial role in shaping our confidence and self-worth, enabling us to achieve success. One often overlooked aspect is the impact that connecting with incarcerated individuals can have on both parties involved. Engaging in conversations with those who are incarcerated can create a significant positive change, not only for them but also for ourselves. more

Turning a Moment Into a Movement exists to transform personal pain into public power. Inspired by the wrongful conviction of Gerard Haycraft, this podcast amplifies the voices of those affected by injustice and the advocates working to dismantle the systems that perpetuate it. Through storytelling, truth-telling, and community-centered conversations, we shine a light on the moments that awaken people to action—and support the movements that demand accountability, equity, and lasting reform. We believe that every story has the power to shift perspectives, and every moment can spark a movement. more

In 2017, Deven Grey, a young mother, shot and killed her abusive partner in a remote trailer in rural Shelby County, Alabama. She claimed self-defense and filed a Stand Your Ground claim.Instead of freedom, she was handed a 'blind plea' an option to take an unknown sentence in exchange for pleading guilty. As a Black woman who shot and killed a white man in Alabama, she did the only thing she could: She took the plea. Deven's sentence became the final link in a chain of deceit, haunted land, generational trauma, false identity, coercive control, and a broken justice system.Hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Liz Flock, Blind Plea asks: Who do we believe, and why? And in America, who has the right to self defense and a fair trial? more

Intersectionality Matters! is a podcast hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory. more

Let The Record Show is a U.S. history podcast that looks back on legal precedent to make sense of our ever-evolving future. On every episode we explore the people, places and stories behind major court cases that shape how we live our lives today. more

The Beautiful Idea is a media project bringing you interviews, ideas, and stories from the frontlines of social movements and struggles, from a distinctly anarchist perspective. More information at https://thebeautifulidea.show more

A pebble in the shoe of the Prison Industrial Complex. Notes From The Pen is a modern portrait of American incarceration told, in real time, through a series of fifteen-minute phone calls between two special degenerates on opposite sides of a prison wall. Our website: Notesfromthepen.comCheck out our reviews: https://www.podparadise.com/Podcast/Reviews/1518819034 more

Podcast 'Radio carcere', ogni martedì dalle 21 alle 22. Radio Radicale - Riccardo Arena

Social justice means applying the law equally to all people. But in practice, that doesn't always happen. We're business and trial lawyers with over 60 years experience of practice.Together, we practice law, we seek social justice, and we reveal the conflict between the two. And in this podcast, we bring together guests from a variety of backgrounds to discuss the current issues surrounding social justice and the inequity between these issues and their relation to the legal system.Join with us, so that it's not Just Us. more

You And The Law Podcast: Exploring the complexities of the American justice system and the criminal justice system with Chief Virgil Green and Chief Keith Humphrey, two experienced law enforcement executives. This weekly podcast tackles pressing issues in law enforcement and policing in minority communities, offering proactive insights to inform and engage listeners interested in criminal justice reform. more

Victory Over Sin is a podcast hosted by Mark Renick that addresses issues pertaining to returning citizens as they face the challenges of coming out of incarceration in Idaho. This podcast is sponsored by Systemic Change of Idaho. New episodes every Saturday at 1 pm MST. more

O projeto de divulgação científica NEVIDH EM PAUTA, do Núcleo de Estudos de Politica de Drogas, Violência e Direitos Humanos da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (NEVIDH/UFJF) reúne pesquisadores, cujas temáticas de investigações versam sobre o impactos das ações governamentais, de políticas de segurança pública e de drogas sobre indivíduos, grupos e populações. Busca estudar, também, o incremento das taxas de homicídios, da violência institucional e estrutural, cujas motivações estejam atreladas a vieses racial, de gênero e a outras violações de direitos humanos. more

Criminal Thinking Deterred is a program that takes no prisoners. In fact, it helps incarcerated and former convicts reject excuses, stop destructive thinking and end anti-social behavior. Host Tony Moore, founder of Moore & Associates, is an ex-offender, but now a business owner, non-profit founder, pro basketball coach, author, husband and father. His fascinating and knowledgeable guests talk about offender recovery, drug treatment, rehabilitation, and strategies that help deter criminal thinking. more

Still My Baby is a powerful, intimate limited series that tells the untold story of one of the most pivotal moments in modern American history - the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Told from the perspective of Lezley McSpadden, Mike Brown's mother, this is not a courtroom drama or a political explainer. It's a portrait of Mike's family told by those closest to him. The series traces the years before August 9, 2014, when Lezley was a young mom and Mike was just a funny, big-hearted kid. Then, everything changed. And in the deafening noise that followed - public shaming, national outrage, and a 400+ day uprising - one family was left behind, trying to pick up the pieces in private. We look at what happened to that family in the immediate aftermath of Mike's killing, how they longed for the ordinary after tragedy hit, and we'll see how they built themselves back to where they are today.  more

Beyond Prisons is a podcast on justice, mass incarceration, and prison abolition. Hosted by @phillyprof03 & @bsonenstein more

On Pod Save The People, host DeRay Mckesson explores social justice, culture, politics and the various ways they all collide with cohosts Myles E. Johnson and Sharhonda Bossier. Each Tuesday, the crew digs into the current events driving the political discourse bringing cultural context, actionable insights, and a hot take or two to help empower listeners to engage as thoughtful members of their communities…and their group chats. Alongside special guests, the show uplifts overlooked news stories that impact people of color and amplifies underrepresented voices who are working to create meaningful change. more

A social justice podcast combining hard-hitting journalism and interviews with hip-hop music and original lyrics from independent artists. Each episode delves into an important issue with an alternative take to widely accepted narratives, arming listeners with knowledge and insight they won't hear from mainstream media outlets. more

Behind the walls of prisons lie stories we rarely hear. In this award-nominated podcast, criminologist Kaigan Carrie talks to prison officers, governors, forensic psychiatrists, prison doctors, former prisoners, and criminal justice experts about the realities of life inside prison. Through their voices, the podcast explores what it's like to work and live in one of society's most challenging environments. A few special series also examine the experiences of other frontline workers and wider criminal justice issues. more

Prison Focus Radio and Liberate the Caged Voices are projects of California Prison Focus. We intentionally and purposefully center New Afrikan Political Prisoners who organized the Historic California Hunger Strikes, authored the Agreement to End Hostilities, and developed Black August Memorial/Black August Resistance. These New Afrikans survived decades of torture in solitary confinement in Pelican Bay and Corcoran state prisons—euphemistically called 'security housing units' (SHUs)— meant to break their revolutionary minds. Liberate the Caged Voices exposes the terror and genocide plaguing our People in Prisons, and unites People with the power of revolutionary love. more

Nuestra misión es generar un discurso alternativo para dar a conocer la realidad carcelaria que por lo general se encuentra entre las sombras. more

Carapatage est une émission contre les prisons, la répression et le contrôle, à travers l'actualité de l'enfermement mais aussi son histoire, en racontant les luttes à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur, en échangeant ce qu'on a vu, lu et entendu.En direct tous les premier et troisième mercredi du mois de 20h30 à 22h sur Radio Libertaire, 89.4FM ou en streaming ICICarapatage est contre toutes les formes d'enfermement : les prisons, les centres de rétention administrative, l'enfermement psychiatrique, les centres éducatifs fermés et l'enfermement des mineurs dans différents centres, le débordement de l'enfermement à l'extérieur par des dispositifs comme le bracelet électronique, le contrôle qui s'exerce dans les foyers de sans-papiers, de l'aide sociale à l'enfance ou à destination des femmes précaires.La prison est l'aboutissement d'un système répressif et normatif, dans la continuité de la police et de la justice — auxquels on s'oppose aussi —, qui n'existe pas de façon neutre, qui ne s'exerce pas à n'importe quel endroit et sur n'importe qui, mais derrière lesquels il y a des intérêts capitalistes, racistes, néocoloniaux et patriarcaux, entre autres choses. La prison permet de forcer l'acceptation des normes et des lois : elle est la clé de voûte de l'exercice du pouvoir de l'État. more

Haymarket Books Live is a regular online series of urgent political discussions, book launches, organizer roundtables, poetry jams, and more, hosted by Haymarket Books. The podcast features recordings of our livestreamed video event series.Haymarket Books is a radical, independent, nonprofit book publisher based in Chicago. more

Podcast From A Poverty Skola from the Unhoused Nation called amerikkklan- The introduction to the podcast series created by formerly unhoused, incarcerated revolutionary daughter of Dee, single.mama, co-founder of POOR magazine/Prensa POBRE/ , journalist, teacher, poet &welfareQUEEN more

I was a Correctional Officer at America's toughest prison. USP Marion was the ancestor of Alcatraz, yes I did know men who was locked up there, and the parent of the ADX in Colorado. I know some of the current prisoners at the ADX. We had some of the most well known prisoners at the time in USP Marion. John Gotti, the New York Mobster, Woody Harrelson's father, contract killer for the Mob. The man who put the publisher of the Porn Hustler Magazine, Larry Flynt, in a wheelchair, Franklin. Franklin was executed after he left USP Marion. The man who said he was on the grassy knoll in 1963 Dallas. more

En Documenta buscamos transformar a México amplificando las voces de las víctimas de violaciones a derechos humanos y proponiendo políticas y prácticas a los poderes públicos para que las personas y comunidades accedan a la justicia y ejerzan sus libertades en condiciones de igualdad y no discriminación.Aquí podrás encontrar podcast sobre: - Discapacidad y justicia - Sistema Penitenciario y Reinserción Social - Prevención de la tortura more

Exploring inequality, abuse and oppression around the world, we hear from those directly involved in an issue, examine the structural context to find why rights abuse exists, and look for possible solutions. Read articles related to these issues and episodes at the web site of The Upstream Journal - www.upstreamjournal.org. We are pleased to see that Human Rights Magazine is a top-rated human rights podcast at Feedspot. (https://blog.feedspot.com/human_rights_podcasts/) more

We can do better. Listen and have your eyes opened:• See criminal justice reality and needed reforms through real-life stories of people with lived experience with crime on both sides of the law.• Learn about practical solutions for breaking the cycle of crime, achieving healing for victims, and building safer communities.Hosted by David Risley, former career federal prosecutor and former Director of Public Safety Policy in the Illinois Governor's Office.Co-hosting many episodes is Lynard Joiner, who went to prison for 17 years in a case prosecuted by Mr. Risley, and who is now Executive Director of Shifting Into New Gear (SING), delivering reentry services and support to people returning to society after release from prison.What Makes Us Unique• Unexpected Partnership: The partnership of Mr. Risley and Mr. Joiner, who first met on opposite sides of a federal courtroom on opposite sides of the law, enables listeners to get the real story from both perspectives and demonstrates the power of forgiveness and healing.• Beyond Theory: We bring you raw, honest stories from people who've lived through incarceration, police our streets, experienced victimization, live in high-crime communities, or work daily in the justice system—paired with concrete examples of cost-effective problem-solving that actually work.• New Vision of Justice: Instead of legal and social barriers amounting to permanent punishment, we showcase successful reentry programs, community-driven approaches to healing trauma as both a cause and effect of crime, crime prevention, problem-solving courts, and restorative practices that help both victims and offenders rebuild their lives.Featured Topics• Life before and inside prison• Life after prison: challenges, barriers, and successes• Restorative justice in action• Effective, community-centered solutions• Victim healing and offender accountability• Trauma-informed approaches to crime prevention• Criminal justice policy reformJustice Voices is essential listening for concerned citizens, policy-makers, justice professionals, community leaders, and anyone interested in how we can create safer communities by shifting from a punishment approach to justice to a problem-solving approach. more

O CRISP Entrevista é o podcast mensal do Centro de Estudos de Criminalidade e Segurança Pública da UFMG. Entrevistamos importantes pesquisadores/as que atuam na área de criminalidade, segurança pública, justiça criminal e sistema prisional. more

Transforming our nation's safety and justice systems. At a time of increased consensus that American criminal justice needs reform, this show is about who victims of crime are, the safety solutions survivors want, and the model programs survivors support, programs that can get our country out of mass incarceration and into real safety -- a safety that is truly for all. more

Inspired by the old Negro spiritual that became an anthem of faith-driven activism and a call for justice and belonging during the civil rights movement, The Welcome Table symbolizes an inviting space where all voices are heard, valued, and engaged in meaningful dialogue. This podcast brings together inspiring individuals to explore the critical issues shaping law, justice, and belonging in our communities today.Through thought-provoking conversations, host Max Gaston, Director of Dignity, Solidarity, and Subsidiarity at Notre Dame Law School, fosters understanding, challenges assumptions, and illuminates the intersections of fairness, dignity, and solidarity in our workplaces, institutions, legal system, and daily lives.Rooted in a deep respect for identity and experience, The Welcome Table is more than just a podcast—it's an open invitation. A call to pull up a chair, listen, and take part in conversations that shape our shared humanity. more

News as a conversation. Hosted by Crystal Haynes, Common Narrative breaks down public perceptions of social and political issues with the change agents at the center. more