Earlonne Woods facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Earlonne Woods
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| Born | August 13, 1971 (age 54) |
| Occupation | Podcaster |
| Years active | 2018–present |
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Notable work
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Ear Hustle, This Is Ear Hustle |
Earlonne Woods was born on August 13, 1971. He is an American podcaster and author. He is best known for helping to create and host the podcast Ear Hustle. He also co-wrote the book This Is Ear Hustle.
Earlonne helped start Ear Hustle in 2017 while he was in San Quentin State Prison. In November 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown changed his prison sentence. This allowed him to be released. In November 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom officially pardoned him. After his release, he continued to work on the podcast. In 2020, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting. This was for his work on Ear Hustle with his co-hosts.
Earlonne Woods' Early Life
Earlonne Woods grew up in South Los Angeles. He lived with his parents and his older brother, Trevor. His mother worked for the postal service. His father struggled with unemployment.
When he was nine, Earlonne was arrested. He had lifted a railroad crossing gate to help cars pass. He said he was just trying to be helpful. He later had to go to juvenile court. As a teenager, he made some bad choices. He got involved in illegal activities. When he was 15, he was involved in a robbery.
Earlonne first went to prison when he was 17. He was released when he was 23. In 1997, at age 25, he was arrested again. Because of California's three strikes law, he received a very long sentence. He was sentenced to 31 years to life in prison.
The Ear Hustle Podcast
While in prison, Earlonne Woods worked hard to improve himself. He earned his General Educational Development (GED) diploma. This is like a high school diploma. He also took classes to learn job skills, such as auto mechanics. He served his last seven years at San Quentin State Prison.
At San Quentin, Earlonne met Nigel Poor. She was an artist and volunteer. She taught photography at the prison's film school. Earlonne and Nigel became friends. Nigel suggested they create a podcast together. Earlonne had never heard of a podcast before. They also asked another inmate, Antwan Williams, to be the sound designer.
They sent their podcast idea to a contest held by Radiotopia. Ear Hustle was chosen from many entries. It received money to make its first 10 episodes. Ear Hustle was the first podcast ever made entirely inside a prison. While he was in San Quentin, Earlonne did not get paid for his work on the podcast. However, fans often sent him money. People really liked Earlonne's role on the podcast. Sarah Larson from The New Yorker said he was a "warm and likable presence." Eddie Harana from Rolling Stone liked his sense of humor.
In November 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown changed Earlonne's prison sentence. Governor Brown said Earlonne had shown he was a changed person. He also said Earlonne had been a good example for others in prison. Through his podcast, he shared important stories from inside prison. Earlonne later met Governor Brown to thank him. He even interviewed him for the podcast.
After his release, Earlonne moved to Oakland, California. He was hired to work full-time as a producer and co-host for Ear Hustle. Since then, Earlonne has worked to change California's three strikes laws. In 2020, Earlonne, Nigel Poor, and Rahsaan Thomas were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting. In 2021, Earlonne and Nigel Poor wrote the book This Is Ear Hustle.
