This story aired in the May 30, 2023 episode of Crosscurrents.
Click the play button above to listen to the story, and click on the audio players below to listen to individual pieces produced in the class
Formerly incarcerated people can face a mountain of challenges when they come back home, including finding a job, securing stable housing, applying for loans, negotiating with parole officers, and learning new technology.
A new audio storytelling class from KALW's Uncuffed program gives people the opportunity to talk about those challenges. The class was led by Tommy "Shakur" Ross, who learned audio journalism in the Uncuffed program while he was incarcerated in San Quentin.
We’ll hear how Shakur went from prison to teaching, and we'll listen to audio stories created by participants in his class. Maria Rios and Jesse “Landon” Johnson interviewed each other about life on the outside.
Join Shakur for a live showcase from the class on June 24 in San Francisco. Uncuffed: The Other Side of the Wall.
Uncuffed's class was created in partnership with Community Works, and supported by the California Arts Council and the Unlikely Collaborators Foundation.
"I had to step back and take a breather. "Wow. I'm not here because I made wrong choices. I'm here because I made right choices, and now it's time to pass those right choices down to the next person.'"Maria Rios
Jesse "Landon" Johnson: The Making of 'Loser'
Maria Rios: "I Don't Wanna Do This Anymore"
AJ Jefferson: Returning To Dating
Allen Bustos: Relearning History To Heal
Noe Gudino: Can't Live Without Cell Phones
Troy Smith: Searching For A Relationship After Prison
Jamaal "Jae" Morgain: Patterns Of Childhood Trauma
turtle gurl arnie: The Importance Of Boundaries
Dalina Gonzales: Angels Help Journeys Arrive Eventually
Chris Roberts: Neurodiverse And Not Alone
Mia Luevanos: To My Children
Anthony "Tone" Dale Evans: Generational Etiquette
