Do you remember the moment you saw your first love? Rodney Hines sure does. He was 13 years old, and it was the 4th of July. His parents took him to their friends’ house where he saw Shani Browning. For the next two decades, their lives each resembled a rollercoaster ride with dramatic ups and downs,
One day on the yard at Solano State Prison, Hines was recounting the details of how the relationship with his childhood crush transformed into a tragic love affair. Uncuffed producer Anthony Ivy realized he needed to get Hines into the studio to tell his story.
A mountain fell on me, man. Because, you know, that's one of the worst things...especially with us being in prison, is for somebody close to us to have some type of condition that could affect their life or possibly take their life, you know what I'm saying? And you not be able to be there with them. So, it hurt. It hurt deepRodney Hines
On this episode of Uncuffed, producers at Solano State Prison respond to that piece, and share their own experiences of loss.
This story was produced by Anthony Ivy with help from Andrew Stelzer, Sonia Paul, Kathy Novak, Angela Johnston, Ninna Gaensler-Debs, and sound designer Eric 'Maserati-E 'Abercrombie.
This piece was brought to you by the team at Uncuffed. Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and donations from listeners like you. The producers fact-check content to the best of their ability. Content is approved by an information officer.
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