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Special: Letters From The Outside As COVID Rages Inside

Uncuffed logo featuring a fist holding a microphone in front of prison bars

The COVID-19 outbreak in prisons across California is taking an incredible toll — not only on the people inside, but on the families and friends of incarcerated people. And because of the pandemic, our producers on the inside can’t access their recording equipment. So today, you’ll hear from the friends and family outside of prison, reading letters to their loved ones stuck on the inside.

Subscribe to Uncuffed in podcast players. Learn more at WeAreUncuffed.org.

Letters from the episode

Terry, I've written hundreds of letters in my 25 plus years of incarceration, but this letter is the hardest I've ever written. Reading your letter from inside San Quentin while now me being on the outside leaves me with survivor's guilt.

Thank you to everyone who read their letters: Chanthon Bun, Clara Garcia, John Neblett, Veronica DeJesus, Rasheed Lockheart, Jamie Tafoya, Erin Wallace, Shelly Warren, Beneé Vejar, Jovina Vejar, Analisa Ruiz, Misty Arteaga, Shanta Franco-Clausen, Alesha Monteiro, Dario Abramskiehn, Reneé Segovia, Tammy McGee, Hannah Yang, Hiro Yang, and Suki Yang.

This episode was produced by Ninna Gaensler-Debs, Gabe Grabin, Angela Johnston, Ben Trefny, and Eli Wirtschafter. Our theme music is by David Jassy.

Special thanks to Uncuffed producer Chanthon Bun for kicking off the episode, just days after getting out of San Quentin, and despite having COVID. Hear his story here.

KALW’s radio training program in California prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, with funding from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. This episode was not reviewed by CDCR.

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Uncuffed From The Producers Of UncuffedCOVID UpdatesSan Quentin