The Prisoner-Run Radio Station That’s Reaching Men on Death Row
The Marshall Project, December 20, 2021: The Prisoner-Run Radio Station That’s Reaching Men on Death Row
“The Tank is so low wattage you can only hear it for a minute or two after you leave the parking lot. But the programming is as plentiful and varied as any commercial station on the outside, with shows covering everything from heavy metal to self-improvement. It’s all recorded in a studio hidden deep inside the prison and stocked full of equipment, most of which was donated by churches and religious groups. It doesn’t have the fame or following of San Quentin’s “Ear Hustle” podcast, but The Tank allows men on one of the most restrictive death rows in the country to have a voice that reaches beyond their cells. Usually — just like in most lockups — the prisoners at Polunsky are not allowed to write letters to each other. But for the radio station, the warden carved out an exception, allowing them to pass along essays and poems for the staff chaplains to deliver to Hozaifeh and his fellow DJs, affording the most isolated men in Texas a rare chance to be part of the prison community.”
Additional listening:
The New York Times, December 22, 2021: Tom Morello: Bringing down the Chords of Freedom behind Bars
