Rahsaan Thomas, the Ear Hustle host, on clemency and life after prison: ‘I want to tell our stories’
The Guardian, January 26, 2022: Rahsaan Thomas, the Ear Hustle host, on clemency and life after prison: ‘I want to tell our stories’
“Rahsaan ‘New York’ Thomas the acclaimed journalist who co-hosts the Ear Hustle podcast from inside San Quentin prison, was granted clemency this month, prompting celebrations from listeners and supporters across the country.
“But it could be months – or years – before he walks free.
“California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, granted Thomas a commutation for his sentence of 55 years to life, acknowledging the ‘work he has done … to transform himself.’ In addition to co-producing and co-hosting the Pulitzer prize-nominated show, Thomas, 51, writes for the San Quentin News, the Marshall Project and Current; chairs a Society of Professional Journalists chapter; mentors youth; co-founded a non-profit for incarcerated writers; and directed a Sundance documentary short.”
Additional reading:
The Reporter, May 29, 2020: Rahsaan Thomas: Cutting the Nose to Spite the Face: How extreme sentence enhancements punish society
