This episode is about the Cummins Unit in Arkansas. One of the most shocking researches I’ve ever conducted, focussing on the horrific crimes, partly uncovered by Murton. What systematic murder and Governor Rockefeller has to do with these events, you’ll find out in this episode.

CN: torture, death, abuse, systematic murder, sexism, hate crime, racism

Timestamps:

00:00 - 04:00: Introduction

04:00 - 10:50: Escapes from Cummins

10:50 - 32:00: Bodiesburg, how the warden and trusties systematically murdered inmates and other human rights violations at Cummins

32:00 - 35:00: Fences that kill

35:00 - 40:11: Cummins today

References:

Accomplices to the Crime (o. J.) Internet Archive. Verfügbar unter: Internet Archive – Accomplices to the Crime⁠ (Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026).

Arkansas Heritage – Cummins State Farm⁠ (o. J.) Cummins State Farm. Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

Arkansas Heritage – Tucker State Farm⁠ (o. J.) Tucker State Farm. Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

Arkansas Times – The Arkansas Prison Scandal⁠ (2018) ‘The Arkansas Prison Scandal’, 22. März. Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

Encyclopedia of Arkansas – Accomplices to the Crime (Book)⁠ (o. J.) Accomplices to the Crime (Book). Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette – Inmate Who Died at Cummins Unit Identified; Death Under Investigation⁠ (2026) ‘Inmate Who Died at Cummins Unit Identified; Death Under Investigation’, 8. Januar. Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

New York Times – Arkansas Prison Chamber of Horror⁠ (1968) ‘Arkansas Prison Is Called a Chamber of Horror’, 28. Januar. Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

New York Times – Arkansas Prisons: A Grisly Record⁠ (1968) ‘Arkansas Prisons: A Grisly Record’, 28. März. Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

ScholarWorks at the University of Arkansas – Historical Study PDF⁠ (o. J.) Historical study. Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

Assata: An Autobiography. (1987) Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books.

Accomplices to the Crime: The Arkansas Prison Scandal. (1969) New York: Grove Press.

TIME – Justice: Too Cruel for the Cruel?⁠ (1970) ‘Justice: Too Cruel for the Cruel?’. Zugriff: 5. Juli 2026.

This episode we will discover the first prison of the United States, which is not only to be understood as a model prison in terms of solitary confinement but also set the fundament of the Prison Industrial Complex.

Timestamp:

00:00 - 04:00: Introduction

04:00 - 10:00: The Pre History of the Walnut Street Prison

10:00 - 25:00: The Development of Walnut Street Prison

25:00 - 37:00: Forced Labor in Walnut Street Prison

37:00 - 42:59: Balloon Lore

References

Casella, J., Ridgeway, G. and Shalev, S. (2018) Continuity in the Face of Penal Innovation: Revisiting the History of American Solitary Confinement. Available at: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/media/publications/Continuity_in_the_Face_of_Penal_Innovation_-_Revisiting_the_History_of_American_Solitary_Confinement_2018.pdf (Accessed: 13 June 2026).

Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (n.d.) Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3569&context=jclc (Accessed: 13 June 2026).

Robertson, B. (n.d.) ‘9 January 1793’, This Day in Aviation. Available at: https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/9-january-1793/ (Accessed: 13 June 2026).

In this episode, we talk about faith in prison. What does faith mean for people incarcerated? What’s the legal base of religion in prison? What does that have to do with discrimination?

Timestamps:

00:00 - 02:30: Introduction

02:20 - 08:16: RLIUPA and the legal base of faith in prison

08:16 - 18:00: Discrimination of faith in prison (CN: death penalty, police brutality, violence)

18:00 - 35:00: Spreading faith in prison (CN: death penalty)

35:00 - 43:00: The story of prison fellowship

43:00 - 51:19: Michael Tisius, faith and his death (CN: death penalty)

References:

American Bar Association (2023) Missouri Executes Michael Tisius. Verfügbar unter: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/committees/death_penalty_representation/publications/project_blog/missouri-executes-michael-tisius/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Amnesty International (2023) USA: Erneute Hinrichtung in Missouri. Verfügbar unter: https://www.amnesty.de/mitmachen/urgent-action/usa-erneute-hinrichtung-missouri-2023-06-09 (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Bowers, M.P. (o. J.) Melissa Potts Bowers. LinkedIn-Profil. Verfügbar unter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-potts-bowers-6a970940/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Core of the Heart (o. J.) Core of the Heart. Verfügbar unter: https://coreoftheheart.com/en-eur (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color’, Stanford Law Review, 43(6), S. 1241–1299. Verfügbar unter: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039 (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Nevada Current (2024) More Lovelock Inmates Allege Religious Discrimination. Verfügbar unter: https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/11/01/more-lovelock-inmates-allege-religious-discrimination/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

New York City Department of Correction (2024) Directive 3261: Religious Programs. Verfügbar unter: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doc/downloads/directives/Directive_3261_Religious_Programs.pdf (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Office of Justice Programs (o. J.) Investigating the Impact of Religiosity on Emotional and Behavioral Coping. Verfügbar unter: https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/investigating-impact-religiosity-emotional-and-behavioral-coping (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Prison Fellowship (o. J.) Prison Fellowship. Verfügbar unter: https://www.prisonfellowship.org (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Prison Journalism Project (2025) Why Do Some Prisons Restrict the Practices of Five Percenters? Verfügbar unter: https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/06/03/why-do-some-prisons-restrict-the-practices-of-five-percenters/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Prison Journalism Project (2025) Religious Items in Prisons Cost More for Muslims. Verfügbar unter: https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2025/06/10/religious-items-in-prisons-cost-more-for-muslims/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Springer Nature (2025) ‘Religious Identity, Discrimination and Prison Experiences’. International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy. Verfügbar unter: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40352-025-00340-w (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

This Is Reno (2024) More Lovelock Inmates Allege Religious Discrimination. Verfügbar unter: https://thisisreno.com/2024/11/more-lovelock-inmates-allege-religious-discrimination/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Turner, R.J., Oakes, B.A. und Ulmer, J.T. (2008) Religion and Adjustment to Incarceration. Verfügbar unter: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18981285/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

YouTube (o. J.) Video: Michael Tisius Execution Case. : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVB3qW9PC0A (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

YouTube (o. J.) Video: Religious Discrimination in Prison Systems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgMmqN79kg (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Zhang, J., Johnson, B.R., Levin, J., Cullen, F.T. und Vander Laan, M. (2012) ‘Religion, Prison Adjustment, and Recidivism Among Former Inmates in Texas’, Justice Quarterly, 29(1), S. 103–128. : https:/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22887692/ (Zugriff: 4. Juni 2026).

Rest in Peace, Rodney Hulin.

This episode deals with the Ellis Unit in Texas. We learn the history of that prison, law enforcement brutality and hear from stories from (former) people incarcerated there. We also learn some pop cultural references.

CN: Rape, Suicide, Murder, Death Penalty (which is murder), Racism,

Timestamps:

00:00 - 03:04: Introduction

03:04 - 06:57: The History and the Construction of Ellis Unit One

06:57 - 10:45: Death Penalty. Remember James Broadnax.

10:45 - 16:24: Ellis Unit One Steve Earle and Dead Man Walking

16:24 - 21:00: Eroy Brown, Exploitation and Racist Framing

21:00 - 27:00: The Suicide of Rodney Hulin

27:00 - 36:00: The Escape of Martin Gurule

36:00 - 40:00: Death Row

If you seek help:

https://www.nsvrc.org/find-help/ (USA)

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/help-after-rape-and-sexual-assault/#:~:text=the%20rape%20and%20sexual%20abuse,GUM)%20or%20sexual%20health%20clinic (UK)

https://envr.eu/find-my-victim-support/ (EU)

https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory (Australia)

Please, do not hesitate to seek help.

References:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15XRV5DTprFTQOC01NVaAwvxHqaYOH2M9g-L7Er5kjA4/edit?usp=sharing

This is the most important episode of this podcast. In this episode, we learn what the PIC exactly is and how it is connected to other terms like mass incarceration, the War on Drugs and The New Jim Crow. We learn why the US keeps people incarcerated to generate profit and who is involved in that.

Timestamps:

00:00 - 03:23: Introduction

03:23 - 09:10: The Prison Industrial Complex & The Normalisation of Punishment. Why Private Companies need Prisons to survive.

09:10 - 14:14: The Connections Between The Military Industrial Complex & The Prison Industrial Complex

14:14 - 28:28: Forced Labor (Slavery) in prison by private companies

28:28 - 37:16: Profit and Medical Experiments on People Who Are Incarcerated

37:16 - 45:00: Private Prison Corporations. The Brazoria Tape

45:00 - 49:21: The Global Prison Industrial Complex

References:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Lp5a41QZdetsw6rnF7_CfHJswcDtBgiCdTJwCjaay8/edit?usp=drivesdk

In this episode we’ll make a journey through the history of the Folsom State Prison in California! What Johnny Cash had to do with Folsom and how creative people are when it comes to escaping that hell, you’ll find out in this episode.

Timestamps:

00:00 - 03:22: Introduction

03:22 - 09:00: Folsom Prison Blues and Johnny Cash

09:00 - 27:30: Folsom Prison History

27:30 - 35:07: Glen Sherley, The Greystone Chapel & Johnny Cash

35:07 - 43:00: The Great Folsom Train Escape

43:00 - 46:00 The Folsom Double

46:00 - 52:00: Carl Reese and His Diving Plan

52:00 - 01:00:24: The Folsom Escape That Got The FBI involved

01:00:24 - 01:03:25: Folsom Today

References:

Quellen:

CDCR. (2023, 8 Juni). Explore the history of Folsom Prison. CDCR. Abgerufen von https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2023/06/08/explore-the-history-of-folsom-prison/

Folsom Cash Art Trail. 13 Fascinating Facts, Stories and Tales about Folsom Prison. Abgerufen von https://folsomcasharttrail.com/the-trail/blog/13-fascinating-facts-stories-and-tales-about-folsom-prison

Genius. Johnny Cash – Greystone Chapel Lyrics. Abgerufen von https://genius.com/Johnny-cash-greystone-chapel-lyrics

Flux Magazine. Glen Sherley: When Johnny Cash met the man inside … Abgerufen von https://www.fluxmagazine.com/glen-sherley-johnny-cash/

YouTube. (o. J.). [Video]. Abgerufen von https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keVKhjUHlLs&list=RDkeVKhjUHlLs&start_radio=1

YouTube. (o. J.). [Video]. Abgerufen von https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeZRYhLDLeU&list=RDAeZRYhLDLeU&start_radio=

KQED. Songwriter in a Cage: Meet Glen Sherley, Johnny Cash’s Friend in Folsom. Abgerufen von https://www.kqed.org/news/11642653/songwriter-in-a-cage-meet-glen-sherley-johnny-cashs-friend-in-folsom?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Prison Journalism Project. (2021, 18 Mai). Old Folsom State Prison was the end of the line. Abgerufen von https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2021/05/18/old-folsom-state-prison-was-the-end-of-the-line/

YouTube. (o. J.). [Video]. Abgerufen von https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6HMjC1ssZc&list=RDe6HMjC1ssZc&start_radio=1


Nguyen, M. (2023) How to Write a Letter to an Incarcerated Person. Innocence Project. Verfügbar unter: https://innocenceproject.org/news/how-to-write-a-letter-to-an-incarcerated-person/

Small, J. & Lewis, S. (2024) Whistleblowers Paint Picture of Violence at New Folsom Prison. KQED. Verfügbar unter: https://www.kqed.org/news/12018761/whistleblowers-paint-picture-of-violence-at-new-folsom-prison

Blake, A.L. (2021) Old Folsom State Prison Was the End of the Line. Prison Journalism Project. Verfügbar unter: https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2021/05/18/old-folsom-state-prison-was-the-end-of-the-line/

Small, J. & Lewis, S. (2024) ‘How to Kill a Cop’: Death, Despair and Corruption in California’s Most Violent Prison. KQED. Verfügbar unter: https://www.kqed.org/news/12017652/how-to-kill-a-cop-death-despair-and-corruption-in-californias-most-violent-prison

The Sacramento Bee (2025) [Article on Local Crime and Folsom Prison]. Verfügbar unter: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article301505859.html

KCRA News (2025) California State Prison Sacramento Injuries. Verfügbar unter: https://www.kcra.com/article/california-state-prison-sacramento-injuries/64055726

FBI (o.J.) Glen Stewart Godwin. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Verfügbar unter: https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/additional/glen-stewart-godwin

History.com (o.J.) A First-Time Offender Ends Up on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. History Channel. Verfügbar unter: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/december-7/a-first-time-offender-ends-up-on-the-fbis-ten-most-wanted-list

Folsom Cash Art Trail (o.J.) 13 Fascinating Facts, Stories, and Tales about Folsom Prison. Verfügbar unter: https://folsomcasharttrail.com/the-trail/blog/13-fascinating-facts-stories-and-tales-about-folsom-prison

Find a Grave (o.J.) Carl Frederic Reese (Memorial 92905672). Verfügbar unter: https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/92905672/carl_frederic-reese

CN: racism

In this episode I explain based on the book „The New Jim Crow“ by Michelle Alexander why the US justice system is based on slavery and how slavery has an impact today in the incarceration system.

Timestamps:

00:00 - 12:30: The history of slavery and colonialism

12:30 - 20:30: The Jim Crow laws as a continuation of slavery

20:30 - 34:17: The New Jim Crow and the current justice system

references:

Chase, R. T. (2012) '“Slaves of the State” Revolt: Southern Prison Labor and a Prison-Made Civil Rights Movement, 1945–1980', in R. H. Zieger (ed.) Life and Labor in the New New South. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, pp. 177–213. DOI: 10.5744/florida/9780813037950.003.0007 (online edn, Florida Scholarship Online). Accessed 9 Oct. 2025. OUP Academic+1

Clarke, D. and Everet, S. (1998) The History of American Slavery. North Dighton, MA: World Publications, Incorporated. Google Bücher

Tischauser, L. V. (2012) Jim Crow Laws (Landmarks of the American Mosaic). Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood. Amazon

Hillebrink, S. (2008) The Right to Self-Determination and Post-Colonial Governance: The Case of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. The Hague: T.M.C. Asser Press. WorldCat

Klinkers, I. and Oostindie, G. (2003) Decolonising the Caribbean: Dutch Policies in a Comparative Perspective. London: Routledge. Routledge

Alexander, M. (2016) The New Jim Crow. Masseninhaftierung und Rassismus in den USA. Übers. Gabriele Gockel & Thomas Wollermann. München: Verlag Antje Kunstmann.

Timestamps:

00:00 - 13:12: Introduction

13:12 - 23:50: Mass Incarceration and its history

23:50 - 42:12: The War on Drugs and the legal legitimacy of repression of people who are using drugs

42:12 - 47:26: Critical Thoughts & Racism in the US system & The 13th Amendment

#abolishtheprisonsystem

References:

Britannica – War on Drugs
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2025. War on Drugs. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/war-on-drugs[Accessed 26 September 2025].

US Sentencing Commission – Individuals in Federal Bureau of Prisons
United States Sentencing Commission, 2025. Individuals in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. [online] Available at: https://www.ussc.gov/research/quick-facts/individuals-federal-bureau-prisons [Accessed 26 September 2025].

Office of Justice Programs – Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986
Office of Justice Programs, 1986. Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. [online] Available at: https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/anti-drug-abuse-act-1986 [Accessed 26 September 2025].

The Sentencing Project – Mass Incarceration Trends
The Sentencing Project, 2024. Mass Incarceration Trends. [online] Available at: https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/mass-incarceration-trends/ [Accessed 26 September 2025].

National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI):
National Research Council, 2013. Health and Incarceration: A Workshop Summary. [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201966/ [Accessed 26 September 2025].

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP):
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2025. Incarceration. [online] Available at: https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/incarceration [Accessed 26 September 2025].

Vera Institute of Justice:
Dholakia, N., 2025. Mass Incarceration Is a Public Health Crisis. [online] Available at: https://www.vera.org/news/mass-incarceration-is-a-public-health-crisis [Accessed 26 September 2025].

Wiley Online Library:
Alexander, M., 2015. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. [online] Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9125.12374 [Accessed 26 September 2025].

The Sentencing Project:
Ghandnoosh, N., 2023. One in Five: Disparities in Crime and Policing. [online] Available at: https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/one-in-five-disparities-in-crime-and-policing/ [Accessed 26 September 2025].

Books:

Dan Berger – Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era: Berger, D., 2014. Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.

Michelle Alexander – The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness: Alexander, M., 2010. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. New York: The New Press.