Suave

“We had a secret, unspoken bond. We’re all dying in here. And I felt like I was breaking that bond. I feel like I'm leaving my brothers behind.”

Suave moves to a transitional housing unit at Graterford and begins to prepare for his release. But as he readies for life on the outside, his excitement gives way to a “never-ending list of fears” about life outside of prison. Suave also reckons with some complicated emotions—both the unparalleled joys of his upcoming release and the guilt of leaving behind the men he’s considered his brothers for nearly three decades. Maria ponders how her relationship with Suave will change now that they have a chance to explore their connection beyond a journalist-source relationship, as she travels to Graterford on his release day to bring him home.

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“I was fascinated with the lifestyle. I was fascinated with prison flicks. That's how you get the street credibility. You know, I'm gonna be the baddest dude on the block.”

Maria learns more about Suave’s early life in the South Bronx and the crime Suave was convicted of as a teenager in the Badlands of Philadelphia. We explore the tactics of ruthless prosecutors that led to Pennsylvania becoming the state that sentenced the most minors in the country to life in prison without parole. Meanwhile, Suave anxiously awaits the decision from a judge that could grant him the opportunity to experience adult life on the outside.

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“The very last word she said was ‘You can become a voice for the voiceless.’ And I was just like, ‘Damn, why am I letting this lady mess up my high?’”

We meet Suave, a man who has been serving a life sentence at a Pennsylvania maximum-security prison since he was a teenager. And we learn about his decades-long relationship as a source with journalist Maria Hinojosa. Suave has come to terms with the fact that he will never leave the confines of Graterford prison. That is until a Supreme Court ruling suddenly grants him a second chance to fight for his freedom.

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In 1988, David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez was found guilty of first-degree homicide. A Philadelphia judge sentenced him to life without parole for a crime committed when he was 17 years old. At a Pennsylvania prison, Suave joined the largest population of juvenile lifers in the country—young men considered by the justice system to be “irredeemable,” destined to die in prison for acts committed when they were just teenagers. Acclaimed journalist Maria Hinojosa met Suave 27 years ago in prison while working on a story. They kept in touch over the decades by phone, letters, and occasional visits. Originally, she maintained contact in order to have a source inside the prison system. But over the years, their relationship evolved. And then a Supreme Court ruling changed everything, forever altering the course of Suave’s life.

Suave was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting in 2022. Selected as an Apple Podcasts Series Essential.

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