Penned
30 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago - ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsPenned takes a look at the relationships which are formed between inmates and the people who write to them through the prison pen pal system.
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Episodes
Episode 28: Paige
October 21, 2023 17:00 - 45 minutes - 31.4 MBChristina speaks with Paige, a woman living on the opposite coast from her incarcerated husband. She speaks candidly about her life as a prison wife, detailing the ups and downs that come with being married to someone who may never be released into the free world again. Paige is an advocate on issues like the death penalty and people serving life without parole - she and Christina discuss alternative ideas surrounding criminal justice reform and talk about what a world could look like if r...
Episode 27: Danny Pt. 2
September 27, 2023 21:00 - 47 minutes - 32.3 MBChristina continues her conversation with Danny, who is speaking from within Waupun Correctional Institution*. He speaks more on the programs in prison, what works and doesn't work, the reality of what it's like to be released and how easy it is to reoffend, especially when there is a lack of support from the community and society. Danny opens up about his goals upon release in the near future and shares his ideas on how a system that is so flawed can change. *Waupun Correctional Institut...
Episode 26: Danny Pt. 1
July 29, 2023 17:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBChristina speaks with Danny, who is currently incarcerated in Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin*. He's engaged to Katie, a British woman, who was featured in Episode 23 and shares his experience and perspective from the inside about his life, his love, and his plans for the future. Danny speaks on the flawed system designed to keep people down - starting with being a child in foster care, trying his best to fit in, to making choices at a young age that altered his future. In a...
Episode 25: Catherine Legge
June 13, 2023 21:00 - 1 hour - 43.5 MBChristina speaks with investigative journalist, TV show producer, and filmmaker Catherine Legge. Her documentary From Prison With Love (known outside of the US as Met While Incarcerated) tells the love stories of 3 women who are romantically involved with men in prison that have been charged with violent crimes. Catherine's film challenges the stereotypes surrounding these offenders and shows the perspective of women who put it all on the line to love them. You can stream From Prison Wit...
Episode 24: Dana
April 07, 2023 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBChristina speaks with Dana, an artist and educator who works with incarcerated folks in Mankato, MN through the "Art Under Confinement Program", a collaborative between the 410 Project and artists who are currently incarcerated. This program advocates on educating creatives on the professional development side of being an artist as well as pushing their creative thinking and technical skills, to then hopefully be utilized once released. You can check out the 410 Project: On Instagram @410...
Episode 23: Katie
March 10, 2023 00:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBChristina speaks with Katie, a soon-to-be prison wife who is separated from her fiancé, Danny, by more than just prison walls. There's several states and an ocean between them, she lives in the UK and he is currently serving his time halfway across the world in a Wisconsin prison. Katie's journey has just begun as she prepares to uproot her life and leave the United Kingdom for the United States to be with Danny upon his release. *** This episode sponsored by Magic Mind, The World’s First...
Episode 22: Christine
November 27, 2022 19:00 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBChristina speaks with Christine, a recently married prison wife who met her husband, Carlos, through a prison pen pal website during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite Carlos' 25 year prison sentence and living on opposite coasts they couldn't imagine life without each other. Christine and Carlos started prisonpenpalconnect.com - they run the site together working on it from both inside and outside of prison, connecting inmates with pen pals all over the globe and showcasing an ...
Episode 21: Die Jim Crow Records
September 10, 2022 00:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBChristina speaks with BL Shirelle & Fury Young, Co-Executive Directors of Die Jim Crow Records, a non-profit record label dedicated to producing music from currently and formerly incarcerated artists. BL & Fury have made it their life's work to not only bridge the divide between incarcerated artists and artists in the free world, DJC Records works as a radical creative collective, agency for social change, and overall art power house. Listen to the very end of the episode for an additional ...
Episode 20: Martin Lockett
August 11, 2022 20:00 - 52 minutes - 36.3 MBChristina speaks with Martin Lockett, who spent 17.5 years in prison for a DUI fatality that claimed two lives and severely injured another. In Penned's 20th episode Martin shares the story of the tragedy that shaped his entire life and how, post-release, he has devoted the rest of his life to honoring his victims’ legacies. While incarcerated, Martin earned a BS in sociology, MS in psychology, and served as a mentor and role model to other inmates. He acquired state certification as a sub...
Episode 19: Britnee
July 15, 2022 18:00 - 1 hour - 42.4 MBChristina speaks with Britnee who entered into a relationship with an inmate without planning to pursue anything romantically from the start. As their connection progressed and real life issues started to surface Britnee was forced to reevaluate her life, her decisions, and ultimately the future of their relationship. *** Written and produced by Christina Hansen Additional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev *** If you or someone you know has a story to share or if you'd like ...
Episode 18: Aundrea
May 06, 2022 18:00 - 41 minutes - 28.2 MBChristina speaks with Aundrea, a prison wife who is plugged in to what goes on at the prison where her boyfriend is incarcerated. She shares some insight at the injustices that continue to occur, even after someone is sentenced and gives us a look into her boyfriend's daily life in prison - an outsider looking in. *** Written and produced by Christina Hansen Additional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev *** If you or someone you know has a story to share or if you'd like to dr...
Episode 17: Tiyauna
April 01, 2022 22:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBChristina speaks with Tiyauna, a prison wife who started a friendship with her now-husband Willie, during his incarceration over a decade ago. The friendship turned into something deeper in the last couple of years and the two were married in 2021. Willie has been serving a life-sentence since he was a minor with no end in sight, until an incredible turn of events happened in his favor. Tiyauna shares their story and gives us a new perspective on what marriage is like with someone on the i...
Episode 16: Jade
October 11, 2021 15:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBChristina speaks with Jade, a TikTok sensation who has gone viral for her videos talking about what everyday life is like being a self-proclaimed prison wife. Jade uses the platform as a means to connect with others like her in the prison wife community; a vent for her frustrations about being separated from her husband; and an outlet for the sense of humor she has living everyday life being married to someone in prison. *** Find Jade on TikTok and Instagram Watch her Love Don't Judge Epis...
Episode 15: Elizabeth Greenwood
August 17, 2021 00:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBChristina speaks with author/journalist, Elizabeth Greenwood, about her newest book Love Lockdown, in which she follows 5 couples who have met while incarcerated and shares their vastly different experiences. Christina and Liz talk about these featured relationships, prison wife culture, what really goes on during conjugal visits, and how prison relationships endure years of incarceration with sometimes no hope of release. *** You can check out Liz's work at: lizgreenwood.com Find her on T...
Episode 14: Robert
February 19, 2021 22:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBChristina speaks with Robert Kingett, a blind journalist, who began writing to inmates who are serving life sentences and on death row. He thought they would be more accepting than any other sighted person in his life, knowing they would read his words and be able to look past his disability more than most people could. *** You can check out Robert Kingett's work at: https://blindjournalist.wordpress.com/ *** Written and produced by Christina Hansen Additional production and sound editin...
Episode 13: Emma
November 06, 2020 18:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBChristina speaks with Emma, a woman who lives in Jackson, Michigan AKA 'Prison City'. She recently started writing to inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic, including one man who is currently on death row. *** This episode contains content that mentions issues pertaining to eating disorders, which might be sensitive for some listeners. *** Written and produced by Christina Hansen Additional production and sound editing by Jason Sissoyev *** If you or someone you know has a story to shar...
Episode 12: TEDx At Sing Sing Correctional Facility
October 02, 2020 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MBIn Episode 12, Christina explores the idea of uncertainty and shares the audio from Michael Shane Hale's TEDx Talk about redefining the prison reentry experience from within. This audio was recorded live from Sing Sing Correctional Facility in early February 2020. *** Special thanks to Michael Shane Hale for the permission to share his TEDx talk, and to Sean Gallagher, co-organizer of the TEDx Sing Sing Event, for providing Shane's audio. *** Written and produced by Christina Hansen Add...
Episode 12: TEDx At Sing Sing Correctional Facility
October 02, 2020 16:00 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MBIn Episode 12, Christina explores the idea of uncertainty and shares the audio from Michael Shane Hale's TEDx Talk about redefining the prison reentry experience from within. This audio was recorded live from Sing Sing Correctional Facility in early February 2020. *** Special thanks to Michael Shane Hale for the permission to share his TEDx talk, and to Sean Gallagher, co-organizer of the TEDx Sing Sing Event, for providing Shane's audio. *** Written and produced by Christina Hansen Add...
Episode 11: Shane, 'Being Part Of The Solution'
May 20, 2020 21:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBChristina speaks with Shane again, an inmate currently serving a life sentence at Sing Sing Prison. As Christina tries to understand the idea of inmates being cancelled out from society, Shane goes into detail about what daily life is like for him on the inside. From pursuing higher education classes, to learning a foreign language and giving a TedX Talk, he is determined to push himself despite his environment. *** To hear the music from Carnegie Hall's Musical Connections Program at Sing ...
Episode 10: Shane, 'We're All Doing Time'
April 17, 2020 23:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBQuarantine Edition. Christina speaks with Shane, an inmate currently serving a life sentence in New York State's Sing Sing Prison. He gives a firsthand account of the events developing in the prison during the COVID-19 outbreak and how it's impacting inmate life there. Sing Sing was one of the first US prisons to report positive tests for the COVID-19 virus. *** Article referenced: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/it-spreads-like-wildfire-covid-19-comes-to-new-yorks-prisons *** Wri...
Episode 9: Vanessa Pt. 2
January 23, 2020 01:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBIn the second part of Vanessa's interview, she speaks with Christina about the details surrounding Tyler's crime for which he received a sentence of life without parole. *** Show warning: the topics discussed in this episode contain graphic descriptions of violence. Please listen at your own discretion.
Episode 8: Vanessa Pt. 1
December 21, 2019 04:48 - 44 minutes - 30.4 MBChristina speaks with Vanessa, a woman who consistently corresponds with inmates serving life without parole sentences. In the first of a two part episode Vanessa shares details of a relationship that has impacted her life in a way she couldn't have imagined
Episode 7: Exchange For Change
September 13, 2019 21:23 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBChristina speaks with Kathie Klarreich, Executive Director of Exchange For Change, a nonprofit organization that teaches writing in prisons and runs letter exchanges between incarcerated students and writers studying on the outside. This episode also features a reading by Prison Poet Laureate, Eduardo 'Echo' Martinez' of his poem Provocation. You can learn more about Exchange For Change, you can visit their website: exchange-for-change.org Order and read Don't Shake The Spoon ...
Episode 6: Letters To Tony Pt. 2
August 07, 2019 19:37 - 18 minutes - 13 MBChristina shares more letters from the pen pals who wrote to her brother during his 5 year prison sentence.
Episode 5: Jessica
April 14, 2019 00:05 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBChristina speaks with Jessica, a married mother of two young children who has developed a relationship with an inmate serving a 20 year sentence.
Episode 4: Samantha
February 25, 2019 15:19 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBChristina speaks with Samantha, a woman who has developed a close friendship with an inmate serving 50 years in prison.
Episode 3: Letters to Tony
January 31, 2019 21:34 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBChristina shares a handful of letters from the pen pals who wrote to her brother in prison.
Episode 2 : Frank
November 21, 2018 04:54 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MBIn episode 2 Christina speaks with Frank, a German man, who is determined to meet with his inmate face-to-face in the US.
Episode 1: Joe
September 30, 2018 18:39 - 32 minutes - 22 MBJoe talks with Christina about dating a prison-lifer.
Penned - Trailer
May 21, 2018 02:35 - 2 minutes - 1.52 MBThe pen is mightier than the cell. Penned: coming soon. To submit your stories about writing to inmates or being an inmate and having someone correspond with you, please email: [email protected]