HINOJOSA: Yeah. Im going up and I know everything that goes up must come down.. Yeah, definitely, definitely, definitely. Public Media You know, I took a computer class, but I know that its not the same in the street. Martinelli previously wrote for CBS-46 in Atlanta, the Gwinnett Daily Post, and the Atlanta Latino Newspaper. More at hsfoundation.org. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I began reading every law book, I began learning their system, to the point where I could memorize all of the rules and regulations and pinpoint when they was violating my rights. America is infatuated with prisons and incarceration. I was fascinated with prison flicks. Fantasy Premier League FPL Lessons: David Luiz wins out in Sarri shake-up. My God theres so many more important things in life. I mean, it was, like, the farthest thing from my mind. A conversation with Maria Hinojosa and David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez exploring the Pulitzer-Prize-winning podcast 'Suave.'Maria Hinojosa spent nearly 20 years . Can you just talk a little bit about that? They told me I couldnt get a degree, and I left there with two degrees. And so it was like this long-haul battle. Education in prison would reduce the number of incidents, meaning violence because when you are enrolled in an educational program, your focus is getting that degree. info@deathbyincarcerationpodcast.com 2021 Death By Incarceration Podcast. But in journalism, a source is somebody that could report what - the injustices taking place behind these prison walls that society don't know about. Accuracy and availability may vary. So this is the particular thing about journalists' source - is that it doesn't look like just one thing. The two would later work together to document his time in prison and subsequent release, in 2017 after a Supreme Court decision that ruled automatic life sentences without parole for juveniles as unconstitutional, in an eponymous podcast, Suave, which won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize. Its a circle and it goes on and on.. He taught other inmates how to paint watercolor. Everything - phones, computers. Im getting out of jail, and when I mean getting out, I mean mentally. Thank you so much for joining us, both of you. It was funded entirely by inmates from their wages which started at 19 cents an hour. I was fascinated with prison flicks. At Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania, Suave joined the largest population of juvenile lifers in the countrymen considered by the justice system to be irredeemable for acts committed when they were just teenagers. Originally, she maintained contact in order to have a source inside the prison system. Confronting Satan in a Dark Spanish Castle, Three Women in the News Are Setting Fire to an Ancient Trope, Trumps Lawyer Did Him No Favors on Thursday. Suave, as he likes to be called, was serving a life sentence without parole for a crime he committed when he was 17 years old. A Latino juvenile lifer, Suave had been on what he described as a suicide mission. CHANG: Now that he has been released from prison, the two of them are sharing their story in a new Futuro Media podcast called "Suave.". co-sponsor and demonstrate your commitment to supporting people incarcerated in federal prisons far away from friends and family. Back behind bars, Suave suffers flashbacks and struggles deeply to adjust, and Maria questions the entire parole system. Gonzalez was a 2018 Reimagining Reentry Fellow through Mural Arts Philadelphia and is represented by the Morton Contemporary Gallery there. Suave is a seven-part podcast series about the criminal justice system that sentences juveniles to life in prison particularly young men of color and what happens when, decades later, theyre suddenly granted one more chance at freedom. We are so proud of our partners at Futuro Media, who represent the best of journalism and audio, saidKerri Hoffman, CEO of PRX. I think that that makes us better journalists. Suave contacted Mural Arts of Philadelphia and his wall murals started showing up around the city. For example, I dont know how to use a cell phone. Suave ponders what it truly means to be free. Fantasy Premier League FPL set-pieces: Free-kicks add to David Luiz appeal. Audrey Quinn is a documentary audio reporter and editor. And theres no excuse. I'm still trying to understand society for what it is. In 1988, David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez was found guilty of first-degree homicide. You know, Im gonna be the baddest dude on the block.. Based in Harlem and founded in 2010 by award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa, Futuro Media is committed to telling stories and uplifting voices and perspectives often overlooked by mainstream media. On his way to court, Suave is surprised by the smell of fresh air as he boards a bus and leaves the prison grounds for the first time in decades. Required fields are marked *. Like Gonzalez, Thomas was able to earn a degree behind bars, which was one of the factors cited in the commutation he received from California Gov. And then this lady come out of nowhere and just tell me, you could be the voice for the voiceless. CHANG: Yeah. How does that sit with you? What gave you the motivation even to keep breathing, bro? CHANG: Yeah. Rahsaan New York Thomas reported this story for Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom focused on higher education. Imagine following a story for almost 30 years - the ups, the downs and the relationship that evolves between reporter and source. Prior winners in The Pulitzer Prizes have included This American Life as well as a jointly-produced podcast from NPR, KCUR, and WABE. In embarrassing fashion, all the Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices went along. Futuro Media also produces Peabody Award winning Latino USA, the longest running national Latino news and cultural public radio program; In The Thick, an award winning political podcast; and Latino Rebels, a pioneering digital news outlet founded by journalist Julio Ricardo Varela. I'm still trying to understand society for what it is. Because I was illiterate, I really didn't understand the process. A new podcast about the system that sentences juveniles to life in prison, a story of incarceration, redemption, and the unusual relationship between a journalist and a source. I'm still learning. CHANG: And Suave, can you take me back to that moment? Concord Monitor. Gavin Newsom earlier this year. His stories have appeared in The FADER, This American Life, Planet Money, NPR News, Studio 360 and many other outlets. You can avoid it by skipping between minute 4:45-6:45. You know, and I say all the time, in 2017 when I stepped out that prison, not my family, not my community, not my friends - it was Maria Hinojosa that was there waiting for me. Thats how you get the street credibility. I heard in Pennsylvania prisons, if youre a lifer, they aint trying to let you go to college, right? 'Suave' from Futuro Studios and PRX Wins Pulitzer Prize Please everyone share kindness. In 1988, David Luis Suave Gonzalez was found guilty of first-degree homicide. Youre a victim, so you victimize other people because youre hurt. HINOJOSA: Because things change, Ailsa. A new podcast from Futuro Media follows. Maggie is an Adjunct Professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and formerly the Producer-at-Large for Latino USA. Suave ponders what it truly means to be free. The crime was a robbery-turned-shooting that resulted in the 1986 death of 13-year-old Danny Martinez in Philadelphia. Journalist Maria Hinojosa talks "Suave" podcast - WDET Seuss book. Ive never seen one in my life. But in journalism, a source is somebody that could report what - the injustices taking place behind these prison walls that society don't know about. So this is the particular thing about journalists' source - is that it doesn't look like just one thing. She has been honored with her own day in October by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and has been recognized by People En Espaol as one of the 25 most powerful Latina women. You could be the voice for the voiceless.. Maria Hinojosa, Maggie Freleng, Julieta Martinelli, Stephanie Lebow, Audrey Quinn, and Marlon Bishop the production team behind Suave, When I heard the news that Suave won the Pulitzer Prize, I felt like a tectonic shift happened, saidMaria Hinojosa, President and Founder of Futuro Media. Thats true, but its also bullshit because I was a lifer and I did it. Rahsaan New York Thomas: What was the highest level of education you completed on the streets? This is what we do. I fought a guard so they put me in solitary confinement. She is also a contributor to the long-running, award-winning news program CBS Sunday Morning and a frequent guest on MSNBC. I saw some of the hardest dudes in the jail walking down the corridor with school books, because they want to go to school. Journalist Maria Hinojosa met David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez in 1993 while speaking at the Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania. I never dreamed that it would be this good. Even the worst day that I have is good. I failed drug dealing. Suave, as he likes to be called, was serving a life sentence without parole for a crime he committed when he was 17 years old. 2023 In the corner of 8th and Somerset, Maria encourages Suave to talk about that night, which theyve never discussed in nearly three decades of friendship. And Maria Hinojosa is founder of the Futuro Media Group. In the series premiere we meet Suave, a man who has been serving a life sentence at a Pennsylvania prison since he was just a teenager. I went to college really like 25 years ago. I guarantee you nobody saw that coming, bro. Doesnt matter if you doing good, if you got a job, it doesnt matterit could be snatched up in a heartbeat and theres nothing you could do about it.. We explore the tactics of ruthless prosecutors in the 80s, and how Pennsylvania become the state that sentenced the most juveniles in the country to life in prison without parole. And I trusted her, and I still do. Audrey Quinn is a documentary audio reporter and editor. Career. Those incarcerated serving life and long terms, we gotta get out the mindset that we need permission from the DOC. degree from Villanova University. In remarks during the announcement of this year's winners, John Daniszewski of the Associated Press and co-chair of . A Philadelphia judge . As he looks inward and determines to break intergenerational cycles he begins therapy to deal with the trauma of his childhood and incarceration. That is until a Supreme Court ruling changes everythingand Suave suddenly gets a second chance to fight for his freedom. Learn how your comment data is processed. I was on a suicide mission. And I told him, When I get out, lmma get my GED. Then I got out of the hole [and] I took my GED. And thats the life hes leading, in and out of solitary confinement, when he meets Maria Hinojosa in 1993. During her eight years as CNNs urban affairs correspondent, Hinojosa often took viewers into communities rarely shown on television and continued that work longform on Now on PBS. So I was able to encourage them to go to school. But what I didnt know was that the college program was only part-time studies. The Department of Corrections couldn't stop this lifer from winning a You have to say, you know what, I got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Everything she thought she knew about his case turns upside down. Approximately 2,500 juveniles have been effectively sentenced to die in prisonconsidered "irredeemable" by the state for crimes committed when they were just teenagers. The only way youre going to fight the system is if you know how to write the grievance, if you know how to file them pro se lawsuits. The DOC is not there to make it easy for us, bro. Hes become a man and built a life behind bars. Contact us today about becoming a sponsor. Keep changing our world and spread kindness to all., Your email address will not be published. One of them was David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez, who entered prison at 17 expecting to leave in a coffin. Suave reckons with the last three decades of his life. Education was just another tool to fight the system. When I came out, I had basically nobody. Im not gonna say I got a life sentence, so I cant go to school. But I am curious - at this point in your life, going forward, what is the story you want to tell about yourself? Instead theyd at her watch a fiction show or read a fiction book, but I believe real life stories are much more interesting and soul catching than fiction. But as Suave readies for life on the outside, his excitement gives way to a never ending list of fears about what life outside of prison might be like. I spent seven years there and in them seven years, another gentleman showed me how to read and write. So when did you start going to college? I asked the teacher, What the heck is going on in there, a Klan meeting? She was like Nah, its a college program.. As he looks inward and determines to break intergenerational cycles he begins therapy to deal with the trauma of his childhood and incarceration. PRX is a non-profit public media company specializing in audio journalism and storytelling. Maria learns more about Suaves childhood in the South Bronx and the sudden move that led him to the Badlands of north Philadelphia as a teenager. And I want to talk to Maria about that because, Maria, you essentially become a character in this podcast, which is a choice - right? She has mixed and produced music in a multitude of genres (from jazz to pop) and received an independent music award for her work. Suave, you just heard Maria say, he's not a friend. As a Soros Justice Media Fellow, she spent 2019 documenting the human repercussions of changing legal policies along the U.S.-Mexico border. And even though I've been home three years, I'm still lost, you know, because this world moved fast. Acclaimed journalist Maria Hinojosa met Suave 27 years ago when she was invited to speak at a graduation ceremony at Graterford. More at hsfoundation.org. Suave - Latino USA The Courts analysis was rooted in a long-standing rule that the Eighth Amendment embodies evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society.. Hinojosa and David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez, the namesake for the podcast, first met in 1993 while speaking at the Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania. A Latino juvenile lifer, Suave had been on what he described as a suicide mission. Will Luis 'Suave' Gonzalez and Other Juvenile Lifers Be Released Totally written off by the system, given an IQ of 56 and told he was retarded and would never amount to anything, Suave taught himself to read. After a decade reporting on music for various outlets, he served as Senior Editor on the public radio program Latino USA. David Luis Gonzalez is an artist, TedX speaker, podcast host, and support coach for the "I Am More" program at Community College of Philadelphia. Man arrested in Paterson death that resulted from single punch Though what all of the art and journalism we honor today has in common is that it was done ethically and seriously and in its enterprise has played a part in keeping our democracies vibrant.. GONZALEZ: I always understood what a source meant. And I understood that. It has a value and people care. You may have heard some of our reporting over the last few years about a man named Suave, who is serving a life sentence for murder at a prison in Pennsylvania. If I had not decided to stay in touch with Suave, decided not to take his phone calls, decided not to send him a Christmas card and a birthday card, we wouldn't have the kind of journalism that we're able to do now. In a shockingly backwarddecision authored by Justice Kavanaugh, the Court reinstated juvenile life without parole. She has also mixed and done sound sweetening for indie films and documentary series, such as America By The Numbers and Miss Sharon Jones! Luis Suave Gonzalez was only 17 at the time, making him a juvenile, but he was tried as an adult and given a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of ever being released. And I felt like I was breaking that bond. On his way to court, Suave is surprised by the smell of fresh air as he boards a bus and leaves the prison grounds for the first time in decades. And her exposure of undocumented deaths in New Jersey jails for WNYC led to new initiatives from the states Department of Corrections, as well as awards from the Deadline Club, SPJ NJ, and Public Radio News Directors Incorporated. His stories have appeared in The FADER, This American Life, Planet Money, NPR News, Studio 360 and many other outlets. - for a journalist to make. As a reporter for NPR, Hinojosa was among the first to report on youth violence in urban communities on a national scale. He has produced 52 murals in the city of Philadelphia. - 'cause it was like it was not going to happen. The fifth fellow, Luis Suave Gonzalez, will appear Nov. 2 at a public symposium on overhauling the criminal justice system. I had grandmother, grandfathers, aunt. CHANG: I want to bounce what you just said off of Suave. Journalist Maria Hinojosa met David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez in 1993 while speaking at the Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania. Graterford Prison, where Suave was incarcerated, on July 20, 2001. At a Pennsylvania prison, Suave joined the largest population of juvenile lifers in the country. Why Did Xi Jinping Suddenly Call Zelensky? All rights reserved. And I'm at a point in my career when I can say it makes me a better journalist. MARIA HINOJOSA: Thank you so much for having me. CHANG: It is fascinating to listen to both of you describe all the complex layers that come into a relationship between journalist and source. Suave moves to a transitional housing unit at SCI Graterford where he will spend the next few months as he waits for his parole hearing. Certain things I dont know. Everything I knew up to that point was as a child in prison. David Luiz: Brazilian defender reveals surprise new look aged 35 David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole when he was 17. I mean, I was really struck by something you said in the first episode - that, quote, "We have this tool that we journalists can use, which is our humanity" - that if you give humanity, you're going to get it back. On Monday, 22-year-old Giovanni Feliciano, of Garfield, and 21-year-old Jefersson Gonzalez, of . But the return to prison has him questioning a lot of things, including what led him there in the first place. On 22-4-1987 David Luiz (nickname: The Sheriff) was born in Diadema, Brasil. You could be the source - my source. GONZALEZ: And I always tell people, like, we never know who we're going to touch. And that's good journalism. If you in it, you in it for the long run. As president of a Latino organization in prison, he organized a scholarship program for students who lived in Philadelphia, Chester, and Bethlehem. Hes become a man and built a life behind bars. When I met Maria, I was at a point that I wanted to commit suicide. When Suave is finally released from prison, he is placed on house arrest and tries to adjust to his new reality while he awaits his chance to plead his case in front of a judge. As the decades pass, Suave becomes a mentor for younger men and a model citizen inside the prison. And that someone was Maria. Suave, as he likes to be called, was. The football player is dating Sara Madeira, his starsign is Taurus and he is now 35 years of age. That means he was never going to get out. Audreys reporting with Reveal on deadly for-profit disability care led to the unraveling of one of the countrys largest group home companies and earned a Garden State Award for podcasting. Her narrative podcast Aftereffect from WNYC Studios won a Newswomens Club of New York Award, a National Center on Disability Journalism Award, and was a Scripps Howard and Third Coast finalist. But he soon realizes there are limits to how much freedom he can ever truly have, and Maria realizes there are limits to how much she can help him. But I am curious - at this point in your life, going forward, what is the story you want to tell about yourself? This represents a 38% decline since 2016. Suave tells the story of what happens when your whole world is a prison cell, and you suddenly get a second chance at life. David Luis 'Sauve' Gonzalez of "Suave" from Futuro Studios and PRX. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. We had a secret, unspoken bond. It is no accident so many children of color get such extreme sentences. Why are we going to talk about you ever coming out? Shes been invited to discuss her reporting on WBEZs Morning Shift, WAMUs 1A and NPRs Up First podcast. Support the work of PVS by sponsoring this event! He started painting watercolors when he was in prison. The only thing I succeeded at in prison was in getting an education. Suave leaves Graterford and kicks off his first day of freedom by checking things off his bucket listincluding a long overdue conversation with his brother and an apology to students at a school in his neighborhood in the Badlands. Maria ponders how her relationship with Suave might change now that hell be free and theyll have a chance to explore their connection beyond a journalist-source relationship. And to me, it was just them simple words - you could be the voice for the voiceless - nothing else. No, no, no, he's not a friend. "It's a blessing for me to be here as the first thing I do when I got out. Fifteen seconds. Stephanie Lebow is the Senior Audio Engineer across Futuro Medias properties. When Calle Walton lost her sight for good 10 years ago, she began to change her dreams of acting, andfocus on teaching instead.Typically positive Stay informed with our free email updates, Concord Monitor Report For America Education, Concord Monitor Report For America Health, Support the Maria Hinojosa is the Anchor and Executive Producer of the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA, distributed by PRX, as well as Co-Host of In The Thick, Futuro Medias award-winning political podcast, Hinojosa has informed millions about the changing cultural and political landscape in America and abroad. Support for Suave was provided by the Art for Justice Fund, a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and The Heising-Simons Foundation: Unlocking knowledge, opportunity, and possibilities. DAVID LUIS "SUAVE" GONZALEZ: It hit me almost 10 years later that I have a life sentence, that I'm going to die in prison. You know the same way we grind when we hustlin on the corners, the same way you gotta hustle when you in the prison system. Maggie Freleng is an investigative journalist, producer and the host/producer of Unjust & Unsolved, a podcast about wrongful convictions and the crimes that are consequently left unsolved. Maggie was also a TV documentary host for VICE and Oxygens The Disappearance of Maura Murray. It's impossible. 10.20.2022 David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez A curated collection of links The Record What are records? Suave is moved to a new prison and meets someone in his block who is getting a lot of attention. Podcast 'Suave' Explores 1 Man's Life After His Release From Prison And her exposure of undocumented deaths in New Jersey jails for WNYC led to new initiatives from the states Department of Corrections, as well as awards from the Deadline Club, SPJ NJ, and Public Radio News Directors Incorporated. In the corner of 8th and Somerset, Maria encourages Suave to talk about that night, which theyve never discussed in nearly three decades of friendship. Her stories about immigrant youth, life in prison and what happens after have aired nationally on NPR programs, including Here and Now, Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. Jennifer Amell. And then the Supreme Court says HINOJOSA: It's going to happen. Suaves life shows the difference second chances can make. CHANG: It is fascinating to listen to both of you describe all the complex layers that come into a relationship between journalist and source. He's a source. So thats where me and you gonna disagree at, some dude saying, the DOC didnt let me in, is some bullshit because when your back is against the wall, you got to make a decision: Do I want this education? I'm still learning. Death by Incarceration. He been feature on Latino USA on NPR, and In The Thick. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. If you wait for the DOC to give you permission to do it, its never gonna get done. Our partnership demonstrates the heights we can reach together in public media. Former juvenile lifer offers hope for others now incarcerated - WHYY From prison to podcast: 'Suave' explores the friendship between a I feel like Im leaving my brothers behind.. If you're asking me today, yes, I consider Maria my friend. Never in my life did I think we could win a Pulitzer. In her passionate dissent, Justice SoniaSotomayor dismantled the majority opinion and showed how the Court dishonestly overruled precedent while claiming it was not doing that. In 2018 she was a Fellow at Shorenstein Center at the Harvard Kennedy School and is a frequent speaker across the country. Maria Hinojosa meets David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez in 1993. And to be the first formerly incarcerated person and the first juvenile lifer to really knock that off, man, listen, its a blessing. I mean, it's kind of crazy. The new unit reintroduces Suave to a lot of freedomshes no longer in a small cell, he can eat and shower whenever he wants and can even walk the perimeter of the prison. Will Luis Suave Gonzalez and Other Juvenile Lifers Be Released from Prison? Recently I listened to the seven-part podcast Suave. I mean, it was, like, the farthest thing from my mind. But I still didn't believe it to November 20, 2017, when they opened that gate and said, you are a free man. And it was just the most unbelievable thing, truly. And thats what we did: Im gonna create a program for yall and yall gonna let me in that program.. People dying in the streets and that need a helping hand. Learn how your comment data is processed. I believe in going as far as stopping for an injured animal and saving it to fixing a butterflies wing and helping it fly for a week until it flew away. GONZALEZ: From 1998, '99, I gave up all hope. Audreys reporting with Reveal on deadly for-profit disability care led to the unraveling of one of the countrys largest group home companies and earned a Garden State Award for podcasting. Tim Pilleri . It's ugly to say it, but Suave and I knew it, basically - Suave was going to come out in a box. Two lifers on the role of college in prison: 'I found a new habit Its nothing but white guys in there. In August, journalist Rahsaan New York Thomas called Gonzalez from a phone booth on the ground tier of San Quentins North Block. Born & Raised in Paterson, Father & Husband, Former Paterson School Board Commissioner, Homeowner/Ta No, no, no, he's not a friend. Like, if you never go home, what does that matter? But he soon realizes there are limits to how much freedom he can ever truly have, and Maria realizes there are limits to how much she can help him. Prosecutor: After deadly shooting in Lodi, 3 NJ men arrested And if you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. HINOJOSA: That's the thing. Every program that I took, we created. As Suave adjusts to his new life on the outside, the challenges that come with his newfound freedom and the expectations from everyone around himhe ponders if things are too good to be true. In 2018 she was a Fellow at Shorenstein Center at the Harvard Kennedy School and is a frequent speaker across the country. It's impossible. A Philadelphia judge sentenced him to life without parole for a crime he committed when he was 17 years old. He read them over and over. Now, Gonzalez is a support coach with I Am More, a reentry program for formerly incarcerated students at Philadelphia Community College. Incarceration, Oral History & 'Suave' with David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez