The Untold Story: Criminal Injustice-logo

The Untold Story: Criminal Injustice

Lemonada

After taking on the topic of policing in America, host and actor Jay Ellis (Insecure, Top Gun: Maverick, Mrs. America) is back to tackle the other side of the coin: Our nation's criminal justice system. Our nation's courts and prisons are complicated systems that are difficult to understand and navigate. As a result, thousands of people are wrongfully incarcerated, creating after-effects that ripple through our entire society. Jay talks to real people who have experienced the effects of these policies first-hand, as well as academics, scientists, organizers, and city officials who are all part of the effort to answer the question: What can we do to ensure that America's justice system is truly delivering justice to its citizens?

After taking on the topic of policing in America, host and actor Jay Ellis (Insecure, Top Gun: Maverick, Mrs. America) is back to tackle the other side of the coin: Our nation's criminal justice system. Our nation's courts and prisons are complicated systems that are difficult to understand and navigate. As a result, thousands of people are wrongfully incarcerated, creating after-effects that ripple through our entire society. Jay talks to real people who have experienced the effects of these policies first-hand, as well as academics, scientists, organizers, and city officials who are all part of the effort to answer the question: What can we do to ensure that America's justice system is truly delivering justice to its citizens?

Location:

United States

Networks:

Lemonada

Description:

After taking on the topic of policing in America, host and actor Jay Ellis (Insecure, Top Gun: Maverick, Mrs. America) is back to tackle the other side of the coin: Our nation's criminal justice system. Our nation's courts and prisons are complicated systems that are difficult to understand and navigate. As a result, thousands of people are wrongfully incarcerated, creating after-effects that ripple through our entire society. Jay talks to real people who have experienced the effects of these policies first-hand, as well as academics, scientists, organizers, and city officials who are all part of the effort to answer the question: What can we do to ensure that America's justice system is truly delivering justice to its citizens?

Language:

English

Episodes

BEING Trans: Introducing Audio Reality

4/28/2022
The producers of this series would like to share with you another show they know you’ll love. BEING is reality TV for your ears, an innovative new audio format like no other podcast you've ever heard. This season, it’s BEING Trans. This week, we meet Sy, a nonbinary transgender legal assistant in Los Angeles. They transitioned after marrying their husband, Robert, and having a baby. While things seem great on the surface, Sy confesses they've been putting off having a tough conversation with...

Duration:00:22:23

Last Day Preview: Everyone Out Here is Armed

4/13/2022
In episode 1, our team travels to Montana, where cowboy culture reigns supreme, everyone is armed, and 86% of firearm deaths are suicides. There, we meet a couple that represents all the contradictions at the root of America’s gun debate: One is a suicide prevention advocate, and the other is the most adamant Second Amendment supporter we’ve ever met. Plus, our team tries out shooting some big-ass guns. To hear the next episode of Last Day, search for Last Day wherever you are listening...

Duration:01:01:26

Jay Learns Who Really Pays for Prison Time

3/1/2022
In all 50 states, people caught up in the criminal justice system can be charged fines and fees for everything from the cost of police transport during arrests, to the cost of room and board for their time behind bars. In this episode, Jay learns about the back story of how Pay to Stay policy was inspired by a killer clown. And he speaks to experts and journalists about how Pay to Stay policies lock people into a never-ending cycle of debt and involvement with the criminal justice system....

Duration:00:39:57

Jay Learns that Forensic Science Isn't Very Scientific

2/22/2022
Host Jay Ellis is a fan of crime scene investigation TV shows - he’s even acted in them! But in this episode, he learns that all the fancy forensic science the heroes of those shows use to solve crimes are not as good as they seem on TV. Jay speaks to experts about how forensic practices were developed and why they aren’t the reliable science they seem to be. He takes listeners on a field trip to the one forensic lab in the country that’s getting it right and speaks with a woman who spent 13...

Duration:00:52:38

Jay Learns that a Pair of Jeans Could Ruin Your Life

2/15/2022
Host Jay Ellis has dealt with shoplifters first-hand, back when he was a teenaged retail manager at a high-end shoe store. But he never learned about the other side of the story - what motivates people to shoplift and what happens to them if they’re caught. In this episode, Jay learns that people can become convicted felons for stealing as little as $200 in value in some states, because of Felony Theft Thresholds written into state law. Jay hears from people who have first-hand, personal...

Duration:00:47:15

The Untold Story is Back for Season 2

2/7/2022
In season one of The Untold Story, host Jay Ellis (Insecure, Top Gun: Maverick, Mrs. America) took us on a journey to understand policing and its pitfalls. Now, he's back to tell you about some of the things that can happen after you get arrested. You might be aware that America's criminal justice system incarcerates more individuals than any other country. But did you know that you can have your life ruined for stealing something as small as a pair of jeans? Or that the forensic evidence...

Duration:00:03:30

Introducing: Ear Hustle

11/10/2021
Visiting a loved one in prison is both emotionally intense and constrained by countless rules — from how much PDA is too much PDA, to what kind of candy you can eat inside. One year after California prison authorities suspended in-person visits due to COVID-19, we bring you stories from and about visiting rooms, and hear how families are adjusting to video “visits.” Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com. As always, thanks...

Duration:00:55:26

Listen to This: Written Off

11/3/2021
Written Off is a 13-part series that shines a light on young writers who found their voice inside the U.S. prison system. “Untitled.” Written by Dee Davis. Performed by Jay Ellis. After losing loved ones to COVID this past year, Dee is now living in Vegas and finding meaning in teaching other writers of similarly troubled backgrounds. Written Off contains mature language and themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:28:24

Listen to This: Believe Her

10/21/2021
Believe Her is true crime, upside down. In September 2017, young mom Nikki Addimando shot and killed her partner, Chris Grover. She was sentenced to nineteen years to life in prison for murder. Through rare access to police audio, a month-long trial, conversations with Nikki, and original reporting, journalist Justine van der Leun lays out the killing, the evidence, and the aftermath. As this six-part series unfolds, listeners will put together different pieces of a disturbing puzzle. One...

Duration:00:53:00

Listen to This: Written Off

7/14/2021
Walter Thompson-Hernández speaks with formerly incarcerated young writers whose work will be read over the course of the season by creatives like John Legend, Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Karamo Brown, Jay Ellis, Keke Palmer, Julio Torres, and Jesse Williams. Vulnerable poems and honest stories play out against a tailored soundtrack with original music. From Lemonada Media and Black Bar Mitzvah. The voices of those locked up in the U.S. prison system have been all but written off, but no more....

Duration:00:15:06

Introducing No One is Coming to Save Us

5/22/2021
No One Is Coming to Save Us is a new podcast about America’s childcare crisis and the people -- of all ages -- who are crushed by it. It’s hosted by Gloria Riviera of ABC News, and features parents, teachers, and “Call It Like It Is” correspondent Kristen Bell, yes that Kristen Bell, who will reveal how we can create the care system we so desperately need, and deserve. Access to high-quality early education and care determines not only a kid’s future, but also their parents’ sanity. Parents...

Duration:00:18:24

Vote for The Untold Story

5/5/2021
We’re thrilled to announce that we have been nominated for a 2021 Webby People’s Voice Award. If you’ve enjoyed following along for Season One of The Untold Story, we ask that you please go to http://smarturl.it/votetheuntoldstory and vote for our show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:00:40

5: Breonna Taylor, No-Knock Raids and What We Can Do

11/24/2020
Jay Ellis is back, exploring no-knock raids through the eyes of a family who, unlike Breonna Taylor, survived a terrifying evening of mistaken identity. Joined by experts, Jay explores a system that allows for warrants, raids, and civil-asset forfeiture. Netta and DeRay also join to share a blueprint for how Breonna’s life could have been spared. Learn more at endallnoknocks.org and nixthe6.org Thank you to the Cash App for sponsoring our show. Download the Cash App in the App Store or...

Duration:00:39:02

4: Jay’s Ready to Nix the 6

8/17/2020
It’s our solutions episode! Jay arrives at six things that have got to be eliminated in order to usher in substantial improvements to public safety and policing in America and he talks with Netta Elzie (activist, organizer and co-founder of Campaign Zero) about how she transformed her own grief, frustration and anger into steady irrefutable progress. Step one: dive in. Learn more at nixthe6.org Thank you to the Cash App for sponsoring our show. Download the Cash App in the App Store or...

Duration:00:23:29

3: Jay Separates Fact from Pseudo-Science

8/12/2020
From the 48-Hour Rule to the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bills of Rights, Jay talks with social scientists and legal experts about a criminal justice system that offers special protections to the police that are neither offered to civilians nor backed by hard science. Learn more at nixthe6.org Thank you to the Cash App for sponsoring our show. Download the Cash App in the App Store or Google Play store today. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of this episode, visit...

Duration:00:34:33

2: Jay Finds Activists Who Bear Witness, Take Notes, and Make Change

8/3/2020
Fueled with new information about the power of police union contracts, host Jay Ellis is determined to figure out if real change is even possible. So he heads to Austin, Texas where community organizers Sukyi McMahon and Chas Moore changed the course of history...in a city council chamber. Learn more at nixthe6.org Thank you to the Cash App for sponsoring our show. Download the Cash App in the App Store or Google Play store today. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of...

Duration:00:31:18

1: Jay Learns Why Police Unions Matter

7/28/2020
Police unions in America are powerful organizations that protect vulnerable, hard working Americans… except when they don’t. Host Jay Ellis shares his personal motivations for untangling the twisted web of public safety in America. Then, Jay calls up Campaign Zero’s DeRay Mckesson and Samuel Sinyangwe to learn more about police unions’ stranglehold on justice and security in America. Learn more at nixthe6.org Thank you to the Cash App for sponsoring our show. Download the Cash App in the App...

Duration:00:23:59

Introducing The Untold Story: Policing

7/27/2020
Join host and actor Jay Ellis (Insecure, Top Gun: Maverick, Mrs. America) as he seeks to explore the untold story of policing. Jay’s mission: demystify police union contracts, separate truth from fiction, and deliver some concrete steps that can end violent police misconduct across the United States. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Duration:00:01:00