Death Row News and Shout-Outs

It's been bombed off the air twice by the Klu Klux Klan and there’s a bullet hole through the studio door. It looks like a spider’s web in the wire mesh glass. This is KPFT, a local radio station in Houston.

Every Friday night a two hour show called The Prison Show comes from here. It’s presented by Hank, produced by David and Dewey’s on the mixing desk. All have been inside. Many times. Volunteers give them a hand with the phones and co-presenting. Hank describes the team as “a pretty loose bunch”. Casual or off-the-cuff in other words.

Put it this way, it’s not the BBC, but then again, I never expected it to be. Technically it’s basic, but content wise, it’s pretty radical and globally unique.

In the first hour there’s an interview with a ex-offender who is now doing ministry work in prison and there’s a section called Death Row News with information about which executions are due. They don't sit on the fence when it comes to the death penalty. They oppose it. I’m interviewed about my visit and why I’m in Houston, and by that point we're into the second hour where friends, loved-ones and pen-pals phone the station to send “shout-outs” (or best-wishes) to prisoners across Texas. This is all going out “live”.

Bianca phones all the way from Germany and she’s clearly made an effort to do so because it’s 4.30 in the morning (her time) and she’s paying for an international call. She’s saying hello and happy birthday to Paul. She reassures him that a letter is on the way and encourages him to stay positive, hopeful and bright.

Olivia, who lives locally, has comes into the studio to say hello to her childhood sweetheart. "He's my elementary crush who I still care so much for," she tell me. "He's on Death Row and is due to be executed next week. On October 14th at 6pm. He got the death penalty for murdering a police officer."

I come straight out with it. "Did he do it?"

"I don't know whether he's guilty but I know he's repentant," she says. "I have a lot of prayers going on." Olivia is absolutely certain that Paul is tuned in. "He always listens. He likes it." On air she puts her lips together to give a long squeaky kiss. The sound engineer winces as the unexpected high pitch noise hurts his ears.

Michelle, one of the show's volunteers, has a husband in Harris County Jail, also "incarcerated" (as they say in America), for murder. Michelle says the radio show is a cheap and easy way for family and friends to stay in touch with prisoners. She believes it keeps their spirits up. "It makes all the difference in the world. If you don't have much money you don't always have your family and friends coming to see you." She's talking about he expense of travelling a long way for a prison visit.

When I'm there it’s mostly women phoning in and one child. Prisoners can’t call, but they can write to the station instead.

Why is this show significant to me? Evidence shows that a prisoner is less likely to reoffend when leaving prison if s/he has good family and community links. In this instance it looks like radio is keeping those bonds going. And after all, right around the world people use radio just like this to make requests and say hello to one another, just not normally to prisoners.

“Listening in you get a sense of eavesdropping on a family conversation,” says Duane Bradley, the station manager. “Mom saying hello to her son. Kids singing a song to dad. It’s very moving.”