Rephonic
Artwork for Rattling The Bars
Prison Industrial Complex
13th Amendment
Prison Labor
LGBTQ Rights
Transgender Issues
Mass Incarceration
Worth Rises
Baltimore
Community Impact
Prison Agriculture
Donald Trump
Rape In Prisons
Maryland Correctional Enterprises
Corporate America
Prison Rape Elimination Act
Human Rights
Immigration Detention
Maryland Second Look Act
Food Justice
ADX Prison

Rattling the Bars puts the voices of the people most harmed by our system of mass incarceration at the center of our reporting on the fight to end it. The show was founded by the late Black Panther and political prisoner Marshall “Eddie” Conway, and is now hosted by Charles Hopkins, better known as Mansa Musa, who himself spent 48 years behind bars.Rattling the Bars offers an honest look at the li... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes167Founded5 years ago
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Artwork for Rattling The Bars

Latest Episodes

Non-unanimous jury verdicts were a Jim Crow–era policy designed to silence Black jurors and secure convictions even when the state failed to prove its case. In 2026, over 1,000 people remain imprisoned in Louisiana after being convicted by non-unanim... more

Returning citizens are being funneled into exploitative temp jobs that pay poverty wages, deny them basic labor protections, and deepen the state’s control over their lives long after they’ve served their time. This week, Mansa Musa speaks with Kathe... more

Prisons have frequently been presented as a “solution” to the economic woes and employment needs of rural communities around the US—but that doesn’t mean residents of these communities want them there. In Franklin County, Arkansas, for instance, resi... more

For incarcerated people and their families, the holidays are the most painful time of year. In this episode of Rattling the Bars, host Mansa Musa and TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speak frankly about what it’s like to be locked up during t... more

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Recent Guests

Lauren Gill
Reporter who has written about the prison project in Franklin County
Boat Magazine
Episode: Rural America wants to break its economic addiction to prisons
Natalie Cadena
Executive Director of Gravel & Grit, a local organization opposing the prison
Gravel & Grit
Episode: Rural America wants to break its economic addiction to prisons
Nicole Porter
An influential figure in the abolition movement, often referred to as the new civil rights leader. She is involved in advocacy against the prison-industrial complex.
The Sentencing Project
Episode: Nicole Porter: The US is ‘by far the world’s number one jailer’
Kori Skillman
Journalist and writer for Baltimore Beat focusing on immigration issues
Baltimore Beat
Episode: ‘An accountability vacuum’: How Baltimore is enabling ICE’s lawlessness
Katherine Passley
Labor organizer of the year for In These Times Magazine and co-director of Beyond the Bars in Miami, Florida.
Beyond the Bars
Episode: How prisons and temp agencies exploit the most vulnerable workers
Sean Wilson
Senior Director of Organizing and Partnerships at dream.org and formerly incarcerated individual
dream.org
Episode: People are dying inside Wisconsin's '18th-century' prisons
Matthew Whalan
Author of "Bullock: Chronicles of Deprivation and Despair in an American Prison"
Episode: 'The Alabama Department of Corrections is a drug cartel'
Liza Jessie Peterson
Activist, actress, playwright, poet, and author with over two decades of experience working with incarcerated populations.
Episode: Inside the modern-day plantation: How theater confronts incarceration
Dakarai Larriett
Candidate for United States Senate in Alabama
Self
Episode: Why more mega-prisons won’t fix Alabama’s crisis

Host

Mansa Musa
Host of Rattling The Bars and a former political prisoner with 48 years of incarceration experience, he brings personal insights into the challenges faced by those in the criminal justice system.

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Talking Points

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Why more mega-prisons won’t fix Alabama’s crisis
Q: How do you plan to get it enforced when you can't get the United States government to enforce it?
It's a real conundrum...We are going to have to bring even more people to the table and create a sense of urgency.
Why more mega-prisons won’t fix Alabama’s crisis
Q: What's your views on building mega prisons?
My intelligence says that the three mega prisons, which are designed to consolidate the population, won't yield incremental bids.
Why more mega-prisons won’t fix Alabama’s crisis
Q: What is your perspective in terms of your political aspiration?
I am a candidate for United States Senate, and the start of this campaign really was about my own false arrest.
‘An accountability vacuum’: How Baltimore is enabling ICE’s lawlessness
Q: How is that impacting the local economy?
Businesses, especially in Latino areas, are suffering due to the absence of workers as many are arrested, resulting in desolate streets compared to previous months.
‘An accountability vacuum’: How Baltimore is enabling ICE’s lawlessness
Q: How do you unpack that? Why did you get in that space?
Skillman shares her personal experience of fear and anxiety regarding police and how that parallels the experiences of Latino community members in Baltimore.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Rattling The Bars

What is Rattling The Bars about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A platform amplifying the voices of those most affected by mass incarceration, featuring insights from formerly incarcerated individuals and advocates. The discussions address the pervasive myths surrounding the criminal justice system and challenge the community's perceptions of safety in relation to policing and punishment. Each episode presents personal narratives, investigative reporting, and expert commentary, revealing the multifaceted issues surrounding the prison-industrial complex and advocating for systemic change and justice reform. The unique combination of lived experiences and empirical data aims to shift public opinion and promote a deeper understanding of the roots of mass incarceration.

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Which podcasts are similar to Rattling The Bars?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Rattling The Bars:

1. Ear Hustle
2. Reveal
3. On the Media
4. Red Onion Randy - Life in a Supermax Prison

How many episodes of Rattling The Bars are there?

Rattling The Bars launched 5 years ago and published 167 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Rattling The Bars?

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What guests have appeared on Rattling The Bars?

Recent guests on Rattling The Bars include:

1. Lauren Gill
2. Natalie Cadena
3. Nicole Porter
4. Kori Skillman
5. Katherine Passley
6. Sean Wilson
7. Matthew Whalan
8. Liza Jessie Peterson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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