Concrete Mama: The Podcast - Podcast Rankings and reviews

This show is both beautifully executed and profoundly insightful, as we’re invited into a world that many of us will never know.
Each host offers their story with humility, radical honesty, and the utmost vulnerability as they shed light on their experiences in the prison system — and perhaps more notably — how they have grown through the process of being incarcerated. This isn’t a true crime podcast. This is a magnificent tapestry that highlights our shared humanity in a way I’ve never encountered before. Consider this an enthusiastic endorsement and invitation to expand your perspective by tuning into Concrete Mama.

This is amazing content right here! I seldom write reviews for podcasts but felt I had to with Concrete Mama. Each episode is crafted with care, hooking audiences in and keeping their attention to the end. The ability to weave such personal stories with broader societal issues ensures that it is authentic and informative. Concrete Mama is a compelling addition to the podcast world and offers up refreshing insights and a story that challenges and inspires others. Unincarcerated Productions, you all have went above and beyond to make the podcast binge worthy! Cannot recommend enough!!!

Concrete Mama may be the best podcast about the carceral state since Ear Hustle, and fans of the latter will be reminded of the early seasons from inside San Quentin. The raw stories, experimental energy, and rootedness in a particular prison community are all similar. But Concrete Mama still feels fresh and has its own voice. The hosts are the characters, and we get a comprehensive look at each of their stories as the initial cacophony of names and recurring segments resolves into a steady narrative rhythm over the course of the season.

The editorial decisions around their cases are also very different: we learn a lot about the crimes, but always in the messy and often surprising context of each individual’s life. There is redemption, but no hokey redemption stories—just stories.

The overall effect, however, is much the same as Ear Hustle: it does the important work of eroding the barriers that inhibit empathy for people on the inside and the attitudes that allow otherwise decent Americans to tolerate (and often demand) mass incarceration, inhumane conditions, and draconian sentences.

Looking forward to the finale and hopefully many seasons to come.

Stumbled upon this podcast and I was captivated 5 minutes into the first show. Beautiful reflections and rare insights into incarceration, but also male friendship and collective care. A must listen!