Look. And he finds that there are still a few things he needs to do, so he asks Maria to join him. What gave you the motivation even to keep breathing, bro? I mean, listen, I put it like this: our struggle and our journey in the prison system prepare us for this. This represents a 38% decline since 2016. I mean, it's kind of crazy. In this episode, we follow Suave in his first year of freedom as he experiences countless firsts: leaving the halfway house for his first solo apartment, adopting a pet, finding a job and the start of a promising relationship with someone from his past. There he earned a bachelors in education and marketing. You know, Im gonna be the baddest dude on the block.. The story follows David Luis Suave Gonzalez from boy to man, exploring incarceration, redemption, and the often unusual relationship between a journalist and a source. GONZALEZ: I always understood what a source meant. As the decades pass, Suave becomes a mentor for younger men and a model citizen inside the prison. Thank you Suave for seeing life in a different light and changing our world. She is also a contributor to the long-running, award-winning news program CBS Sunday Morning and a frequent guest on MSNBC. Suave ponders what it truly means to be free. And I was honored to be that source. When you first heard the news that juvenile life sentences were going to be reconsidered, how much of you actually believed that you would be released back then? PRX serves independent producers and organizations by helping them connect to their most engaged, supportive audiences. Gonzalez, though not visited by PVS, speaks powerfully about the importance of human connections during his time inside. I mean, it was, like, the farthest thing from my mind. Its the account of one mans incarceration and redemption and an unusual relationship between a journalist and a man convicted of murder. I ran the Latino organization with like 300 people. Fifteen seconds. Maggie is an Adjunct Professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and formerly the Producer-at-Large for Latino USA. She previously covered the criminal justice system, policing and immigration for Nashville Public Radio. 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. Will Luis Suave Gonzalez and Other Juvenile Lifers Be Released from Prison? I'm still trying to understand society for what it is. And I want to talk to Maria about that because, Maria, you essentially become a character in this podcast, which is a choice - right? Were all dying in here. Rahsaan New York Thomas: What was the highest level of education you completed on the streets? As the decades pass, Suave becomes a mentor for younger men and a model citizen inside the prison. She was an NPR Next Generation Radio fellow and 2019 Ford Foundation 50 Women Can Change the World in Journalism fellow. It's impossible. The crime was a robbery-turned-shooting that resulted in the 1986 death of 13-year-old Danny Martinez in Philadelphia. Recently I listened to the seven-part podcast Suave. Born & Raised in Paterson, Father & Husband, Former Paterson School Board Commissioner, Homeowner/Ta 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. - 'cause it was like it was not going to happen. But over the years, they became close. Suave | iHeart In addition, PRX distributes trusted and treasured public radio programming to hundreds of stations nationwide, including The World, The Moth Radio Hour, This American Life, Snap Judgment, Reveal, The Takeaway, and Latino USA. PRX programs have been recognized by the Peabody Awards, the duPont-Columbia Awards, the IDA Documentary Awards, and the Pulitzer Prizes. Do you feel that you are simply a source to Maria, or is there something more? 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.. I saw some of the hardest dudes in the jail walking down the corridor with school books, because they want to go to school. How big of a difference would it make if institutions across the country really put a focus on education? That means he was never going to get out. Thats true, but its also bullshit because I was a lifer and I did it. After Suave is cleared from all accusations, he returns to his home in Philadelphia and tries to move on with his life. They are part of the broader trend of racial disparities in sentencing with people of color getting harsher sentences. Thats how you get the street credibility. Tragically, the majority of justices in the highest court in the land demonstrated they do not believe in second chances. 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. Theres no winners in this. Co-Host. 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. Since his release, Suave has continued painting. Theres no winners in this. A new podcast from Futuro Media follows Suave's path to freedomand . HINOJOSA: Because things change, Ailsa. He has continued community-based work since his release, as Director of Nu-Stop Resource center, an organization that offers assistance to individuals transitioning from prison to life outside. Still, Gonzalez eventually fought his way into Villanova Universitys privately funded college program at Graterford Prison, the maximum security facility where he was incarcerated. The only thing I succeeded at in prison was in getting an education. Because I was illiterate, I really didn't understand the process. Who and What the Hell Is a White Hispanic? The story of David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez on Latino USA - Saturday at 6 For example, I dont know how to use a cell phone. And Suave, you've been talking to Maria for so many years. I'm still trying to understand society for what it is. Keep changing our world and spread kindness to all., Your email address will not be published. I had grandmother, grandfathers, aunt. That is until a Supreme Court ruling changes everythingand Suave suddenly gets a second chance to fight for his freedom. - for a journalist to make. At a Pennsylvania prison, Suave joined the largest population of juvenile lifers in the country. Please note that this episode contains a brief description of violence and sexual abuse. Education was just another tool to fight the system. 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. And I was like, wow, somebody really cared because in street term, a source is a snitch. Suave's Story - Latino Rebels And to me, it was just them simple words - you could be the voice for the voiceless - nothing else. She has also mixed and done sound sweetening for indie films and documentary series, such as America By The Numbers and Miss Sharon Jones! Contact us today about becoming a sponsor. Its amazing to hear his story. All rights reserved. Suave - The Futuro Media Group That little place right here changed my whole life. Dehumanized as super-predators, these inmates pay the price for institutionalized racism. He started painting watercolors when he was in prison. "Suave" from Futuro Studios and PRX Wins IDA Documentary Award You could be the source - my source. You have this dilemma with Suave - trying to keep some journalistic distance from him in the beginning, but then developing a genuine friendship with him, genuine affection. Jones committed his horrible crime when he did not have access to medications he was taking for his mental health issues. 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. Friends and family of Liz Lesher Today, he heads up the editorial podcast team at Futuro Studios, the original programming division of the Futuro Media Group. Co-Host/Inspiration. Back behind bars, Suave suffers flashbacks and struggles deeply to adjust, and Maria questions the entire parole system. At Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania, Suave joined the largest population of juvenile lifers in the countrymen considered by . 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. Actually, Disneys Lawsuit Against DeSantis Is Really Troubling. 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. And I'm at a point in my career when I can say it makes me a better journalist. What starts as a brief conversation leads to decades of communication between the two, walking the boundary between a journalist-source relationship and true friendship. The very last word she said was You can become a voice for the voiceless. And I was just like, Damn, why am I letting this lady mess up my high?. Imagine following a story for almost 30 years - the ups, the downs and the relationship that evolves between reporter and source. "It's a blessing for me to be here as the first thing I do when I got out. David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez met journalist Maria Hinojosa in 1993 during a talk at the prison in Pennsylvania where he was serving a sentence for first-degree homicide. You can avoid it by skipping between minute 4:45-6:45. So I was able to encourage them to go to school. - for a journalist to make. Graterford Prison, where Suave was incarcerated, on July 20, 2001. Tim Pilleri . Youre a victim, so you victimize other people because youre hurt. 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. 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.". 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. Northern California Public Media (SM) reserves all rights to content on this site. You had gone to prison when you were a teenager. Futuro Studiosis the new creative division of the Futuro Media Group, an independent nonprofit organization producing multimedia journalism that explores and gives a critical voice to the diversity of the American experience. 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. Writing for the majority, Justice Kagan emphasized that judges must be able to consider the characteristics of juvenile defendants in order to issue a fair and individualized sentence. He paid another inmate in cigarettes to read him books Hinojosa sent him in prison. Career. At the same time, people knew who I was in the jailI was a renegade. Seuss book. In 2019, she was named the inaugural Distinguished Journalist in Residence at her alma mater, Barnard College. When I came out, I had basically nobody. CHANG: And when you became a free man - I mean, let's just think about this. I think that that makes us better journalists. One of them was David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez, who entered prison at 17 expecting to leave in a coffin. When I met Maria, I was at a point that I wanted to commit suicide. He has also been an activist against mass incarceration. Maria and Maggie discuss how the Supreme Courts decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana has played out differently across the country, leaving some juvenile lifers still behind bars. I genuinely care. 'Suave' from Futuro Studios and PRX Wins Pulitzer Prize And to be the first formerly incarcerated person and the first juvenile lifer to really knock that off, man, listen, its a blessing. Approximately 2,500 juveniles have been effectively sentenced to die in prisonconsidered "irredeemable" by the state for crimes committed when they were just teenagers. This is a testament to never giving up on a story and to trusting your producers. 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. Audrey Quinn is a documentary audio reporter and editor. And he imagines this is what his life will be like until he dies. I'm still learning. I was fascinated with the lifestyle. No, no, no, he's not a friend. I feel like Im leaving my brothers behind.. David Luiz: Brazilian defender reveals surprise new look aged 35 Additionally, Hinojosa was the first Latina to anchor a PBS FRONTLINE report: Lost in Detention which aired in October 2011 and was the first to explore abuse at immigrant detention facilities, garnering attention from Capitol Hill as well as both the mainstream and Spanish-language media. 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. Meanwhile, Maria travels to Philadelphia and Suave anxiously awaits the decision from a judge that could finally grant him the opportunity to experience life on the outside as an adult for the first time. So please be kind to everyone and everything. After Hinojosa spoke, he approached and asked, Im serving life. Death by Incarceration. As the team explores racism and corruption in the legal system, and the more Hinojosa learns about Gonzalezs crime, the more they question the events that put him in prison in the first place, and the system that continues to put children away for life. All Rights Reserved. His goal in life is to change the narrative of what people coming from prison look like. Everything I knew up to that point was as a child in prison. David Luis Suave Gonzalez was sentenced as a juvenile lifer at 17, and served 31 years, mostly in state prison, before being released in 2017. Fifteen seconds changed my whole life.. CHANG: It is fascinating to listen to both of you describe all the complex layers that come into a relationship between journalist and source. Kevin McCracken. We had a secret, unspoken bond. kevin@deathbyincacerationpodcast.com. In 2019, she was named the inaugural Distinguished Journalist in Residence at her Alma Mater, Barnard College. About Us | Death By Incarceration Podcast 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. And then this lady come out of nowhere and just tell me, you could be the voice for the voiceless. At Graterford State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania, Suave joined the largest population of juvenile lifers in the country, young men considered by the U.S. justice system to be irredeemable. Then, in 2016, a Supreme Court decision changed everything. What takes four years out here, might take 16 years in there because they come in once a year.Thats why it took so long to get a bachelors degree. In the nearly three decades that you've been watching the system evolve, can you just describe what has happened to get us to this point, with Suave released and no longer serving a life sentence? Jennifer Amell. A Philadelphia judge sentenced him to life without parole for a crime he committed when he was 17 years old. Maggie was also a TV documentary host for VICE and Oxygens The Disappearance of Maura Murray. And Suave reveals to Maria a shocking story shes never heard before about the night of the murder in 1986. suave@deathbyincacerationpodcast.com. 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.. TheFuturo Studiosproduction team includes executive producer Maria Hinojosa, host and producer Maggie Freleng, reporter and producer Julieta Martinelli, story editor Audrey Quinn, engineer and sound designer Stephanie Lebow, and executive editor Marlon Bishop. Its a circle and it goes on and on.. I spent seven years there and in them seven years, another gentleman showed me how to read and write. Kagan wrote that adolescence is marked by transient rashness, proclivity for risk and inability to assess consequences, all factors that should mitigate the punishment received by juvenile defendants. As Justice Sotomayor wrote, The Eighth Amendment does not excuse childrens crimes, nor does it shield them from all punishment. Originally, she maintained contact in order to have a source inside the prison system. Fantasy Premier League FPL set-pieces: Free-kicks add to David Luiz appeal. I definitely respect that but the average person is not mentally strong enough to face a life sentence and then have more obstacles than opportunities and still become something. And then, an unexpected revelation puts Suaves future into doubt. Because I was illiterate, I really didn't understand the process. Then one day, Im walking down the hallway and one of the guards asked me to interpret for another Latino guy. STOP creating chaos against people you know nothing about. She found her passion for radio at Indie 103.1 FM in Los Angeles, as an engineer, producer, and on-air personality. The Slate Group LLC. The Miller and Montgomery cases led to a review of Suaves sentence and his release from incarceration in 2017 after over 30 years behind bars. I feel like Im leaving my brothers behind.. That is until a Supreme Court ruling changes everythingand Suave suddenly gets a second chance to fight for his freedom. Suave fromFuturo StudiosandPRXwas also awarded this year in theIDA Documentary Awardsfrom the International Documentary Association. The story follows David Luis 'Suave' Gonzalez from boy to man, and explores incarceration, redemption, and the often unusual relationship between a journalist and a source. Please everyone share kindness. Were all dying in here. Suave returns to prison. You can avoid it by skipping between minute 4:45-6:45. On Monday, Hinojosa and her team of producers and editors at Futuro Media won the Pulitzer Prize in audio recording for a seven-part podcast series called "Suave." The show is about a man. I can send you a list with hundreds of schools that will offer you correspondence courses for free. I went to college really like 25 years ago. MARIA HINOJOSA: Thank you so much for having me. The Power of Visiting: A Special Presentation by David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez David Luis "Suave" Gonzalez was sentenced as a "juvenile lifer" at 17, and served 31 years, mostly in state prison, before being released in 2017. I tried eight times before I passed it. Yeah, definitely, definitely, definitely. And Maria Hinojosa is founder of the Futuro Media Group. Suave had a rough startas a teenager walking into a maximum-security prison he says he was a target, and much like in the neighborhood where he grew up, Suave decided he had to be tougher than everyone else. Lance Reenstierna. Im getting out of jail, and when I mean getting out, I mean mentally. Northern California Copyright 2021 NPR. Those incarcerated serving life and long terms, we gotta get out the mindset that we need permission from the DOC. Stephanie Lebow is the Senior Audio Engineer across Futuro Medias properties. I failed trying to take peoples commissary. GONZALEZ: From 1998, '99, I gave up all hope. And then the Supreme Court says HINOJOSA: It's going to happen. Support for this podcast provided by the Art for Justice Fund, a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and The Heising-Simons Foundation: Unlocking knowledge, opportunity, and possibilities. 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. Acclaimed journalist Maria Hinojosa met Suave 27 years ago when she was invited to speak at a graduation ceremony at Graterford. That little place right here changed my whole life. At Futuro Media, Hinojosa continues to bring attention to experiences and points of view that are often overlooked or underreported in mainstream media, all while mentoring the next generation of diverse journalists to delve into authentic and nuanced stories. And Suave, you've been talking to Maria for so many years. Can you just talk a little bit about that? You can do that on your own. She previously covered the criminal justice system, policing and immigration for Nashville Public Radio. 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. Maria Hinojosa on 'Suave', her now Pulitzer-winning podcast: "We Instead of an evolving standard of decency on the Eighth Amendment, our Supreme Court has a devolving standard rooted in cruelty and blindness to institutional racism. It's important that the Latino community knows that these [Esperanza's] resources exist.". Earlier this week, the United States Supreme Court ruled in the Montgomery v Louisiana case that people like Suave, called juvenile lifers, have the right to be re-sentencedwhich means his life sentence could be reduced to time he has already served. From prison to podcast: 'Suave' explores the friendship between a But I always say that there's - lucky for me, I had someone that was there for me. Journalist Maria Hinojosa who has communicated with Gonzalez for nearly 30 years also realizes there are limits to how much she can help as he navigates the realities of conditional freedom. 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. And then this lady come out of nowhere and just tell me, you could be the voice for the voiceless. HINOJOSA: Because things change, Ailsa. This was in 1993. Latino USA and Futuro Studios Winners at the 2023 New York Festivals Radio Awards, April 20, 2023 / New York Festivals Radio Awards, La Brega: Bonus Track Songs for the Future of Puerto Rico, La Brega Podcast Deepens Its Stories of Puerto Rico With a Star-Studded Soundtrack: As Seen on Rolling Stone, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). Contact us today about becoming a sponsor! And it was just the most unbelievable thing, truly. Suave, you just heard Maria say, he's not a friend. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Is there a part of you that believes Maria is on your side? David Guez (born 8 December 1982) is a French tennis player. I don't know - because, Suave, we didn't even talk about it 'cause it's like you're in for life. Gonzalez was a 2018 Reimagining Reentry Fellow through Mural Arts Philadelphia and is represented by the Morton Contemporary Gallery there. You have this dilemma with Suave - trying to keep some journalistic distance from him in the beginning, but then developing a genuine friendship with him, genuine affection. And I'm at a point in my career when I can say it makes me a better journalist. 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. 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. 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. Futuro Media created a podcast about Gonzalez's life, called " Suave ," which recently won a Pulitzer Prize. Faces of formerly incarcerated adorn downtown Philly building But what I didnt know was that the college program was only part-time studies. But I am curious - at this point in your life, going forward, what is the story you want to tell about yourself? Shes been invited to discuss her reporting on WBEZs Morning Shift, WAMUs 1A and NPRs Up First podcast. I like to say, I found a new habit. Suave on Apple Podcasts But the return to prison has him questioning a lot of things, including what led him there in the first place. Then in 2016, the Supreme Court decided the case of Montgomery v Louisiana and ruled that Miller had to be applied retroactively. 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. If you ask me, go on the Internet and Google something, Id be lost. I was fascinated with the lifestyle. She was an NPR Next Generation Radio fellow and 2019 Ford Foundation 50 Women Can Change the World in Journalism fellow. Im going up and I know everything that goes up must come down.. If we would just stop our chaos and look at people individually! December 6, 1986. I was on a suicide mission. I was fascinated with prison flicks. Required fields are marked *. 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. Why are we going to talk about you ever coming out? I had grandmother, grandfathers, aunt. I failed miserably in going to the hole for fuckin guards up. So this is the particular thing about journalists' source - is that it doesn't look like just one thing. I wanna talk to you about the Pulitzer prize, bro. And I'm still honored to be that source. 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. Hard work pays off for David Luiz. GONZALEZ: And I always tell people, like, we never know who we're going to touch. Your email address will not be published. He also co-hosts Death by Incarceration, which will be featuring episodes this fall focused on the various ways people in prison get an education. 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. CHANG: It is fascinating to listen to both of you describe all the complex layers that come into a relationship between journalist and source.
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