Charged: A True Punishment Story

Slate Podcasts
  • 4.1 (37)
  • HISTORY
  • BIMONTHLY SERIES

For two and a half years, Emily Bazelon has been following people through a special court in New York designed to be a speedy machine for the harsh punishment of illegal gun possession. Along the way, a strange thing happened—the politics outside the courtroom started to change when a new generation of activists and insiders began challenging the old system the gun court was part of. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. EPISODE 1

    Born In Brooklyn

    The mayor of New York deals with a big political problem by creating a new court in Brooklyn. Two men, born 25 years and a few blocks apart in Brooklyn, take entirely different paths to meet at that court—one as a defendant and the other as the district attorney.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min

  2. EPISODE 1 BONUS

    The Making of Charged

    In this first bonus episode of Charged, host Emily Bazelon talks to producers Veralyn Williams and Alvin Melathe. Williams worked with Bazelon in the early stages of the podcast, and then Melathe took over a few months in. They discuss what it’s like being producers of color, and the racial nuances of making a podcast about crime and punishment in New York. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min

  3. EPISODE 2

    Criminogenic

    As his family and friends hustle to come up with his bail money, Tarari ends up at one of the most infamous jails in the country: Rikers Island. Eric runs for his own term as district attorney just as the demands to close Rikers heat up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min

  4. EPISODE 3

    The Ghost of Tyrone Howard

    Tarari faces a very long prison sentence before he’s offered the chance at mercy — with many strings attached. An episode from Eric’s past comes back to haunt him as he campaigns for D.A. and thinks through the consequences of extending mercy to people like Tarari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  5. EPISODE 4

    The Escape Hatch

    Tarari enters a diversion program which saves him from jail but puts his life — and the lives of other defendants like him — on a knife’s edge. We hear from social workers who run the program about the many ethical quandaries of trying to help their clients inside of a system built to punish them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min

  6. EPISODE 5

    The Long Tail

    A standalone episode about one of the voices featured in our series who is introduced to listeners as an expert but who goes through his own harrowing experience with the system when he’s sent to Rikers a few days shy of completing his parole. We document his ordeal and its surprising aftermath. Additional music for this episode by Lee Rosevere.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min

  7. EPISODE 6

    The Other Side

    We check in with Tarari and others as they complete their time in the diversion program and look toward their futures. We hear from the people inside the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office about their plans to reshape their slice of the criminal justice system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min

  8. SEASON 2 TRAILER

    Introducing... Charged: A True Punishment Story

    For two and a half years, Emily Bazelon has been following people through a special court in New York designed to be a speedy machine for the harsh punishment of illegal gun possession. Along the way, a strange thing happened—the politics outside the courtroom started to change when a new generation of activists and insiders began challenging the old system the gun court was part of. Season 1 of Slate Presents brought you the story of Ruby Ridge, and Season 2 brings you a fight to transform one big-city justice system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    3 min

Trailer

4.1
out of 5
37 Ratings

About

For two and a half years, Emily Bazelon has been following people through a special court in New York designed to be a speedy machine for the harsh punishment of illegal gun possession. Along the way, a strange thing happened—the politics outside the courtroom started to change when a new generation of activists and insiders began challenging the old system the gun court was part of. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

More From Slate Magazine

You Might Also Like