11 episodes
Life Jolt CBC STORIES
-
- Society & Culture
-
-
4.6 • 265 Ratings
-
Life Jolt — prison slang for a life sentence — examines the lives of women navigating Canada’s correctional system. Our team gained unprecedented access to the Grand Valley Institution prison — the federal pen for women in Ontario — for a full year. We followed women going into prison for the first time, spoke with lifers who have been there for years, and parolees as they left. Hosted by Rosemary Green, a former inmate herself, Life Jolt focuses on individual women’s stories and the realities of prison life, and explores a wide range of issues including parenting behind bars, segregation, the over-representation of Indigenous women, addiction, trauma and the many obstacles of reintegration.
-
Introducing: Ear Hustle
Leslie has served more time in prison than anyone ever interviewed on Ear Hustle: over half a century, for a crime committed when she was 19. Four times, the parole board has deemed her fit for release. Each time, California’s governor denied it. What does it mean to live a meaningful life when nearly all of it is spent behind bars? More episodes of Ear Hustle are available at https://www.earhustlesq.com/listen
-
Episode 9: Legacy
Prison isn’t just painful for the person sent away. Rosemary left four children behind when she was locked up. She sits down with her two oldest twins for a difficult conversation about what her incarceration and absence was like for them. They talk about the challenges of being together after Rosemary’s release and learning to trust that she wasn’t going to leave them again.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/life-jolt-transcripts-listen-1.6857863 -
Episode 8 : Surviving the Hole
The hole, the shoe, segregation. Whatever you call it, many human rights advocates consider solitary confinement a form of torture. Rosemary recounts her experience in solitary – what she describes as the most difficult moments of her life, and how the experience haunts her to this day.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/life-jolt-transcripts-listen-1.6857863 -
Episode 7: The After Times, Part 2
Hard reality begins to set in for Diana as her home life starts to crumble. Mary’s hopes for freedom are derailed by her struggles with addiction.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/life-jolt-transcripts-listen-1.6857863 -
Episode 6: The After Times, Part 1
Surviving a prison sentence is only half the battle. Getting out - and staying out - can be just as tough. Emily was a successful entrepreneur before she became a drug mule. Now that she’s out, she’s ready to start over with a new prison-inspired venture, but first she has to tackle her relationships with drugs, alcohol and men. Diana faces the challenge of healing her marriage and her family.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/life-jolt-transcripts-listen-1.6857863 -
Episode 5: Inside and Indigenous
Indigenous people account for five percent of Canada’s population, yet Indigenous inmates make up 30 percent of the country’s federal prison system. For Indigenous women, the number jumps up 42%. We share the stories of Chance and Alison, whose experiences illustrate how decades of intergenerational trauma lead people to prison. And how for Indigenous offenders, finding a connection to their heritage is what may ultimately set them free.
For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/life-jolt-transcripts-listen-1.6857863
Customer Reviews
Insightful, compelling, raw with deep emotion
I’m leaving these 9 episodes with a deeper understanding of the lives of incarcerated women and their experiences in prison. The narrator’s vulnerability and passion for telling stories from all perspectives of those impacted by incarceration is some of the best I’ve ever heard. For the reviews saying it lacks accountability makes me think they didn’t listen to the series in its entirety. As for the emotion shown in such a raw, unpolished form- it reveals the still deep wounds of trauma and the narrator’s courage to continue to confront the pain and heal. I’m forever changed by this podcast.
Well done audio journalism
Life Jolt is another example of really well done audio storytelling about Ontario’s Grand Valley Institution for Women - a federal prison in Canada. The powerful nine-part series follows inmates through every stage of incarceration and the podcast’s name is slang for a life sentence. While produced by the CBC in 2021, the credit for the amazing idea and candid focus on individual women’s stories goes to the show’s amazing host, Rosemary Green. Green is a former inmate herself and is dedicated to telling the lesser-known stories of prison life including addiction, the hardships of returning to life outside of prison life, and the cycles and systems that have affected these women’s lives. There were a few reviews that mentioned a dislike for emotion shown by the narrator but the honesty of the show should be commended as should the bravery of these women. It took a lot of courage and vulnerability to tell their stories. Apple Podcasts has 4.6 stars, 214 ratings and 38 written reviews. Episodes are about 35 minutes on average and should be listened to in order. The script is interview-based and episodes are done on topics. Rarely there is a phone interview that is a little muffled but it still can and should be heard. Music is subtle and the commercial amount is average. I really like the show’s cover art. Trigger warnings for abuse, violence, and suicide.
Similar Pods: Ear Hustle, Banged Up, and Suave
For more reviews check out @themastercast on instagram and @mastercastpods on twitter
Deep!
What an amazing podcast!! It had me hooked from the first second. Life jolt and Ear hustle are the best podcasts that I have ever listened to.
Keep pushing, never give up.